Looking at a map, the distance between Nice and Genoa seems surprisingly short. In reality, this stretch of coastline is one of the most challenging in Europe. Here, the Alps descend almost directly into the Mediterranean, leaving only a narrow strip of land where roads, railways, towns, ports and airports have all had to compete for space. Travelling through the area quickly reveals an extraordinary feat of engineering, where tunnels, viaducts and sea walls make modern transport possible.
Among the most remarkable achievements are the airports of Nice Côte d’Azur and Genoa Cristoforo Colombo, both built in locations where, at first sight, constructing an airport appears almost impossible.
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport occupies a unique position almost entirely reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea. During the 1960s and 1970s, enormous land reclamation projects extended the coastline sufficiently to build long runways parallel to the sea. Today, aircraft appear to skim just above the water before touching down, creating one of Europe’s most spectacular landing approaches. Because mountains rise immediately behind the airport, almost all arrivals and departures take place over the sea, reducing noise over the city while also providing passengers with breathtaking views of the French Riviera.
Only around 180 kilometres away, Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport faced an equally difficult challenge. The city is squeezed between steep mountains and one of Italy’s busiest commercial ports, leaving virtually no flat land available for aviation. Engineers solved the problem by constructing the airport on an artificial peninsula extending into the harbour. The runway projects into the sea while remaining surrounded by container terminals, cruise ships and cargo vessels, creating an unusual setting where aviation and maritime transport operate side by side.
Travelling by motorhome between the two cities makes it easy to appreciate just how demanding this coastline really is. The motorway rarely follows a straight line for long. Instead, it alternates continuously between tunnels and viaducts, climbing around rocky headlands before disappearing once again beneath the mountains. In some sections, drivers spend more time inside tunnels than in the open air. The railway follows a similarly complex route, while many coastal towns have only a very narrow strip of level ground between the cliffs and the sea.
One fascinating curiosity is that this corridor contains one of Europe’s highest concentrations of motorway tunnels. Hundreds of tunnels, ranging from only a few metres to several kilometres in length, have been excavated through the mountains to maintain a reasonably direct connection between France and north-western Italy. Without them, the journey would require constant climbs and descents through winding mountain roads, making modern transport far slower and considerably more difficult.
Another remarkable feature is the proximity of completely different transport systems. Within only a few hundred metres, it is often possible to see aircraft landing, high-speed trains passing through tunnels, container ships entering the ports and motorway traffic flowing across elevated viaducts. Few places in Europe demonstrate such a dense concentration of transport infrastructure within such a confined landscape.
For aviation enthusiasts, both airports offer exceptional viewing opportunities. At Nice, aircraft approach directly over the Mediterranean with the Alps forming a dramatic backdrop, while at Genoa they appear to emerge from the sea before landing beside one of Italy’s busiest ports. Despite their similarities, each airport reflects the unique geography of its surroundings: Nice opening towards the broad Bay of Angels, Genoa squeezed between mountains and harbour.
Travelling this section of coastline also provides a deeper appreciation of the engineering involved. Every kilometre represents a compromise between geography, urban development and the sea. Roads cling to cliffs, railways disappear underground, airports stand on reclaimed land and ports occupy every available stretch of waterfront. It is an environment where nature leaves very little room for human infrastructure, yet engineers have succeeded in creating one of Europe’s most important transport corridors.
Driving from Nice to Genoa is therefore much more than a transfer between two cities. It is a journey through one of the continent’s most challenging landscapes, where geography has shaped every road, railway, harbour and runway. The result is a remarkable demonstration of engineering that allows millions of people to travel each year through a region where, at first glance, there seems to be almost no space to build anything at all.