Sanremo is the ideal place to experience the well-known allure of the sea in winter. We begin our day in Via Matteotti. After the obligatory selfie with the statue of Mike Bongiorno (at the crossroads with Via Escoffier), we’re ready for a flawlessly prepared breakfast at Oltre, in the historical setting of Palazzo Borea d’Olmo. It’s right opposite the Sanremo Walk of Fame, which features the winning names and song titles from the world-famous Italian Song Festival.

We devote the morning to Villa Nobel (Corso Cavallotti, 116), where the celebrated scientist lived (and died); nowadays there’s a museum occupying part of the villa, open Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 to 12:30; or the Civic Museum in the beautiful Palazzo Nota, before taking a stroll among the narrow streets of La Pigna, the ancient heart of Sanremo.

If you happen to be in Sanremo during the Festival (especially just before it begins), it might be a good time to return to Via Matteotti and grab the best position for celeb-spotting on the red carpet outside Teatro Ariston, maybe taking a tasty snack with you from Il Panino Quotidiano.

Another great place for delicious quick eats is Manik – L’officina del burger, which brings us closer to our next stop: the iconic Sanremo Casino. Continuing on Corso Imperatrice, you can’t help noticing the colourful onion-shaped domes of the Russian Orthodox Church of Cristo Salvatore.

Now it’s time for a bit of shopping, and for that there’s no better destination than The Mall Sanremo; afterwards, you can treat yourself to a nice cup of tea with cakes at the Food Lounge by adHoc or, if it’s getting late, return to the centre for a speakeasy-style aperitif at Mille806, followed by dinner at the Michelin-starred Paolo e Barbara or the highly instagrammable Soul.

And if you’re in the mood for an after-dinner cocktail, the place to go is the Victory Morgana Bay, “moored” between Sanremo’s two ports.