Discover Sestri Ponente

Sestri Ponente combines culture, a local everyday atmosphere and paths into the Monte Gazzo landscape. In Sestri Ponente, you will find a variety of points of interest: a museum with an extensive sculpture collection, historic buildings, Via Sestri, which is almost entirely pedestrianised, and a 180-degree view over the Gulf of Genoa from the forecourt of the sanctuary on Monte Gazzo.

Art and history in Sestri Ponente

The Museo Gipsoteca Studio Venzano is housed in the rooms that Luigi Venzano used as his studio for most of his artistic career. The collection comprises more than 200 sculptures made of plaster, bronze, marble, terracotta and wood. By arrangement, the museum offers free guided tours. This allows you to include a museum visit specifically as a separate cultural highlight in your travel plans, without reducing the collection to a single material or a specific period.

Historic landmarks can also be found outside the museum. The historic path to the Abbazia di Cassinelle is 3.5 kilometres long; halfway along it stands the Abbazia di Cassinelle, which dates from the 14th century. The Villa Rossi Martini, also known as Villa Rossi, is also located in the Sestri Ponente district. The Genoese aristocratic villa was built in the 17th century by the aristocratic Lomellini family. Its park covers 40,425 m² and was designed in the English style by landscape architect Giuseppe Rovelli. Cultural and leisure events are often held there, particularly in summer.

Paths and views around Monte Gazzo

The Anello del Monte Gazzo hiking trail begins in Località Costa di Sestri Ponente. After approximately 15 minutes, you reach the area known as the “Fortini”, where the ruins of batteries built against ships during the Second World War can be found. The time indication provides a useful orientation for assessing this first section, while the historic remains give the trail an additional historical dimension.

The two distance and time indications help put the routes into perspective, but refer to different paths: 3.5 kilometres describes the length of the historic path to the abbey, while approximately 15 minutes provides orientation up to the “Fortini” area on the Anello del Monte Gazzo.

The sanctuary on Monte Gazzo stands at an altitude of 419 m and is a historic place of faith. From its forecourt, there is a 180-degree view across the entire Gulf of Genoa, bounded by the Portofino promontory and the Riviera di ponente. When choosing between a museum visit, a historic path and a landscape experience, Sestri Ponente therefore offers several clearly distinct themes, so you do not have to mix the cultural and scenic aspects of the area.

Via Sestri and local specialities

Via Sestri is almost entirely pedestrianised and shapes an important part of the local experience. Typical products include farinata di zucca, which can be sampled at the fritter shops along Via Sestri. This allows you to combine a walk through the area with a specific insight into the local cuisine. If you would like to broaden your stay thematically, you can also visit Bracco, Roverazza, Sant'olcese, Cogorno, Valbrevenna, Masone, Statale or Portofino: Bracco, Roverazza, Sant'olcese, Cogorno, Valbrevenna, Masone, Statale and Portofino.

For the main travel overview: Genoa.