More about: Technical Naval Museum in La Spezia Tickets and Tours
One of the best things to see and do in La Spezia is a visit to the city's technical naval museum. This place is the most important cultural institution of the whole town and at the same time it is a place that has a lot to do with the history and identity of this Italian corner.
So I advise you to keep reading this post, as I have researched all the important details you need to know about this place. This will make it easier for you to have a well-planned visit when you are passing through La Spezia and its surroundings.
Recommended if you will be spending enough time in La Spezia to visit the main buildings and monuments. Even more advisable if you consider yourself a lover of the history of navigation and European navies.
It is a short, but very entertaining activity that is also very economical and does not represent a significant adjustment of your time or your logistical itinerary.
How much do tickets to the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia cost?
The first thing you need to know in order to understand the convenience of visiting the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia is the price of the tickets. The admission fee for everyone, regardless of age or nationality, is approximately three euros. This means that the experience itself is quite inexpensive and can be a good activity near Cinque Terre where you don't have to spend too much money.
In fact, the affordable price of these tickets allows it to be a complementary activity to the best tours of La Spezia, as well as to the best day trips from La Spezia.
The latter are usually the main attraction of this place knowing that it is a city that is important for tourism in Italy due to its proximity to Cinque Terre, as well as other major cities in Liguria and Tuscany.
You should know that these tickets can only be paid by credit or debit card, which is an important fact to avoid misunderstandings at the time of your purchase. You should also note that there are no limitations on the number of tickets you can buy and that there are no changes in the price during the high summer season.
How to get tickets for the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia at the ticket office?
Getting tickets for the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia is much easier than you might think. Tickets are sold at a ticket office located at the museum's only access point just in front of the bridge that spans the picturesque canal that separates the military base from the rest of the city. Tickets are available immediately and there is no limitation on the number of people who can enter the museum in a day.
In fact, it is quite likely that no matter how touristy a date you choose to visit, you will find this museum relatively empty. This has to do with the fact that La Spezia is not a favourite tourist destination for masses of visitors. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people come to this site, but it is because of its cruise terminal that allows people to easily reach Cinque Terre as well as other picturesque towns along the Ligurian coast.
So you can buy tickets directly from the ticket office as long as the museum is open, as you can then take a short and entertaining tour of the museum before joining the best tours of La Spezia. However, it is also likely that such tours will include a visit to the museum. This knowing that it is one of the few attractions that this city has when it comes to visiting sites with a tourist focus.
Are tickets to the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia included in any of the city's tourist passes?
Tickets to the La Spezia Naval Technical Museum are not available on any of the city's tourist passes. This is due to the simple fact that these passes do not exist. This is due to the fact that it is a relatively small city with very few attractions, which can be visited in a single day.
On the other hand, it is true that there are activities that combine the possibility of visiting several corners of the city within the same price. These are the gastronomic tours of La Spezia, which offer you a first class culinary experience in which you will taste the most representative dishes of the most important restaurants of this community.
You should also know that in general there are no tourist passes for this area of Liguria, since the only pass that exists is for Cinque Terre and is focused on the possibility of its buyers to pay a single amount to travel on the train that runs through this National Park, as well as to access some hiking trails that are reserved exclusively for those who pay for them.
Are there special tickets for children?
There are no special children's tickets for this museum. In fact, there are no tickets with a price variation for senior citizens or disabled visitors. Therefore, everyone wishing to visit this museum will have to pay exactly the same price. This in itself is quite cheap, as it is around 3 € approximately.
You should also bear in mind that this museum may not be the most entertaining activity for children. This has to do with the simple reason that the elements that are exposed are things related to the world of boats and to understand their importance it would be necessary to read the descriptions of each of them.
Similarly, this is a place that is toured in a relatively short time and can be an activity for the whole family that works as an alternative entertainment within this city to get some information before starting the excursion that will take you to the attractions that are close to it. Which is basically what everyone does when they decide to stay here because of its proximity to Cinque Terre and other cities such as Pisa and Genoa.
Are there guided tours of the Naval Technical Museum in La Spezia and is it worth it?
There are no guided tours of the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia and this is due to the fact that it is a small space with not too many elements in the permanent exhibition. Therefore, a person can walk through the museum on their own. There may be guided tours during some special events during the year, but it would really have to do with the circumstances of that activity.
If you are interested in the idea of taking a guided tour to some of the attractions in this area of Italy, then I recommend that you take part in the private tours that take you to Cinque Terre or other places like Pisa and Florence. This is due to the fact that they are places with a wide diversity of tourist attractions that have an interesting past that you can learn about thanks to the accompaniment of a guide specialised in these subjects.
In fact, you should know that the only attraction in La Spezia where guided tours are offered is the San Giorgio Castle. This has to do with the fact that there are some sections of the structure whose importancecan go unnoticed if there is not a person present who works there to tell the information about these details.
