Genoa makes a huge impression on first-time visitors. The marine port is gritty and glamorous in equal measure and provides easy access to the Cinque Terre and Portofino. The sixth-largest city in Italy is a fascinating place to visit and is one of the most culturally significant in Italian history as the gateway to the Mediterranean and all the riches it offered. La Superba (the ‘superb one’) is the city that gave the world Christopher Columbus, Italy’s first soccer team (Genoa C.F.C.), and the world-famous pesto recipe.
The city center is home to a stunning aquarium, a refurbished port stylishly reimagined by Italian architect Renzo Piano, and one of the largest medieval quarters in Europe. It’s a remarkably diverse urban landscape, with the souk style ‘caruggi’ contrasting with its opulent banking and merchant center.
Genoa’s topography, situated between mountains and Ligurian sea, means the city is blessed with temperate weather all-year-round, making it the perfect trip for drivers looking for history, culture and mouthwatering cuisine in equal measure.
A culture trip
After a large-scale refurbishment project in the 1990s, the Porto Antico became the social hub of the city. Re-designed by super-architect Renzo Piano, the old port is now a buzzing waterfront full of restaurants and bars, complete with a tropical rainforest biosphere and Italy’s largest aquarium.
Porto Antico feeds into the narrow, winding streets, a bewildering maze brimming with centuries of secrets. From here, discover the city’s most impressive attractions, such as the Palazzo di San Giorgio, one of Europe’s first ever banks, and the former prison of Venetian explorer Marco Polo.
Genoa is exceptionally compact and you’re never more than a short distance from its most beautiful street, the UNESCO protected Via Garibaldi or “Street of Kings,” a glorious 250-meter long 16th-century palazzo. Here you can visit the Rolli Palaces, which were built in the 16th century when Genoa was one of Italy's leading maritime republics.
Via Garibaldi is also home to two of Genoa’s most famous palaces - Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco - which have evolved into art galleries housing magnificent works by Van Dyck, Caravaggio and Veronese. Take the glass lift up to Palazzo Bianco’s roof and enjoy some breathtaking views of the city’s harbor.
Day trips from Genoa
No trip to Genoa is complete without a trip to the seaside villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia, and Riomaggiore, known as the Cinque Terre – the five villages. The UNESCO protected site famously inspired English romantic poets Byron and Shelley. Renting a car in Genoa is one of the fastest ways you can get to Cinque Terre and its glamorous neighbor Portofino.
With its pastel-hued homes and opulent yachts in the harbor, Portofino is a luxurious retreat for travelers on vacation. Here in Genoa you can combine a city break in an Italian maritime republic with a trip south along the beautiful Ligurian coast.