Apr 5, 2007

Liguria's Secret Valley

I've just returned from Liguria. This part of Italy is best known for its stunning coastline, the Italian Riviera, but I stayed in the mountain region of the Val di Vara - a part of Liguria that has hardly been explored by tourists. It's an area that is well known in Italy however, as it has a reputation as a 'green' organic valley. The main town is Varese Ligure, once a resort for wealthy Genoese families escaping the heat and mosquitoes of the coast in summer. The whole area is making great efforts to be as green as possible: wind turbines and solar panels provide power, and waste is carefully recycled.

Many farmers in the valley raise their cattle organically, and the butcher's in Varese Ligure often has queues outside. There is also an organic cheese factory and organic yoghurt factory. Small producers in the valley also make honey - the chestnut one is particularly good . In the hill village of Castiglione Chiavarese, you can also find wine and olive oil at the Azienda Agricola Pinogino. The area, with its thick chestnut and beech forests, is also noted for its excellent porcini mushrooms.

There is a family run hotel in Varese Ligure - the Hotel Amici which serves home-cooked food, with as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. It's very popular with Italians who come up from the coast for Sunday lunch.