Old Bussana (Bussana Vecchia)
Old Bussana (Bussana Vecchia)
4.5
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Devastated by an earthquake and abandoned, this unique medieval village has been reborn and is now inhabited by an international artists community.
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4.5
1,285 reviews
Excellent
671
Very good
402
Average
125
Poor
53
Terrible
34
albicusi
Chicago, IL213 contributions
Aug 2021
Short story: an earthquake destroyed the town in 1887, in the 60' some hippies came back to live in the remains... slowly slowly more nd more artists joined and an international artistic community established there. Now you can see little restaurant, art shops, even normal people living there, some only during the summer. After the Covid only 85 survives the tourstic crisis and are still there, from 17 nations (according to a resident we talked this august). Among the roofles churches and ruins, there are now cool murales and interesting shoops. It worth the effort to drive - and park if lucky- on a tiny two ways road.
Written 22 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Moll
Bowral, Australia22 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
This beautiful, ancient village is only a short drive from San Remo, but worth the effort. It is very beautiful and to my mind a photographers paradise. The pathways wind around the hilltop, through alleyways and under arches. Around each corner is a new wow factor. The path is all cobbles and very uneven so take care. The arts and craft shops are worth a look and I'm sure you'll find something to take home. Some nice restaurants too. Centrepiece of the village is the ruins of the cathedral. You can still see frescos on the walls and beautiful carved cherubs along the cornices. Allow plenty of time to explore this amazing place. Sit a while and ponder it's history.
Written 25 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mair115
Maryville, TN18 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
Wonderful crumbly town filled with beautiful nooks and crannies to photograph. When I got back to my hotel to download my pics I couldn't believe I'd taken so many. Bussana Vecchia is a hill town devastated in an earthquake in the latter half of the 19th century. It was never rebuilt. In the 60's and 70's artists came and squatted, slowly making the abandoned buildings habitable, but in an unconventional way. Many looked like white washed caves. Met a lovely artist who moved there from Austria 40 years ago. Her and her husband make the most interesting candles, and also jewelry and drawings/watercolors. My fav part of BV was the interesting doors-that's the bulk of my pics! Just be sure to wear sneakers, the streets are very uneven and, of course, hilly.
Written 11 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DanielePol
St. Marys, Canada3 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
Horrible.Instead of artist community found 1 new local resident probably paying rent to illegal squatters. An older resident with some succulent garden left to itself and room with old documents copies of and after original earthquake asked if we had paid enrance fee where there was no one looking after access.
Written 26 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alan m
Kingswells, UK20 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
Located about 15 minutes from San Remo this is a must see! It has the benefits of a) extremely good selection of work to see/purchase by the people who reside there. The quality is very good. b) the location is beautiful and the streets and buildings of this old village are fantastic. There is also a great tranquility when you walk around. It beats a city any day of the week!
Note the road up is narrow and steep ie alright for cars and motorbikes but not for big vehicles.
Note the road up is narrow and steep ie alright for cars and motorbikes but not for big vehicles.
Written 7 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lazytravelerTacoma22
Tacoma, Washington156 contributions
Sept 2015 • Couples
This is one of the biggest highlights of our trip to the Italian Riviera. Getting to the town is easy from Sanremo, but be prepared for a very steep drive along a very narrow road. You need to park on the side of the road leading to the town as there is no designated parking area. Make sure you have a plan to turn your car around too. Once in the town, it's also very steep with lots of steps - warning for those who don't like hills. The reward for climbing the steps is huge - the town is party refurbished and partly still in the torn-down state it was after the earthquake. The two churches are quite a sight to see and I would highly recommend climbing your way to see them. The folks there are mostly artists who have established themselves in the abandoned town and they sell their art. There are two small cafes. Overall the town has the feel of a ghost town but not in a bad way. Walking around, you can appreciate that the town is very much like it was 200 years ago. Make sure to walk down the small alleys - especially if you like taking photos. I would definitely recommend visiting this town. It is worth the hassle getting there for sure.
Written 12 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank M
Reinach, Switzerland6,057 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
The positive reviews encouraged us to brave the drive up the narrow at times single track winding road up to Bussana. Unfortunately we left it until dark in late December when everything was closed to discover this delightful gem. Fortunately therefore the traffic was very light.
The description as "medieval and unspoiled" seems very accurate. The general run-down state of many buildings contributes to the charm and feeling of authenticity to such an extent that for a while my wife seriously questioned whether people were actually living there but they are indeed. Unique. Unforgettable. And being perched up on a hill you get some good views thrown in.
Whilst it would have been nice to have contributed to the local economy though purchase of food or other art and craft items the most critical value was in experiencing the unique ambiance or the narrow streets and buildings.
The description as "medieval and unspoiled" seems very accurate. The general run-down state of many buildings contributes to the charm and feeling of authenticity to such an extent that for a while my wife seriously questioned whether people were actually living there but they are indeed. Unique. Unforgettable. And being perched up on a hill you get some good views thrown in.
Whilst it would have been nice to have contributed to the local economy though purchase of food or other art and craft items the most critical value was in experiencing the unique ambiance or the narrow streets and buildings.
Written 6 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Line B
Copenhagen, Denmark11 contributions
We had a fabulous trip to Bussanna Vecchia. Had our kids aged 8 and 4. Parked the car and walked into "town". Right away we ended up in a garden which turned out to be a private and at the same time public (shared) home. We met wonderful people and stayed there for a couple of hours. They shared their food and drinks with us and even offered us to stay for the night. The place is open for all souls. You can donate to their project when you leave in a bowl on a tree. My eldest said "best place on earth". If we were without the kids, we would definitely have stayed a few days! If you go, make sure to see the modeltrain museum! Alternative living in ruins with stylish doors :-) Bring cash and wear sneakers.
