4 Best Sights in The Italian Riviera, Italy

In the hills where flowers are cultivated for export, this self-consciously picturesque former ghost town is a flourishing artists' colony. The town was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1877, when the inhabitants packed up and left en masse. For almost a century the houses, church, and crumbling bell tower were empty shells, overgrown by weeds and wildflowers. Since the 1960s, painters, sculptors, artisans, and bric-a-brac dealers have restored the dwellings as houses and studios. You need a car to visit the town.

This colorful, multi-onion-domed Russian Orthodox church testifies to a long Russian presence on the Italian Riviera. Russian empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Czar Alexander I, built a summerhouse here, and in winter San Remo was a popular destination for other royal Romanovs. The church was consecrated in 1913.

San Remo's steep and labyrinthine old town climbs upward to Piazza Castello, which offers a splendid view of the town and sea below. Some lovely old palazzi and squares have been restored, and the neighborhood gives you a sense of what it was like to live in San Remo centuries ago.

In addition to gaming, this lovely 1905 Art Nouveau landmark offers two restaurants, bars, and a theater that hosts concerts. Admission is free, but if you want to try your luck at the gaming tables, bets begin at around €10, depending on the time of day or night.In the upstairs rooms, dress is elegant ("smart casual"), with jacket and tie requested at the French gaming tables.