Best-known to holiday-makers for its casino, one of only four in Italy, Sanremo carries into the era of mass tourism only a few relics of gracious old watering-place days. Now the action persists day and night to the accompaniment of a ceaseless ground-bass of traffic on the coastal road. Brilliant gardens and scented commerce proclaim the centre of the Riviera of Flowers. The growers supply early blooms, especially carnations, to florists and garden centres all over Italy and neighbouring regions of France.

The medieval nucleus, designated La Pigna, is intact. From the central piazza you can ascend Monte Bignone (1,300 m) in the cable car and see a long way into France. A few kilometres west of the cableway is the bijou village of Coldirodi with its Rambaldi gallery and paintings by Velasquez and Veronese (see www.rambaldi.duemetri.com).

Sanremo, contemporary with Cannes beyond the frontier, was the Italian Riviera’s first resort and is still its largest. Except on artificial beaches which belong to the hotels, bucket-and-spade facilities are poor. It is however heavily into sailing and water-sports.