There are plenty of adorable medieval villages nestled in the hills of Liguria’s entroterra, a remote inland countryside oft overlooked by travelers. I have explored many of them and, while each has something to offer the curious visitor, there is one dynamic, brightly-colored town that especially caught my attention.

Varese Ligure boasts an immaculately preserved medieval historic center, imposing castle, and the colorful facades typical of Liguria, but the town’s careful conservation of the past isn’t the only thing that makes it interesting: Varese Ligure is reaching towards a sustainable future. The town is famous for being one of Italy’s earliest proponents of sustainable energy and organic agriculture.