Genoa at a Glance
Genoa is Liguria’s capital: a port city of steep lanes, grand palaces and some of Italy’s best street food. It is often skipped on the way to the Cinque Terre, which is a pity. Here are the places we suggest to our guests, all within easy reach of each other.
Top Things to Do in Genoa
1. Centro Storico and the caruggi
Get lost in one of the largest medieval old towns in Europe: narrow lanes, tiny shops, focaccia bakeries and hidden piazzas.
2. Via Garibaldi and the Palazzi dei Rolli
A street of Renaissance and Baroque palaces, part of the UNESCO-listed Rolli system. Several palaces hold museums you can visit.
3. Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
Genoa’s cathedral, with its striking black-and-white striped facade, sits in the heart of the old town.
4. Porto Antico and the Aquarium
Renzo Piano redesigned the old port into a waterfront promenade. The Aquarium of Genoa is one of the largest in Europe and a favourite with families.
5. La Lanterna
The city’s historic lighthouse is the symbol of Genoa and one of the oldest working lighthouses in the world.
6. Boccadasse
A small fishing village inside the city, with colourful houses, a pebble beach and a good place for an evening gelato.
7. Spianata Castelletto
Take the panoramic lift for views over the rooftops and the port.
8. Staglieno Monumental Cemetery
A open-air gallery of sculpture and 19th-century funerary art, one of the most remarkable cemeteries in Italy.
What to Eat in Genoa
Genoa is the home of pesto alla genovese, served with hand-rolled trofie. You will also find focaccia, farinata, pansoti with walnut sauce and fresh seafood. The best way to take the flavours home is to learn to make them yourself.
Cook with a Local Chef in Genoa
At Cooking Class Genova you cook with chef Lucrezia in a real home kitchen in Genoa. You choose three recipes, cook together and then enjoy lunch or dinner with wine. If you want to start with the local classic, try our Pesto and Trofie Class, where you make pesto with mortar and pestle and roll trofie by hand.
