Hello,
We need to drive tomorrow from Cinqute Terre (Levanto) to Bergamo. Are there any suggestion for a nice road trip to go through on the way, perhaps through a part of the northern Appenines? or any other sort of mountains and nature, before we go into the highways to Bergamo.
Thanks,
Nadav
I recommend taking the autostrade A15 (La Spezia-Parma a/k/a E33) to Pontremoli, a pretty town at the foot of the Appenines, It's worth a stop to look around , story here https://www.apathtolunch.com/2014/05/exploring-pontremoli-ten-things-to-do.html
Then take the SS62 over the Cisa Pass to Berceto on the other side of the mountains after which you can rejoin the A15. It's a decent road and trucks don't use it. You will have nice mountain scenery and there will be pretty fall colors, especially the golden chestnut trees. Berceto is also worth a look around, particularly the church. Both of these towns are on the historic pilgrim route Via Francigena. Look for the regional specialty of dried or fresh Porcini mushrooms as this is the season, and nearly every restaurant will offer a special dish with them. The dried Porcini can be taken back to the US and make a nice gift for a cook.
FWIW, Google maps may suggest going via Genoa and the A7 which may be the fastest by a small margin. That route is not as pretty and the driving is harder with many tunnels and trucks. Between La Spezia and Genoa there are 54 tunnels! Knowing that is an indicator of how often we've driven it!
