La Serra

Affords splendid panoramic views of the magical
sea of the Gulf of La Spezia 

Our La Serra Travel Guide, is here to help you find :

What is the attraction of the town ?

Everyone who has visited the charming village of La Serra will agree that one of its main attractions is the spectacular view it affords over the Gulf of La Spezia to the islands of Palmaria , Tino and Tinetto . The village sits on a hill of olive trees below Verazzano while overlooking the famous tourist town of Lerici .

Golfo dei Poeti, La Serra tucked away amongst the hills

The village was ancient origins dating to 500 AC and is believed to have originated following the destruction of the villages of Barbazzano and San Lorenzo. Even though, it is not immediately positioned on the coast, it was boasted a large defence wall to guard the village from the frequent attacks of the Saracens.

The charm of its alleyways

Today La Serra has retained its original character of a typical Ligurian village with its deep alleyways, small piazzas and steep stairs going up to the multi-coloured houses.

For centuries the people of the town were engaged in street trading of selling Parmigiano Reggiano and oil, and today you can find a couple of chamring small grocery shops where you can buy refreshments or provisions as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

The main street leading to the town's church

The town’s parish church is dedicated to St. John, the patron of La Serra. It was renovated in recent years, and it houses a valuable painting dating from 600 AC depicting St. John.

The town's parish church

There is a panoramic terrace to the right of parish church, which is ideal for a picnic stop while taking in the charming views this area of the Gulf is famous for.

From here you can admire splendid panoramic views of the Gulf of La Spezia

Things to Visit Around the Area

This corner of Liguria is not only breathtaking but is also ideal for people looking to experience different parts of Italy without venturing too far from their base.

La Serra is in the eastern side of the Gulf of the Poets making it a great base to explore the other towns of the Gulf – from Lerici and San Terenzo to La Spezia and Portovenere , all the way to the Cinque Terre.

The buzz of Lerici is within an easy reach

The boat trips starting from Lerici can make for an unforgettable way to visit Portovenere, the Cinque Terre , Portofino and Genoa.

La Serra is also close to the Liguria border with Tuscany, an area known as Lunigiana, and from here one can easily visit the towns of Lucca, Carrara, Viareggio, Montecatini, even Pisa and Florence.

Sarzana, Firmafede fortress

Whether with bus or car, the town of Sarzana is well worth a visit too. This ancient city, dating to 963 AC, is built around the Castle and the old town, surrounded by the old city walls, is a treasure trove of small workshops, businesses and the marvels of the Italian everyday life. There are lots of bars and restaurants that contribute to a lively nightlife.

The area is part of the National Park of Montemarcello and offers variety of hiking trails. Just after the town of Montemarcello, you can admire a spectacular view over the Magra valley stretching over the Lunigiana plains as far as the Apuan Alps.

For the beach lovers, the area is rich in pristine and charming beaches . One of the best beach clubs in Italy, Eco del Mare , is a short drive away and a short 30 minute drive will bring you to the massive beach resort in Tuscany, Forte dei Marmi.

Enjoy the Town's Festival and Events

Every year, at the end of August, the town hosts the Snail Festival ( Sagra da Lumaga) which gives you the opportunity to taste the delicious dishes of snails including the famous ‘lumaghe’ stew cooked according to ancient La Serra recipe.

Golfo dei Poeti, The terrace of Circolo ARCI which hosts the Sagra da Lumaga

The festival is held at the beautiful terrace of the Circolo ARCI but it inevitably spills over to the nearby streets of the town. It has become famous for the "lumaghe" but also for the many other seafood delicacies you can enjoy – from the stuffed mussels and grilled prawns to the poached octopus and the delicious fritto misto.

Golfo dei Poeti, The terrace of Circolo ARCI which hosts the Sagra della Lumaca

From here you can admire a wonderful view of Lerici and the Gulf of Spezia, as well as lots of dancing including every evening ballroom dancing with Daniele Martinelli.

Getting to Town

La Serra can easily be reached by car and it is highly recommended if visiting the area. It is just 3km away from the next largest town of Lerici while La Spezia, the capital of the Province, is about 10 km away from Lerici. To get to town by car, take either:

• Motorway A12 Genova – Livorno, Exit Sarzana. Or

• Motorway A15 Parma - La Spezia , Exit  S. Stefano Magra

And follow our directions on getting to Lerici . From there the roads leading to town are well signposted making La Serra easy to find. You might find our Interactive Map of the area very useful when planning your journey as well. It also shows the driving directions to La Serra. 

The town also has good public bus links connecting it to the neighbouring towns, usually running between the hours of 6am to 8pm.

If you are planning to travel by train , you can either take the regional rail service to the railway station of La Spezia or Sarzana. From there you can either take a taxi which will cost around €20 or alternatively, take the bus line to Lerici and then change for the bus line to La Serra.

Interactive Map of the Area

View Lerici Municipality in a larger map

Using the Map ...

• The arrows move you up, down, left and right (or grab the screen and pull in any direction)

• The + and - to zoom you in and out

• The "Map" button shows the village in map illustration form

• The "Satellite" button shows La Serra in satellite images (zoom in for detail!)

• The "Terrain" button shows an artistic rendering of the terrain that covers the village  (zoom out to use this feature)

Google maps

• To see images and photos of the roads in the map, click Lerici Municipality and then click on the little person figure above the + zoom option and grad it to the map. For example, place the little person figure (shown on the right) over Via A. Bacigalupi and see the main road leading to the village… For even more fun and pictures, as well as to get a real feel for the area, view the map in Google Earth by clicking on the "View in Google Earth" option above the map.

You can zoom in and out, finding the best scale and then print it to .pdf and bring it along on vacation! You definitely won't find a more detailed, up to date map online or on vacation.

Thank you for visiting our guide… we look forward to welcoming you to Liguria and hope you will love it as much as we do !

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