ABSTRACT
Anyone who has visited the northwest coast of Italy, where the Apuan Alps and the Apennines drop down to meet the Mediterranean, knows it to be a region of exceptional beauty. The rugged peaks, reaching up to 2000 m provide a dramatic backdrop to the richly wooded slopes skirting the eastern shoreline of the Gulf of Genoa. Opportunities for cruising along the coast, exploring the varied landscape or just relaxing at the water’s edge combine with an unusually amenable climate to make the area highly attractive to tourists.
