Genoa

The Porto Antico is the old commercial port, turned into a pedestrian waterfront by Renzo Piano for the 1992 Columbus celebrations. Along the quays you will find the Aquarium, the Biosfera, a glass greenhouse suspended over the water, and the Bigo, the white crane-like structure with a panoramic lift that rises above the rooftops. Harbour tours and boats to the Riviera di Levante leave from here.

The Genoa Aquarium is one of the largest in Europe and the most visited sight in the city. The route passes tanks of dolphins, sharks, penguins and seals and takes two to three hours. Weekends, Easter and Italian bank holidays bring queues: buy tickets online and choose the first time slot of the morning.

In the Darsena, a few minutes from the Aquarium, the Galata Museo del Mare tells the story of Genoa and the sea: a full-size reconstruction of a galley, nautical charts and rooms on Italian emigration to the Americas. The Nazario Sauro submarine is moored outside and can be visited inside. With teenagers, it pairs well with the Aquarium.

Behind the harbour the old town begins: lanes squeezed between six- and seven-storey houses, small squares, workshops and hidden churches. The carruggi of Genoa are best explored without a plan, but two streets are worth keeping in mind: Via San Luca, the medieval merchants’ street, and Via del Campo, made famous by the songwriter Fabrizio De André. At Via del Campo 29 rosso there is a small museum dedicated to Genoa’s singer-songwriters.

On the harbour side, Palazzo San Giorgio has the most photographed frescoed façade in the city. It was the seat of the Banco di San Giorgio, one of Europe’s first banks, and now houses the port authority. Opposite, the medieval arcades of Sottoripa have sold fried fish, focaccia and farinata for centuries: the right place for a standing lunch.

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is easy to spot thanks to its black-and-white striped façade, typical of medieval Genoa’s important churches, and the marble lions on the steps. Inside are the Treasury Museum and, in the right aisle, a British shell from the Second World War that crashed through the roof without exploding.

Piazza De Ferrari is the heart of the modern city, with its large bronze fountain, the Carlo Felice opera house and the old Stock Exchange. From here Via XX Settembre, the arcaded shopping street, heads east, and Via Roma leads to the Galleria Mazzini.

The square is also home to the Palazzo Ducale, the seat of the Republic’s government. Construction began at the end of the 13th century and it became the doge’s residence in 1339. After a fire in 1777 it was rebuilt in neoclassical style; the medieval Grimaldina Tower survives. Today it hosts the city’s major exhibitions: see the Palazzo Ducale website.

Five minutes from De Ferrari, Porta Soprana is the medieval gateway to the city: two crenellated towers either side of an arch, part of the walls begun in 1155 to defend Genoa against Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. At its foot stands the house of Christopher Columbus, a small 18th-century reconstruction of the home where the navigator spent his youth.

Via Garibaldi, the 16th-century “Strada Nuova”, is Genoa’s most elegant street: in less than 300 metres one great family palace follows another, with frescoed entrance halls and courtyards. The Palazzi dei Rolli were the noble residences listed in the official registers (“rolli”) of houses obliged to host kings, popes and ambassadors on state visits; 42 of them are UNESCO-listed.

Three palaces on Via Garibaldi form the Musei di Strada Nuova: Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria Tursi, the town hall, with paintings by Van Dyck, Rubens and Caravaggio, and Paganini’s violin. Opening times and tickets are on the Musei di Genova website. Twice a year, during the Rolli Days, private palaces open too: in 2026 at the end of March and in mid-October.

For a view over Genoa without the climb, take the Castelletto Levante lift from Piazza Portello: in a few seconds you are on the Spianata di Castelletto, the city’s best-known viewpoint, with slate roofs, domes and the harbour below. On the other side of the centre, above Principe station, the Castello d’Albertis is the neo-Gothic home of a naval captain, now the Museum of World Cultures, with another panoramic terrace.

The Lanterna is Genoa’s lighthouse and the symbol of the city, guarding the harbour entrance for centuries. You can reach it on foot along a protected walkway beside the port, starting near the ferry terminal; on opening days you can climb to the first terrace and visit the museum at its base.

Boccadasse is the old fishing village on the city’s eastern side: a small pebble beach, boats pulled up on the shore and colourful houses stacked one above the other. Get there by bus from the centre or walk along Corso Italia, the seafront promenade of more than two kilometres starting from the Foce district. Come at sunset; on summer weekends it gets very busy.

Genoa's richest Baroque church, near via Balbi: frescoes, gilding and Procaccini's Last Supper.

Renzo Piano's glass sphere at the Porto Antico, with a small tropical forest: what is inside and how to visit.

Three historic seaside gardens in Genoa Nervi: lawns, palms, a rose garden and four museums. Free entry, next to the station.

Renzo Piano's area on Genoa's old harbour: Aquarium, Bigo, Biosphere, Galata and Neptune. Free to walk around.

The panoramic terrace above the centre of Genoa: lift from Piazza Portello, AMT hours, ticket and view.

One of Europe's most famous monumental cemeteries: free entry, 19th-century sculpture, famous tombs, hours and how to get there.

The alleys of Genoa's old town: 113 medieval hectares, main streets, what to eat and practical tips.

The shop-museum of the Genoese songwriters on the street De André sang about: hours, free entry and what you can see.