{"id":53992,"date":"2026-09-30T18:19:42","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T18:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkseagreen-rook-345411.hostingersite.com\/liguria\/genoa\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T12:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T12:19:44","slug":"genoa","status":"publish","type":"localita","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/genoa\/","title":{"rendered":"Genoa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Genoa (Genova in Italian) is the capital of Liguria and the largest city on the Italian Riviera, with about 565,000 inhabitants: more than one in three Ligurians lives here. It sits in the middle of the region’s arc, between the Riviera di Ponente to the west and the Riviera di Levante to the east, squeezed between the sea and the hills. The result is a vertical city of tall buildings, very narrow alleys, public lifts and funiculars climbing to the hillside districts.<\/p>\n

For centuries Genoa was a maritime republic with banks and fleets across the Mediterranean, and the wealth of that era is still visible. The old town, one of the largest medieval centres in Europe, is a maze of narrow lanes (carruggi) running down to the harbour. Above it are the Strade Nuove, the 16th- and 17th-century “new streets” lined with the Palazzi dei Rolli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006. The Porto Antico, redesigned by Renzo Piano in the 1990s, is now the city’s waterfront, with the Aquarium and the Galata Maritime Museum.<\/p>\n

Genoa is not a two-hour stop on the way to the Cinque Terre. Give it at least two days for the old town and the harbour, and a third for Nervi, the forts and Boccadasse. It also makes a practical base for the Riviera: Camogli is under half an hour by train, and in summer boats leave the Porto Antico for Portofino and San Fruttuoso. Prices for food and hotels are usually lower than in the famous resorts nearby.<\/p>\n

What to see in Genoa<\/h2>\n
\"Aerial<\/figure>\n

The centre is walkable: Porto Antico to Piazza De Ferrari takes ten minutes, Principe station to the Aquarium about fifteen. The hills are real, though, and where the streets get steep it is worth using the metro, the public lifts or the funiculars (see “Getting around Genoa” below).<\/p>\n

Porto Antico and the Bigo<\/h3>\n
\"Genoa's<\/figure>\n

The Porto Antico<\/a> 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>, 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.<\/p>\n

Genoa Aquarium<\/h3>\n
\"Porto<\/figure>\n

The Genoa Aquarium<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Galata Maritime Museum<\/h3>\n
\"Galata<\/figure>\n

In the Darsena, a few minutes from the Aquarium, the Galata Museo del Mare<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

The carruggi and Via del Campo<\/h3>\n
\"Narrow<\/figure>\n

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<\/a> 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 Andr\u00e9. At Via del Campo 29 rosso<\/a> there is a small museum dedicated to Genoa’s singer-songwriters.<\/p>\n

Palazzo San Giorgio and Sottoripa<\/h3>\n
\"Frescoed<\/figure>\n

On the harbour side, Palazzo San Giorgio has the most photographed frescoed fa\u00e7ade 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.<\/p>\n

San Lorenzo Cathedral<\/h3>\n
\"Striped<\/figure>\n

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo<\/a> is easy to spot thanks to its black-and-white striped fa\u00e7ade, 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.<\/p>\n

Piazza De Ferrari and the Doge’s Palace<\/h3>\n
\"Piazza<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Porta Soprana and Columbus’s House<\/h3>\n
\"Porta<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Via Garibaldi and the Palazzi dei Rolli<\/h3>\n
\"Elegant<\/figure>\n

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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>. Twice a year, during the Rolli Days, private palaces open too: in 2026 at the end of March and in mid-October.<\/p>\n

Via Balbi, the Royal Palace and the Annunziata<\/h3>\n

Via Balbi continues the line of palaces towards Principe station. Here you will find the University and the Palazzo Reale, built by the Balbi family in the mid-17th century, enlarged by the Durazzo and a Savoy royal residence from 1824. It is the most complete historic palace to visit, with furnished apartments, a hanging garden and the Hall of Mirrors.<\/p>\n

Just below, the Basilica of the Annunziata<\/a> looks plain from outside, but inside it is one of Italy’s richest Baroque churches, covered in gold and frescoes.<\/p>\n

Villa del Principe<\/h3>\n

Next to Principe station, Andrea Doria’s villa was built from the 1520s just outside the walls. Inside are frescoes by Perin del Vaga, a pupil of Raphael, including the “Fall of the Giants”; Emperor Charles V stayed here in 1533. It still belongs to the Doria family and is open as a museum, with an Italian garden overlooking the port.<\/p>\n

Castelletto and Castello d’Albertis<\/h3>\n

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<\/a>, 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<\/a> is the neo-Gothic home of a naval captain, now the Museum of World Cultures, with another panoramic terrace.<\/p>\n

The Lanterna<\/h3>\n
\"La<\/figure>\n

The Lanterna<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Boccadasse and Corso Italia<\/h3>\n
\"Boccadasse<\/figure>\n

Boccadasse<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Things to do in Genoa<\/h2>\n

Nervi and its parks<\/h3>\n

Nervi, at the far eastern end of the city, feels like a different town. The Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi runs for about two kilometres along the cliffs, and behind it lie the Parks of Nervi<\/a>, the gardens of three historic villas with palms, rose gardens and art museums. It is about a quarter of an hour by train from Brignole station. Plan half a day, and bring a swimsuit in summer.<\/p>\n

The Righi, the forts and the walls<\/h3>\n

The Zecca\u2013Righi funicular, opened in 1897, climbs from the centre to the Righi viewpoint. This is the start of the Parco delle Mura: around a dozen kilometres of 17th-century walls and a chain of forts (Sperone, Begato, Diamante and others) linked by footpaths. It is the best hike you can do without leaving the city: wear proper shoes, carry water, and use the Granarolo rack railway to come down near Principe station. Some forts are closed for restoration.<\/p>\n

Staglieno Cemetery<\/h3>\n

The Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno<\/a>, in the Bisagno valley, is one of the most important monumental cemeteries in Europe: galleries of 19th-century marble statues, chapels and woodland paths. An unusual, quiet visit, reached by bus from Brignole.<\/p>\n

Street food<\/h3>\n

Genoa is a city to eat while walking: oily, salty focaccia in the morning, farinata and panissa from a sciamadda (wood-fired bakery) at lunch, trofie with pesto in the evening. At the Mercato Orientale on Via XX Settembre you can buy basil, olive oil and anchovies, and there is a food hall upstairs. Dishes, timings and tips are in our guide to what to eat in Genoa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Getting around Genoa<\/h2>\n

The centre is best on foot, but AMT public transport takes care of the ups and downs. The metro has a single line with eight stations, from Brin to Brignole, via Principe, Darsena, San Giorgio, Sant’Agostino and De Ferrari: the fastest way from Principe station to the centre.<\/p>\n

Public lifts (such as Castelletto) and funiculars (Zecca\u2013Righi and Sant’Anna) are part of the urban network. Since November 2025 the metro, lifts and funiculars are no longer free: you need an AMT ticket, and if you are moving around a lot a day ticket makes sense. Current fares are on the AMT website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Day trips from Genoa<\/h2>\n