How to get to the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia?
Getting to the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia is very easy because it is located right in the centre of the city and with a walk of less than 5 minutes from your accommodation you could be at the doors of this place. The exact address is in Viale Giovanni Amendola and if you wish you can reach this place by taxi which probably won't cost you more than 10 € even if your accommodation is at the other end, in the west of the city.
In fact, a walk from the central train station to this site will take you no more than 18 minutes in total. This means that you can save the money you would spend on a taxi and you don't really need to use public transport knowing that you would need to get a card for it.
You should also know that the city of La Spezia is so small that walking from the cruise port to this place is also something you can do because the maximum duration of this walk would be about 30 minutes. This walk at the same time is an excellent opportunity for you to go through the city centre and appreciate the architecture of this site, which is characterised by being composed of many buildings built from 1920 onwards.
Top things not to miss at the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia
From this museum you have to expect an exhibition that is composed of everything that is related to the world of navigation. Therefore, you will find mechanical pieces that make up some of the vessels of the Italian navy today, as well as pieces that were part of ships that belonged to the military institution in the past.
Also on display are uniforms used by this institution, as well as elements that are needed in the practice of military navigation. Another of the most interesting things about this site is the collection of decorative pieces that were used on the prow of the wooden ships that formed part of the explorations organised by Italy during the expansion of colonialism.
The anchor on display, which belongs to an old ship more than 300 years old, is also another of the great attractions of this site. Although you should know that in general it is not a museum that can be considered modern or anything like that, as the approach to the exhibits is quite old and not very interactive.
How much time do you need to visit the Museo Tecnico Navale in La Spezia?
Worrying about how much time you'll need to invest in your visit to the Museo Tecnico Navale in La Spezia is a little unwise. Since it is a significantly small museum, you can rest assured that in less than an hour you will have visited all the rooms. This is even if you decide to pay close attention to each of the exhibits.
This is quite convenient, since in a way visiting this museum is something you can do if it is something you are interested in just before leaving the city because you need to start your tour of another Italian town. In fact, it can be an excellent entertainment alternative to occupy your time if your arrival in the city does not coincide with the departure time of this type of sightseeing tours.
Likewise, you have to take into account that people drive at different speeds when they visit a site, and there are those who could spend two whole hours in this museum, while others will have already visited it in 40 minutes. In addition, your interest in learning about the smallest details of each of the elements on display is also decisive in calculating the amount of time you will spend in this place.
Opening hours of the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia
The Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia is open every day of the week from 8:30 in the morning until 7:30 in the evening. This means that in a way you can visit this museum all day long and this is quite convenient for those who are planning their trip to La Spezia.
You could easily organise your visit to the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia for mid-morning and still have the rest of your day available for you to visit other attractions in La Spezia. You can also take the train to Cinque Terre to enjoy this beautiful national park.
You should also be aware that this museum does not have outdoor spaces so you don't have to decide the time of your visit based on the weather. Museums with outdoor exhibits are usually avoided during the midday hours of the Italian summer because of the high temperatures that can be reached.
Tips for visiting the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia
The first tip I can give you for your visit to the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia is to be prepared to understand that it is an interesting activity for those who are interested in the world of navigation. As well as for those who are passionate about the world of the military arsenal, because the truth is that you won't find art inside this place, let alone decorative elements.
The second recommendation I can give you so that you can enjoy this museum to the maximum is that you prepare yourself to use the functions of some translators that allow you to take a photograph of something and change its text into your language. This has to do with the fact that all the information displayed in this place is either in Italian or English. So if you want to understand what each of the things you come across are about, you will need to translate it into English.
Finally, the other piece of advice I can give you is to understand that this is a small museum that is really cheap. This means that you don't lose anything by visiting it, even more knowing that it is one of the few tourist attractions that exist within this city, which is only usually visited by those who are looking for cheaper accommodation near Cinque Terre or who need its train station to travel to other parts of northern Italy.
Where to eat near the Naval Technical Museum in La Spezia?
For your convenience, you have several alternatives for eating authentic Italian food in the area near the La Spezia Naval Technical Museum. One of these places is Porto Mirabello, which is basically the city's yacht and sailing marina with about four or five different restaurants ranging from Asian food to Italian gastronomy.
On the other hand, if you go to the area around the Giardini Pubblici you will find a wide variety of restaurants and most of them stand out for their national cuisine with a totally local approach. Many recipes are made with fresh products harvested in this agricultural region as well as the use of seafood that comes directly from the fishing industry that has flourished in Liguria.
My recommendation is to have breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on what time you are there, right after you have taken part in the tour of this museum. This is because after lunch you can continue exploring these two areas of the city that are characterised by being the most beautiful of all.