One of the largest and most popular resorts of the Ligurian coast is located 30 km southeast of Genoa. A city with more than a thousand-year history, from a medieval outpost that protected the bay from pirates, by the middle of the 19th century turned into a fashionable resort. From this article you will find out what Rapallo is remarkable for, what to see here and how easy it is to get to the resort.
The reason for the increased popularity of Rapallo, as often happens, was the railway laid in 1868, connecting Rome and Nice. Then elegant buildings in the Art Nouveau style began to appear here, which, in combination with ancient buildings, created the current colorful appearance of the city.
Rapallo became a fashionable resort in the middle of the XIX century
Rapallo became a place of pilgrimage for the European aristocracy and intelligentsia: Maupassant and Dickens, Nietzsche and Yeats came here. It was here that Nietzsche began work on one of his most important works - "So Zarathustra said."
Today, the city continues to attract representatives of the creative and political elite, so the likelihood of running into one of the celebrities on the Rapallo promenade is quite high.
How to get to Rapallo
The nearest airport to Rapallo is in Genoa, 40 km from the city. Regional trains leave from Brignoli Station in Genoa every half an hour or an hour, which will take you to Rapallo in 30-40 minutes. The fare will be from 4 to 15 euros, depending on the class of train and wagon. By car, take the A12 / E80 to the Rapallo exit.
Trains from Milan also run to Rapallo at intervals of about 1 time per hour. Travel time is about 2 hours for non-stop routes and about 3 hours for transfers. Tickets will cost 15-30 euros, depending on the type of train (high-speed / regional, direct / connecting) and the number of connections.
Tickets can be purchased at the station on the day of poisoning or in advance through the Internet on the trenitalia website. Driving from Milan takes approximately the same amount of time.
Train station in Rapallo
From both Genoa and Milan, you can also get to Rapallo by taxi. You can try to catch a car directly at the airport terminal or call by the time of your arrival via the Internet. This may be especially true for those traveling to Rapallo from Milan: since the distance is not close, not every taxi driver will agree to such a trip.
In addition, it must be borne in mind that local taxi drivers, seeing a foreigner, may well arrange a ride in circles, turning the counter, which will lead to a significant increase in the cost of the trip. In this case, a service that calculates the fare in advance is much more preferable. You can navigate in the tariff and book a car on this site.
Finally, you can get to Rapallo from anywhere in Italy on a rented car. To save money, it is better to book a car through a major European car rental comparison service. For example, the British Rentalcars, which is part of a holding company with booking.com. Compare prices and book a car on this page.
Hotels and lodging
Rapallo in Italy is distinguished not only by a wide selection of hotels of different categories, but also by attractive prices - of course, by Italian standards. What you should pay attention to are hotels with their own beach or at least a swimming pool, since almost the entire coastline is a closed private territory.
In Rapallo, a large selection of hotels of different categories
Below you will find an up-to-date selection of special offers at Rapallo hotels, which will allow you to organize your vacation not only comfortably, but also on a budget.
Climate and weather
Rapallo's Mediterranean climate is characterized by hot summers and mild winters. However, unlike other Italian resorts located in a similar climate zone, Rapallo has more rainfall. In the winter, for several days the temperature can drop below 0C, and the summer heat does not cause discomfort. The reason for this is the mountains surrounding the resort.
The beach season at the resort lasts from May to October
The beach season opens in May and lasts until October. When planning a trip, it should be borne in mind that in early May, the water still does not have time to warm up to a comfortable bathing temperature, and by the end of October, on the contrary, it becomes quite cool.
What to see and what to do in Rapallo
Rapallo is not famous for some very special sights, but the city, nevertheless, has something to surprise and delight guests.
The hallmark of the city is considered Tigullo castlelocated on the shallows serving the sea. It was built in the middle of the XVI century to protect against pirate attacks, was later used as an administrative building, and now it houses an exhibition complex.
Tigullo Castle - a visiting card of the resort
Among other things, there is also the Lace Museum, which acquaints visitors with the collection of Mario Zennar - the owner of the largest Italian lace production of the first half of the last century.
The main temple of the city is Basilica of Saints Gevrasius and Protasius - much older than the castle: it was built about a century after the foundation of the city itself. Here, as in the old days, regular services are still held.
Next to another temple - the church of St. Stephen - rises Torre civica (civil tower), erected at the expense of all the inhabitants of Rapallo as a sign of reconciliation of the factions that controlled the city in the XV century. After a century and a half ago lightning struck the tower, the top of the structure crumbled and the building needed restoration.
Ruins of a 13th century Gothic monastery Valle Christie
After wandering through the streets of the old city, you can come to the hospital, built for leprosy patients at the end of the 15th century and still preserving medieval frescoes, walk to the ancient Hannibal bridge, built in the Roman style, take a walk along the promenade, paying attention to the monument to Christopher Columbus.
You can get into the historical center of the city through the Salt Gate - the only surviving of the five gates located around the perimeter of the city in the Middle Ages. Then they led to the swamps, where they mined salt at the enterprises of the Genoese family of Doria.
Rapallo has its own cable carthat leads from Piazza Solari to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro. According to legend, the church at an altitude of just over 600 meters above sea level was erected after one of the townspeople in this very place the Virgin appeared and handed the icon, still stored in the temple.
Basilica of Our Lady of Montallegro at an altitude of 600 m above sea level
In the village of San Massimo on the hills that surround Rapallo, you can find the ruins of the Gothic monastery of Valle Cristi. Today, performances and concerts are held here, and at the beginning of the XIII century, only the erected abbey was given to the order of Cistercian nuns.
Rapallo's convenient location also allows you to quickly get to Portofino and Camogli, make a trip to the Cinque Terre or get to Genoa.
Beaches in Rapallo
The beaches in Rapallo are mostly pebble and for the most part paid. The well-groomed few free beaches leave much to be desired - even basic amenities like changing cabins and showers may well be missing here.
In Rapallo, most of the beaches are paid, but free can also be found.
On the other hand, paid beaches pay off their cost with interest: they are equipped with individual turnkey changing cabins, there are always showers and toilets, sunbeds and umbrellas, trattorias and cafes work, and water attractions are available. Visiting paid beaches in Rapallo will cost 15-35 euros per person per day. That is why we paid special attention to this in the block devoted to hotels.
