Discover Biassa: History, Trails and Festivals

Biassa is a historic village on the road leading to the Cinque Terre. Its history can be traced back at least to the 13th century. Around San Martino stand old stone houses, closely packed together, with beautiful portals. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Biassa are therefore choosing a place where village history, trails and the landscape of Tramonti come together to create a diverse holiday experience.

Holiday apartment in Biassa: Experience the village’s history up close

The church of San Martino is associated with a land register dating from 1248. The present-day church is an extension of an old Romanesque chapel and contains a valuable repoussé bronze panel, a German work of art from the 15th century. The historical setting also includes the Rocca di Coderone, which was built for defensive purposes in the mid-13th century. In Biassa, sacred architecture, craftsmanship and a fortification therefore come together.

Below the Rocca di Coderone stood a settlement with a church dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena; only a few ruins remain of it. Biassa thus displays both preserved structural elements and a small number of ruins. The Rocca di Coderone can be reached from Biassa. When selecting accommodation, this historical focus may be just as important as the connection to trails and the regional landscape.

Trails between Biassa, the Hillside and the Gulf

Route 504 (formerly No. 4) Sant'Antonio–Schiara leads from Biassa via a beautiful hillside staircase to the Gulf of La Spezia and enters the park area at the Sant'Antonio Pass, at an altitude of 508 m. It continues to the Menhir di Biassa, a monolith possibly of pre-Christian origin crowned by a small cross. On the Anello Pegazzano–Brampane–Biassa circular hike, trails 523 and 504 start from the same small piazza. The combination of the hillside staircase, elevation, gulf, park area and menhir gives the trail a distinctive landscape-historical character.

Tramonti and the Historical Festival Tradition

Tramonti is characterised by dry-stone walls and small plots planted with vines. Historically, these plots belonged to the communities of Biassa. Biassa’s historical economy included viticulture on the western, sea-facing hillside in the hamlet of Tramonti. Those who wish to consider the landscape and local history together will find a clear thread here for planning their trip.

The traditional patronal festival Festa di San Martino in Biassa is regarded as a historical and traditional festival and has been documented there for more than 25 years. In 2026, San Martino is listed by Pro Loco Insieme per Biassa as a traditional festival of Biassa. The event “Biassa nel Medioevo” includes historical re-enactments. This creates a cultural arc from the church and the Rocca to festival traditions and historical representations. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Biassa, you can use these themes as a benchmark for your stay.

Find more places here: Cavanella Vara, Nicola, Sorbolo, Manarola, Ceparana, Carrodano, Montemarcello, Riomaggiore.

For the higher-level travel overview: La Spezia.