La Spezia

Location
Located only 25 km from the region of Tuscany, La Spezia it is on the eastern end of Liguria. The Gulf of La Spezia is also called the Gulf of Poets. 
Motorway Exit: Motorway A12, La Spezia Exit.
Railway Station: La Spezia Centrale (nfo: www.trenitalia.com )
Buses: info: www.atclaspezia.it
Ferries: in the spring and summer months, ferry service and boat tours depart daily from La Spezia for the main gulf towns, the Cinque Terre, the Riviera, Portofino and Genova, weather and sea conditions permitting (info: www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it )
Airports: Pisa Airport - 80 km from La Spezia, (info: www.aereoportodipisa.com) and Genova Airport – 110 km from La Spezia, (info: www.airport.genova.it). 

What to see and do
“The streets are wide and the houses are high and yellow.” Ernest Hemmingway described La Spezia with these few words. Approaching La Spezia by sea, this is the same impression it gives today; with tall elegant buildings, built along a lush garden lined promenade, overlooking the sea.
The city was largely developed in the second half of the 19th century when the Arsenale Militare, (the military shipyard) was built. 
La Spezia has an ancient history. During the Roman era, it was an agricultural and holiday area. Due to its mild climate, vineyards and olive trees were cultivated. Starting in the middle ages, it became an important commercial port.
The Castello San Giorgio is the most evident trace of La Spezia’s ancient past. The castle has been recently restored and houses the Archaeological Museum of La Spezia. Other important museums which can be found in La Spezia are the Lia Museum and the CAMeC Museum of Modern Art. The tower of the Palazzo delle Poste (the central post office), is decorated with mosaics made by the Futurist artists Fillia and Prampoli. 
A beautiful view of the entire Gulf of Poets can be admired from the numerous step paths, leading from the centre of the town to the surrounding hills.