Genoa, Italy things to do

Genoa is the capital city of the Region Liguria. A port city with around 600.000 inhabitants. The city is located on the Mediterranean Sea and its port is the most important in South of Europe.  Trade, commercial business was a part of the long story of the old Genoa Republic.  With a Genoa walking tour you can discover with a local guide the points of interest of the old historical town, for example: the Genoa aquarium - located in the old port of the city, the old town - iconic of the glorious past with the amazing Genoa Cathedral of Saint. Lawrence.  Your guide will lead you through the narrow streets, called Caruggi: you can gawk at the kinky old stores crowded with spices and local food, gaze at the magnificent palaces with their marble sculptures and renaissance art.

What is good to see in Genoa with a local guide

Besides the historical centre and the old town, if you visit Genoa you cannot miss a walking tour across the renaissance part of the centre. Via Garibaldi the old Strada Nuova houses an extraordinary artistic heritage in the heart of the city.  The Museums of Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi combine to form an exhibition with fine art works, from the Tunscany school to Caravaggio and Van Dyck.

What is Genoa like as a city?

This is a question that as tour guide I am supposed to answer 🙂  Compared to the traditional touristic cities like Venice and Florence or Rome, Genoa looks, at the first sight, maybe shy and hidden. Even the historical centre is not made for tourists: you can see students, families, people going work moving fast with their vespa, but you won’t see just a crow of visitors.  That’s a point you should not underestimate, especially during national holidays. Besides that, Genoa is a vertical city: rises up on the hills and in front of the sea there’s not much space. Cable cars, elevators bring you to panoramic points offering you the possibility of nice walking tours along the old city walls.

From Genoa to Portofino or Cinque Terre

If you stay in Genoa you can decide to book a tour on the Italian Riviera. Portofino is just 40 km farway and with a speed train is possibile to reach the Cinque Terre in approx. 1 hour.