Written 10 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bungawangi
Sydney, Australia50 contributions
Oct 2019
Take the number 13 bus going to Tagglia from San Remo bus station. Buy a ticket onboard or in the ticket office at the bus station. Only Euro 1.50 each way. Bus departs approx. every 20 minutes. Ask for a timetable at the bus station
Take the bus to Bussana, the driver was happy to confirm when we had to get off. The return bus stop is just on the opposite side of the road, very easy. When you get off at Bussana, walk over the walking bridge to start the walk and there is a clear path heading up. People are happy to point you in the right direction. The walking path was closed when we were there so we walked via the road which was fine. (You have to walk through New Bussana to get to Old Bussana at the top. If you have time have a look at the church in New Bussana as well). The cars were slow and gave us plenty of room to walk. The gradient is easy if you walk on the road. I think the walking path is steep and quite rocky. Many people said the walk would be difficult and very steep but it was quite easy on the road. We were a group aged 50-79 and we all managed. Approximately 50-60 minutes walk up, depending on how often you stop for the view. Approx. 35 min walk down. There are a couple of nice places to eat lunch, reasonably priced and one cafe has a great view. Town was interesting, different, quirky. For our group including lunch it was a nice day out, approx. 10am - 3pm round trip back to San Remo. It is only about a 10-15 minute bus ride from San Remo to Bussana. Very doable with public transport from San Remo. There evidently is a bus that goes partway up the hill to Old Bussana but it is not frequent and the walk is worth it. Enjoy!!
Take the bus to Bussana, the driver was happy to confirm when we had to get off. The return bus stop is just on the opposite side of the road, very easy. When you get off at Bussana, walk over the walking bridge to start the walk and there is a clear path heading up. People are happy to point you in the right direction. The walking path was closed when we were there so we walked via the road which was fine. (You have to walk through New Bussana to get to Old Bussana at the top. If you have time have a look at the church in New Bussana as well). The cars were slow and gave us plenty of room to walk. The gradient is easy if you walk on the road. I think the walking path is steep and quite rocky. Many people said the walk would be difficult and very steep but it was quite easy on the road. We were a group aged 50-79 and we all managed. Approximately 50-60 minutes walk up, depending on how often you stop for the view. Approx. 35 min walk down. There are a couple of nice places to eat lunch, reasonably priced and one cafe has a great view. Town was interesting, different, quirky. For our group including lunch it was a nice day out, approx. 10am - 3pm round trip back to San Remo. It is only about a 10-15 minute bus ride from San Remo to Bussana. Very doable with public transport from San Remo. There evidently is a bus that goes partway up the hill to Old Bussana but it is not frequent and the walk is worth it. Enjoy!!
Written 12 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Berar P
Arad, Romania14 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
We tooked the road foot from the centre of SanRemo,on the route suggested nu Google maps.very easy to follow,about 2 hours walk (with a coffe break).You need to be in good shape.we vesited the city for about 2 hours,had a light lunch(there are 2 restaurants/bar one in front of the other),and a glass of wine.the views along the way are incredibile,the sea in the back and mountans in the front.on the way back we went in another route suggested by the locals(about 3 km down the road,untill You rich the sea) and took the bus tot SanRemo.total duration 6 hours d2d.
Written 11 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We would like to stay in Bussana Vecchia for a couple of nights. I’m wondering if renting a Vespa in either San Remo or Imperia would be a good idea for accessing the town. Also wondering about hiring a taxi to get there? We will arrive in the area by train in early May.
Written 26 March 2023
Hellois it possible to visit Bussana Vecchia without a car, thanks ( from San Remo)?
Written 13 August 2019
I'm not very mobile, so my question: how close can we get by car? I can walk but not for a very long time, and certainly not upwards very good. Thank you.
Written 28 July 2019
Dear Wenne,
You can get there easily by car but there are few parking spaces.
Bye
Written 29 July 2019
vorrei visitare bussana ma non so dove parcheggiare il camper sapete consigliarmi ? come mezzo alternativo abbiamo le bici grazie
Written 15 April 2019
Con il camper è molto difficile arrivarci per le strade molto piccole è una volta arrivato non c’è posto per mezzi così grandi
Written 21 April 2019
Buongiorno. A Bussana Vecchia è possibile passare un fine settimana? Esiste una pensione, un b&b? Grazie!!!
Written 28 March 2019
no mi riulta che ci siano dei b&b in bussana vecchia, ma pochi kilometri prima a bussana nuova si.
Written 1 April 2019
On foot from Sanremo best way to reach Villiage ...timescale approx ?thanks
Written 27 June 2018
noi siamo camminatori ma a piedi e' impossibile raggiungere Bussana Vecchia, sono circa 9 km e quasi 2 ore di camminata la maggior parte in salita.
Written 9 July 2018
Sapete se le botteghe sono aperte solo il fine settimana o anche durante la settimana ? Vorremmo andare il lunedì . Grazie!
Written 26 May 2018
Noi ci siamo stati in settimana, nel mese di febbraio, ma abbiamo trovato tutto chiuso, Ci é stato detto che gli artisti aprono le loro botteghe solo il fine settimana .....e non sempre.
Written 28 May 2018
Best route on foot to visit , any public transport? Thanks
Written 25 May 2018
How to get to Bussana Vecchia from Sanremo ...prefer walk route , but also any public transport would be good too both directions Fri/Sat thanks
Written 25 May 2018
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