Sanremo
San Remo is an Italian coastal city close to the French border, known for its promenade, casino, and long-standing tradition of flower cultivation. It has a calm Ligurian climate and a preserved old town layout, which clearly reflects the character of Mediterranean coastal towns.
What the sources say
Sanremo,[a] also spelled San Remo in English and formerly in Italian, is a comune (municipality) on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival and the Milan–San Remo cycling classic. Italo Calvino, the most significant figure of 20th century Italian literature, spent his formative years here.
Name
While it is often stated in modern folk stories that Sanremo is named after a legendary Saint Remus, the name of the city is actually a phonetic contraction of Sant'Eremo di San Romolo (“Holy Hermitage of Saint Romulus”), which refers to Romulus of Genoa, the successor to Syrus of Genoa. In Ligurian, its name is San Reumo or San Reumoro.
The non-univerbated spelling San Remo features on ancient maps of Liguria and maps of the Republic of Genoa, Medieval Italy, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Kingdom of Italy; it was used in 1924 in official documents under Mussolini. This form of the name, now superseded by Sanremo both officially and in common usage, still appears on some road signs and, more rarely, in unofficial tourist information.
History
Once the Roman settlement of Matutia or Villa Matutiana, Sanremo expanded in the early Middle Ages when the population moved to the high grounds. The nobility built a castle and the walled village of La Pigna to protect the town from Saracen raids.
At first subjected to the countship of Ventimiglia, the community later passed under the dominion of the Genoese bishops. In 1297 they sold it to the Doria and De Mari families. It became a free town in the second half of the 15th century, after which it expanded to the Pigna hill and at Saint Syrus Cathedral. The almost perfectly preserved old village remains.
Sanremo remained independent of the Genoese Republic. In 1753, after 20 years of fierce conflicts, it rose against Genoese hegemonical attempts. At that time Genoa built the fortress of Santa Tecla, situated on the beach near the port. The fortress was used as a prison until 2002. It is now used as a museum.
After the French domination and the Savoy restoration in 1814, Sanremo was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. From the middle of the 18th century, the town grew rapidly, in part due to the development of tourism, which saw the first grand hotels built and the town extended along the coast. The Empress “Sissi” of Austria, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, and Emperor Nicholas II of Russia took vacations in Sanremo, while Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel made it his permanent home.
The San Remo conference, 19–26 April 1920, of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council determined the allocation of Class “A” League of Nations mandates for the administration of the former Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East by the victorious powers. The most notable of these was the British Mandate of Palestine.
In 1972, the first public demonstration for the defence of the dignity and rights of gay people in Italy took place in Sanremo in protest against an international congress on sexual deviance organized by the Catholic-inspired Italian Center for Sexology.
Wikipedia, „Sanremo” (CC BY-SA 4.0), wikipedia.org, 2026/01/09.
My view
San Remo feels very different from the French Riviera, even though geographically it is separated only by the border. Liguria here is calmer, less polished, more local. The city is larger, more spread out, and does not try to impress at first glance.
It is a good place to see the contrast between France and Italy without committing to a long trip. One day is enough to feel the change in rhythm, architecture, and everyday life.
What you actually come here for
San Remo is not a city built around a single landmark. It works best on foot: the old town of La Pigna, the seaside promenade, the port, cafés, and ordinary Italian streets that are not designed as tourist attractions.
The casino, late-19th and early-20th-century architecture, and palm-lined seafront remind you that this was once a classic resort town. Today everything feels more subdued, more everyday — and that is exactly its strength.
How it works in practice
San Remo fits best as a one-day destination, especially on tours heading toward the Italian border. It is not about intensive sightseeing, but about a relaxed walk, coffee, lunch, and time without pressure.
I do not plan long stays or tight schedules here. It works as a pause along the route, a change of scenery, and a mental shift from France to Italy.
When it makes sense
San Remo works particularly well outside the peak summer season. Spring and autumn are ideal: fewer people, more comfortable temperatures, and a clearer sense of the city’s real character.
Summer can be hot and busy, but still without the typical “resort chaos” known from more famous coastal destinations.
San Remo on map
How this place fits into my tours
This place appears in my routes when it naturally fits the day, the direction of travel, and the season. Sometimes it is one of the main points of the tour; other times it is a quiet stage along the way. It all depends on how the day is planned.
I treat ready-made tours as a starting point, not a closed script. If something needs to be shortened, extended, reordered, or combined with another place, we adjust as we go. We don’t move “from point to point”—we build a day that makes sense and feels comfortable.
You can see this place in tours such as:
If none of the ready-made routes fits perfectly, a tailor-made tour offers full flexibility. We can focus on one place, combine several stops, or build the day entirely from scratch. I take care of the route and logistics, and the plan is adjusted to you—not the other way around.
