Liguria was a major corridor for medieval pilgrims travelling from France and northern Europe toward Rome. The coastal route — the Via Julia Augusta, a Roman road — ran from Ventimiglia through Albenga and on to Genoa, where pilgrims would pick up the Via Francigena heading south. Albenga, with its cluster of early Christian buildings around the 5th-century baptistery, was one of the most important staging points on the entire route.
Many of the old pilgrimage paths have been restored as hiking routes. The Cammino di Santiago approaches from France through the western valleys; the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri runs along the Apennine ridge above the coast. Both are well marked and manageable in stages.