The Impero Valley runs inland from Imperia into the hills behind the coast, a quiet route through olive groves and medieval villages that most coastal visitors never discover. Take the Imperia Est motorway exit and head up through Pontedassio, which has a small pasta museum, and into the olive country beyond.
Lucinasco is worth a detour — a tiny medieval village with the churches of Santo Stefano and the Maddalena still looking much as they did in the fifteenth century, surrounded by olive groves. Further up the valley, Rezzo is an ancient mountain village once controlled by the Clavesana family, with a palace-fortress and one of the largest beech woods in Liguria. The road eventually descends to Pieve di Teco in the Arroscia Valley.
The gastronomy here blends Ligurian and Piedmontese traditions. Local olive oil is excellent, and you will find mushrooms, chestnuts, raspberries, and bilberries alongside Pigato, Dolcetto, and Ormeasco wines.