Every February, 12 million Italians stop everything for 5 nights to watch the Festival di Sanremo — the song competition that has launched every major Italian music career since 1951 (Domenico Modugno's "Volare," Andrea Bocelli, Måneskin's "Zitti e buoni" that won Eurovision 2021). The festival happens in the Teatro Ariston on Via Matteotti — a modest theater in a town of 55,000 that becomes, for one week, the center of Italian culture. But Sanremo beyond the festival is equally compelling: a Belle Époque casino rivaling Monte Carlo, a medieval hilltop quarter called La Pigna (the pinecone), the largest flower market in Italy, and 24km of car-free cycling path along the coast. Full Liguria guide →
Plan my Sanremo →La Pigna (the old town). Medieval hilltop quarter — steep alleys, covered passages (caruggi), Romanesque churches, cats everywhere, and the specific atmosphere of a place that hasn't changed since the 16th century. Walk from Piazza Colombo uphill through Porta Santo Stefano. 20 min to the top (Santuario Madonna della Costa — panoramic terrace). Casino Municipale (Corso degli Inglesi — Art Nouveau palace, 1905). Roulette, blackjack, slots. Entry free with ID, minimum bet €5, dress code: smart casual. The building alone (marble, chandeliers, frescoed ceilings) is worth the visit even without gambling.
Pista Ciclabile del Ponente Ligure. 24km of car-free cycling/walking path along the coast on the old railway line (Sanremo→Imperia). The most scenic coastal bike path in Italy — tunnels, bridges, sea views the entire way. Bike rental: €10-15/half day from shops at the port. Flower Market (Mercato dei Fiori). Sanremo is "City of Flowers" — the wholesale flower market (Via Quinto Mansuino, mornings) supplies half of Europe. The scent is overwhelming. Russian Orthodox Church (Corso Imperatrice — onion domes, 1913). Built for the Russian aristocracy that wintered in Sanremo (the Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna died here in 1880).
Focaccia di Recco (thin, cheese-filled — not FROM Sanremo but perfected nearby). Pansotti al sugo di noci (Ligurian ravioli with walnut sauce). Brandacujun (whipped salt cod with potatoes — the Ligurian baccalà). Sardenaira (Sanremo's pizza: thick, tomato, olives, anchovies, onions — €3/slice). Where: Trattoria Buca Cena (Via Corradi 3 — traditional, €20-30). The port restaurants (Via al Porto — fresh fish, sea views).
Train: Genova→Sanremo 2h (€10-15). Milan→Sanremo 3.5h. Nice airport (France): 50 min by car (cheaper flights from US/UK often land in Nice — rent a car and drive the coast). Monaco: 35 min by car. Combine with: Bordighera (10 min, Monet painted here), Dolceacqua (30 min inland, medieval bridge + Rossese wine), Imperia (30 min east, olive oil capital).