The Scrivia Valley runs inland from Genoa through a corridor of hills and chestnut woods toward the Giovi pass, which for centuries marked the boundary between the Ligurian Republic and the Holy Roman Empire. It's a quiet, workaday valley — more weekend retreat for Genoese than international tourist destination — but that's part of its appeal.
Following the road from Genoa, Campomorone comes first, home to an eccentric puppet museum. Further on, Ronco Scrivia has a well-preserved medieval bridge. Continuing south, Isola del Cantone and then Vobbia, where a distinctive castle clings to the hillside above the village.
The heart of the valley is Casella, long a summer destination for Genoese families drawn by the cool shade and the food — wild mushrooms, hand-made ravioli, and local wines including Polcevera and Morasca. You can reach Casella from Genoa on the narrow-gauge Casella railway, a slow and scenic ride that feels like it belongs to another era. From Casella the road continues to Montoggio and then to Torriglia, a small hill resort sometimes called the "Switzerland of Liguria," with the ruins of the Fieschi castle and a network of hiking trails into the surrounding hills. Nearby, the Brugneto reservoir sits among woods dotted with tiny villages.