Dolcedo: All destinations, advice & information for your holidays!

Historical stone houses, old bridges, gnarled olive trees, and palm trees give Dolcedo a picturesque ambiance. The charming town in the Ligurian hinterland is only a few kilometers from the sea and the Riviera of Flowers. The surrounding Mediterranean nature with oak forests and olive groves invites you to take extensive hikes.

Table of contents

Dolcedo - Must-see attractions
Dolcedo - Secret spots
Dolcedo - In 3 days

Dolcedo - Must-see attractions

Dolcedo - Holiday homes & apartments

Old Town of Dolcedo

The Prino River, lined with fascinating ancient house fronts, flows through the old town. Stroll over medieval stone bridges like the Ponte dei Cavalieri di Malta and through winding alleys. Admire the countless sights that shape the cityscape of Dolcedo. The historic town hall on Piazza Doria and the Baroque church of San Tommaso are among the most significant attractions of the place. Dolcedo, with its many olive mills, arcades, and charming restaurants and cafes, invites you to stroll and linger.

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Bridge of the Knights of Malta

Dolcedo is traversed by the Torrente Prino and the Rio dei Boschi rivers. Five bridges span over them. The oldest is the Ponte dei Cavalieri di Malta, built in 1291 by the Knights of the Order of Malta. It was intended to connect the upper and lower parts of Dolcedo, thus facilitating the transport of agricultural products. At the lower end of the bridge lies Piazza Andrea Doria with the town hall and the baroque Church of Saint Thomas.

Lecchiore Lakes

The Laghetti Lecchiore in the Ligurian province of Imperia form a hidden bathing paradise between rocks and trees. The lakes are fed by a mountain stream and are therefore wonderfully cool even in summer. At one of the natural bathing pools, you will discover a small waterfall. You can best reach the Laghetti Lecchiore with sturdy footwear from the village square in Lecchiore, a district of Dolcedo. The 2-kilometer route leads over an asphalt road and narrow forest paths to the lakes with their rocky spots for picnicking.

Church of Saint Thomas

The pulse of Dolcedo beats on the large piazza with the oratory and the loggia, both from the 17th century. A passage leads to the late medieval and later baroque remodeled parish church of San Tommaso with its magnificent Renaissance portal under the baroque canopy. The interior of the church shines in intense royal blue, adorned with gold-embellished capitals and pilasters. Marvel at nine altars with masterful paintings, the precious marble altar, and the intricately carved choir stalls. In summer, popular classical concerts take place in the churchyard.

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Our Lady of Lampedusa

Framed by the picturesque hills of Liguria, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lampedusa captivates with its striking natural stone walls and large archways and arcades. From the terraces, you can enjoy a magnificent view over the region. According to legend, the sanctuary was initiated by Andrea Anfosso, who was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Lampedusa in the 16th century. Because a Madonna image helped him escape, he built the structure upon his return.

Beach of Porto Maurizio

With its golden yellow sandy beach and gently sloping shore, the beach of Porto Maurizio is popular with families who want to let their children splash in the water. Free parking is available at the harbor, 5 minutes away. Along the promenade, bathers will find ice cream parlors and pizzerias as well as bars and cafes. In the evening, the atmosphere at the beach of Porto Maurizio is special. Enjoy a glass of wine on one of the sun terraces as the sun sets crimson into the sea.

Dolcedo - Secret spots

Dolcedo - Holiday homes & apartments

The Oratorio of Saint Charles Borromeo

The walls inside the oratory vividly tell the story of Saint Charles Borromeo. Flanked by wooden benches, a central aisle made of octagonal marble slabs leads to the 18th-century altar. The entrance of the sacred building in the Italian town of Dolcedo on the Ligurian Riviera Ponente impresses with a portico built on columns.

Imperia Oil Museum

In 18 rooms, the Museum dell’Olio on the Riviera di Ponente tells the exciting 6,000-year history of olive oil from cultivation to production. At one of the largest olive-growing locations in Liguria, the Olive Museum introduces you to various olive varieties and displays ancient artifacts related to olive oil, collected by the Carli family.

Village Valloria – Art under the open sky

Valloria, a Ligurian insider tip in the hinterland of the Riviera Ponente, is so unique that every year in July the traditional village festival "A Valloria fai Baldoria" invites artists to creatively paint the doors of the houses. So far, 170 artworks have been created in this idyllic village north of Dolcedo.

Villa Grock

With a mixture of different styles such as Rococo, Art Deco, and Baroque, the world-famous clown Adrian Wettack had Villa Grock built on the Ligurian Riviera di Ponente near Dolcedo. The contemporary architectural monument from the 1920s delights with a garden full of cedars and palms, stone statues, and a picturesque pond.

Dolcedo - In 3 days

Dolcedo - Holiday homes & apartments

Day 1

Right at the beginning, let the charm of the small town of Dolcedo take effect on you, nestled amidst extensive olive groves. Stroll through the narrow alleys of the old town, known as Carruggi. Five bridges span the Prino and the Rio dei Boschi: the oldest is the Ponte dei Cavalieri di Malta or Ponte Gande, dating back to 1292. From all of them, you have beautiful views of the picturesque town and the surrounding landscape. You enter the heart of Dolcedo with the Piazza. It is flanked by two baroque gems, the Oratorio di San Lorenzo and the Loggia Suttu Munte. You can admire wonderful frescoes in the Oratorio di San Carlo Borromeo in the south of the town. If you are in Dolcedo during the olive harvest, you can participate in a tour of the Frantoio Ghiglione oil mill. The farm shop offers regional products from organic farming such as olive oil, honey, and pesto all year round.

Day 2

The surroundings of Dolcedo invite you to go hiking. Terraced olive groves alternate with chestnut and oak forests. You only need to hike 3.5 km from Dolcedo to the village of Bellissimi in the west, where pictures and mosaics of hot air balloons adorn the walls. During a guided tour, you will learn more about them. Afterwards, you continue hiking to Laghetti Lecchiore, a pool with wonderfully clear water into which a small waterfall flows. Or you can head south and start from the chapel of Santa Brigida on the bridge path towards Pietrabruna. A nice hiking destination for the whole family is the Laghetto di Lucinasco, about 13 km north of Dolcedo. Next to a rustic 15th-century church stretches the lake, where turtles swim. On clear days, the ascent to the Belvedere di Sant’Anna, located 10 km north, rewards you with a view all the way to Corsica.

Day 3

In Lingueglietta, you feel transported to the past. A highlight of the romantic mountain village is the remains of the late Romanesque building from the 12th to 13th century. You should also see the frescoes in the church from the 13th century. Spend the rest of the day at one of the beaches like the one in Porto Maurizio. The public beach has both sandy and pebbly sections and showers. Even better equipped are the outdoor pools Spiaggia d'Oro and Bagni Oneglio at the harbor pier of Imperia. On the Moletto, you can walk far out into the sea to the Faro rosso lighthouse. Nearby, you can start a whale-watching tour by boat. On the way back to Dolcedo, stop in the southern neighboring town of Isolalunga. Here, you can round off your stay in Liguria with a tasting of Ligurian specialties such as wine and olive oil at Agriturismo Benza Frantoiano.