Genova

Genova is another interesting touristic city in Italy. Not as popular as Rome and Venice, for many travelers it might be considered as its advantage in terms of less crowds and queues.

There are direct flights from Moscow done by S7 and Pobeda and there is a 2 hrs train trip from Milan.

If you wish to have photo shoot in Genova get the details regarding photographer's services on this page.

1. If you have very limited time in Genova start from Ferrari Square. Despite misleading associations, the name of the square is coming from the name of the famous duke whose house is located nearby. The famous fountain of Genova, the icon of the city, is located on this square as well.
The morning time here is chilly, quiet and tranquil, so that nothing will disturb you from slow waking-up while having a coffee in any terrace on the square.

2. After that, it is worth to have a walk along the open air museum which is located in the most famous street of Genova - Garibaldi. Though quite short (just 250 meters), it features plenty of famous palaces.

3. The biggest art galleries of the city are also located here. I would recommend visiting at least one of them, which is Palazzo Bianco. Palazzo Doria Tursi and Palazzo Rosso are also worth seeing - here you can find the works of van Dyck, Caravaggio and others.
 

Open hours:
Working days - from 9 a.m. to 7 p. m., except Mon
Week-ends - from 10 a. m. to 7:30 p. m.
One ticket for 9 EUR will let into all three museums.

4. Your next stop can be at the Royal Palace located not far away from Garibaldi Street. The palace represents the attempt of its former owners, Savoy dukes, to create something like mini-Versailles. Actually, they have succeeded, as the palace turned out to be a very impressive architectural work and became UNESCO World Heritage. It also has an amazing roof garden and the panoramic terrace from where you can observe Genova in every small detail.
 

The entrance fee is 5 EUR.
Entrance to the roof: Tue-Wed - from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. Thur-Fri - from 9 a. m. to 7 p. m. Closed on Monday.

5. One more amazing place in Genova is aquarium near the harbor and it will be just on your way. In this giant container of 6 Million liters of water the sharks and dolphins might not really notice that they are not in the ocean.
 

The entrance fee is 16 EUR but it's really worth it.
Open hours: working days except Thursday -  from 9:30 a. m. to 7:30 p. m. Thursday - till 10 p. m. Week-ends - till 8:30 p. m.

6. There is one more opportunity for a bird-eye view of Genova from a very high point just for 3 EUR. It is Il Bigo, a huge architectural wonder in the shape of an old crane for unloading the goods in the harbor. Its name also stands for 'lift".

7. A perfect place for a quick snack or lunch is "Pasta Street" cafe on Piazza della Meridiana,12R. This diner is something between fast- food and restaurant.
It has just few tables but you can have a take-away and have your meal in the nearest marvelous park that are plenty in Genova. A big adqvantage of "Pasta Street" is that it is open until late night when the most of dining places are already closed. It is also quite affordable. And what is most important is that it is extremely tasty there! They serve beer, risotto, variety of burgers, including seafood.

8. Genova Old Harbor is an interesting landmark by itself due to its history. Presently it is also a venue for different interesting attractions, including panoramic lift and tropical garden.

9. By the way, there is also a lighthouse La Lanterna not far away from the harbor that expects visitors during week-ends and holidays from 2:30 p. m. to 6 p. m. In 2028 this wonderful construction will celebrate its 900 year anniversary!  Besides, it has an excellent helicopter view as well.

10.  Boccadasse neighborhood is also a special landmark of Genova. It lays along the seaside and features few very nice modern beaches along with the cape Santa - Chiara where you can also find the building imitating a medieval castle.

Once you are in Genova look for the statue of Christopher Columbus which is not far away from the Railway Station. It is really beautiful monument that appeared here due to the legend that Genova is a birthplace of C. Columbus.

Amongst other attractions there are also Genova arcades about which the majority of tourists just don’t know or forget. They are very nice to stroll along, especially when it is raining. Some of them are decorated with nice mosaic fragments.
Beside that, Genova has plenty of nice courtyards and among them is the one with the past St. Bridgid's laundry room that was turned into a cafe recently.

By the way, another curiosity of Genova is that it has the lifts running horizontally and vertically in different directions. One of the entrances into the to a lift is in the street Via Balbi. As you can see, overall Genova is a very interesting town full if unexpected surprises.