The Bigo with its panoramic lift at Porto Antico

Porto Antico (Old Port)

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

The Bigo with its panoramic lift at Porto Antico

Where: Porto Anticobetween Ponte Spinola and Calata Gadda
Access: free, always openthe attractions have their own tickets and opening hours
Duration: half a daya full day with the Aquarium and museums
From Principe: about 10–15 minutes on foot
In winter: ice rink under the tent in Piazza delle Festeusually from November to April

The Porto Antico is the old harbour area of Genoa, redesigned by Renzo Piano for the 1992 Expo: over 230,000 square metres of quays, with the Aquarium, the Bigo, the Biosphere, the Galata Maritime Museum and the Neptune galleon. Access to the area is free and always open. You can see it in half a day, but with the Aquarium allow a full day.

By Italian Riviera editorial team·Updated on 16 October 2026·3 min read

What there is at the Porto Antico

Aquarium of Genoa: the largest in Italy, with tickets from €26 online
Bigo: the Renzo Piano structure opened on 15 May 1992, with a circular panoramic lift about 40 metres high, which turns 360° with a maximum of 30 people. Check the 2026 times and price on the Aquarium website
Biosphere: the 20-metre glass sphere with a tropical forest
Galata Maritime Museum and the submarine Nazario Sauro in the Darsena
Neptune galleon: a 65-metre replica built in 1985–86 in Tunisia for Roman Polanski’s film “Pirates”, moored in the harbour
Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi: an interactive museum for children aged 2 to 14
Magazzini del Cotone: an early 20th-century building, now with a congress centre, shops and a cinema
Edificio Millo: built in 1876, with restaurants, shops and Eataly

What to do throughout the year

The Bigo at Porto Antico under a blue sky

The Porto Antico hosts over 250 events a year. In winter, the ice-skating rink is under the tent in Piazza delle Feste: in the 2025/26 season it was open from 15 November to April, with several sessions a day; the dates for 2026/27 are not yet confirmed. In December the Porto Antico lights up for Christmas, with light installations and a laser show: in 2025 the programme ran from 29 November to 6 January.

A short history

The area was redeveloped by Renzo Piano for Expo ’92, which celebrated the 500 years since the discovery of America. The plan turned a commercial port into an area for leisure, culture and tourism. Today the Porto Antico is managed by Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A., merged with the Fiera di Genova in 2019. Nearby there are also the 16th-century walls of Porta Siberia, designed by Galeazzo Alessi, which host exhibitions.

How to get there

From Genova Piazza Principe it is about 10–15 minutes on foot. If you come by car, there is parking inside the area (Calata Gadda, Autosilo, Porta Siberia, Cannoniere), but check the rates on site. From the Porto Antico you can walk to the old town and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo; the Lanterna is in the San Benigno area.