Holiday apartment in Busalla – Nature, history and special festivals

Holiday apartment in Busalla amid nature and history

Busalla brings together landscapes, architectural history and special events in a destination within Antola Regional Natural Park. Villa Borzino is located near the centre of Busalla, in the town’s largest park; the park entrance is opposite the railway station in Piazza Emilio Borzino. The restored path of the former Chiusa follows the historic canal that supplied water to Busalla’s mills and powered the trains on the Turin–Genoa line with steam. A few hundred metres from Busalla’s town centre, the path offers a walk through greenery among gardens and woods.

Green breaks and geological insights

For an active break, Piana Nardin has an outdoor fitness area, picnic tables and a barbecue area. The Santuario di N.S. della Bastia in Busalla was created by expanding an earlier rural chapel and is associated with the discovery of a statue of the Virgin Mary around the mid-17th century. Near the Santuario di N.S. della Bastia, you can observe the contact between the Antola marly limestones and the Savignone Conglomerate. Busalla is considered a starting point for various excursions.

Castles, churches and art in Busalla

The medieval castle of Busalla was built by the Spinola di Luccoli family and conquered by the Genoese Guelphs in 1252. Villa Borzino was designed in 1919 by the architect Giuseppe Crosa di Vergagni for Emilio Borzino. Today’s Church of San Giorgio in Busalla has three naves and was expanded in 1828–1829 and again in 1903. The church houses the painting “La Madonna appare a San Gaetano” by Pietro Raimondi. The presbytery contains two works by Giovanni Battista Carlone: “San Paolo e Plotilla” and “La Decollazione di San Paolo”.

Festivals, science and regional cuisine

The Festival dello Spazio offers exhibitions, interactive demonstrations, astronomical observation experiences, science communication shows and themed conferences. It was created in 2017 from an idea by Fabrizio Fazzari and Franco Malerba, and was launched to celebrate Malerba’s space flight 25 years earlier on the STS-46 mission. The Festa delle Rose di Busalla reached its 24th edition in 2026; it took place from 13 June to 14 June 2026. As part of the Festa delle Rose programme in June 2026, guided tours of the park and the rooms of Villa Borzino were offered. They were available only with prior reservation and lasted 90 minutes. The new Roseto di Villa Borzino was also officially inaugurated as part of the 2026 Festa delle Rose programme. A menu dedicated to the Antica Rosa della Valle Scrivia was planned for the Sagra delle Antiche Rose della Valle Scrivia.

More destinations for your planning

If you would like to extend your travel plans beyond Busalla, you can also consider San Lorenzo della Costa, Statale, Lorsica, Prati, Genoa, Chiàvari, Carasco and Valbrevenna.

Back to the main travel overview: Genoa.