Campomorone: Museums, History and Hiking Trails

Campomorone combines historic buildings and museums with hiking trails lasting several hours in the northwestern part of the municipality and at Passo della Bocchetta. When looking for a hotel in Campomorone, you can therefore tailor your trip around planned museum visits or the walking times of hiking routes.

Culture and collections at Palazzo Balbi

Palazzo Balbi is a former suburban villa dating from the late 16th century. The building houses the Museo delle Marionette and the Museo civico di Paleontologia e Mineralogia on the top floor. The natural history museum displays around 2,000 fossils, most of which come from the Ligurian-Piedmontese Basin. A dedicated section focuses on the origins and development of humankind, with a particular emphasis on Liguria. The Museo delle Marionette displays the collection of Angelo Cenderelli.

Advance booking is required to visit the Museo civico di Paleontologia e Mineralogia. Visits are possible on Mondays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; reservations are recommended for school classes or groups. Visits to the Museo delle Marionette are available by prior reservation. Check the current opening times before your visit.

Historic buildings and their former uses

La Saliera stands at the entrance to Campomorone, along the route to Passo della Bocchetta. In the 17th century, the D’Amico family had the two-storey, square building with an inner courtyard constructed as a salt depot. It also served as a customs warehouse for goods subject to duties.

Il Cabannun, also known as “la Fabbrica di Peschiere,” was built from 1777 in the gardens beside Palazzo Balbi. The two fish ponds were used to breed trout, carp and barbel. Nearby is the final section of the historic aqueduct, only partly preserved on the right bank of the Rio Gioventina.

Hiking around the Laghi del Gorzente

The northwestern part of the municipality of Campomorone looks out over the Laghi del Gorzente and lies within the Po Basin. The Sentiero Naturalistico dei Laghi del Gorzente is a hiking trail that takes around five hours. Typical trees of Ligurian forests, various conifer species and diverse wildlife are part of its natural landscape.

F.I.E. Itinerary No. 18 runs from Isoverde via the Laghi del Gorzente to Monte Tobbio and takes 5 hours and 30 minutes to walk. Its stated duration is therefore about half an hour longer than the nature trail’s approximate five hours. From Passo della Bocchetta, the view stretches across Valpolcevera to the sea; the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri and numerous hiking trails branch off from there.

The Big Bench is about 40 metres from Passo della Bocchetta, on the provincial road from Campomorone towards Voltaggio and Gavi. The AMT bus route is listed as running from Pontedecimo railway station via Campomorone and Isoverde to Cravasco. Check the current timetable before travelling.

A typical product from Campomorone

Corzetti di Campomorone is also part of the local character: the product is recognised as a typical product of the area and bears DE.CO. certification (Denominazione Comunale). This local culinary connection adds to the options of local history, museum collections and hiking.

Discover more destinations: Sestri Ponente, Serra Riccò, Valbrevenna, Lavagna, Rapallo, Bricco, Tessi, Recco

For the main travel overview: Genoa.