{"id":537,"date":"2025-08-31T12:29:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T04:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/the-ultimate-weekend-in-genoa\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:08","slug":"the-ultimate-weekend-in-genoa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=537","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate weekend in Genoa"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Genoa is often missed on today\u2019s sweeping Italy itineraries. It wasn\u2019t always so. In the 1500s this port city in northwest Italy was one of the richest places in Europe, and a powerful maritime republic. Today, its magnificence remains \u2013 everywhere you step are swaggering Renaissance palaces and striking Baroque churches. Sometimes it seems the only down-to-earth thing about the city is its food \u2013 this is the street food capital of Italy.<\/p>\n

Although I live in Venice now, my family lived in Genoa for generations \u2013 and true to my roots, I regularly take the train across Italy to the port that feels like home. Here\u2019s a guide to the ultimate three-day weekend in Genoa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Genoa\u2019s incredible street food is one of the best reasons to come here for the ultimate weekend. Francesca Salamone for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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    When to arrive:<\/b> Friday to Sunday is the best combination for a long weekend break \u2013 most museums are closed on Mondays. Hit the Strada Nuova on a Friday and you\u2019ll be able to peek through the doorways of the extravagant palaces.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    How to get from the airport:<\/b> Genoa\u2019s airport is just west of the city center. Catch a bus to Piazza Principe train station and then switch to the metro, but a taxi ride is affordable \u2013 and a much quicker journey.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Getting around town:<\/b> The medieval center is mostly pedestrianized, though taxis are allowed in most of it. If you\u2019re going up into the “new town” or outside the medieval core, there\u2019s a good network of buses as well as the metro running along the coastline.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    What to pack:<\/b> This is a laid-back port so you don\u2019t have to dress up as much as in, say, Florence or Rome. What you will need are good shoes, because this is one of Italy\u2019s most hilly cities. If you plan to take a dip in the sea at Boccadasse, bring a swimsuit, too.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Day 1<\/h2>\n

    Morning<\/h3>\n

    Start with the view that, for centuries, greeted arrivals: the medieval city climbing the cliffside from the Porto Antico \u2013 the \u201cold port.\u201d Porto Antico is modern Genoa at its best. There are shops, restaurants and museums, from the city\u2019s world-class Aquarium to the Biosphere, a nature-filled glass “bubble” on the water\u2019s edge. Take a ride up the Bigo \u2013 a panoramic lift that looks like a portside crane. You\u2019ll get a gull\u2019s eye view of the sea and the city unravelling beneath you.<\/p>\n

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    Genoa\u2019s medieval history rises from the Porto Antico, topped by its historic lighthouse. Luca Siciliano for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    How to spend the day<\/h3>\n

    Step into those views by walking into Genoa\u2019s UNESCO-listed Old City, said to be the largest intact medieval city center in Europe. Many of these buildings are part of the Palazzi dei Rolli, or Rolli Palaces \u2013 mansions deemed so extravagant they were added to a list of homes worthy of housing important dignitaries and visiting royals.<\/p>\n

    High-end stores are housed in brilliant palazzos where artisans have been setting up shop for centuries. Also make sure to visit San Pietro in Banchi, a jewel of a church seemingly perched on stilts above a row of shops. Lunch should be on the run \u2013 try a cone of tiny local fish, freshly netted and chucked in the fryer.<\/p>\n

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    Wandering the alleyways around Via Garibaldi is a distinctly Genovese experience. Francesca Salamone for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Afterward, follow the winding alleyways up the cliffside before emerging on Via Garibaldi, also known as the Strada Nuova, a pedestrianized street bordered by the city\u2019s grandest palazzos. Get a better idea of how these houses were laid out, and the kind of treasures that were in them, at the Musei di Strada Nuova: three grand palazzos turned into a “scattered” museum. One of them, Palazzo Rosso, has a hidden 17th-century apartment \u2013 the love nest of its libertine owner. Palazzo Bianco is stuffed full of art, including works by Genoa-obsessed Rubens, while in Palazzo Tursi you\u2019ll see the violin of Niccol\u00f2 Paganini, the famed 18th-century violinist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    For a sunset surrounded by beautiful design, take the public elevator from Piazza del Portello to Spianata Castelletto. This elegant neighborhood hoisted high above the old town is a gem in itself, but the elevator \u2013 which opened in 1929 \u2013 is a jewel of Liberty architecture (essentially Italian Art Nouveau). From here, the views unroll across the slate rooftops of the old town, as the sun gently dips into the Ligurian Sea.<\/p>\n

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    Palazzo Tursi is part of the Musei di Strada Nuova. Luca Siciliano for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Dinner<\/h3>\n

    At the bottom of the elevator, to your right is the Strada Nuova; to your left unfurls the \u201cnew town\u201d \u2013 which in Genoa means after the 1800s. For dinner, get some Genoese and Liguran classics. There\u2019s pasta with pesto, of course (look for trofie<\/i> made with chestnut flour) and torte<\/i> (vegetable quiches) \u2013 but also traditional dishes, such as tripe stewed with potatoes. In the summer months, tables spill out into the quiet piazzas.<\/p>\n

    After Dark<\/h3>\n

    Dominating Piazza De Ferrari, in the heart of Genoa\u2019s new town, the Teatro Carlo Felice is a testament to Genoese tenacity. Bombed in WWII, it was rebuilt \u201ccom\u2019era, dov\u2019era<\/i>\u201d (\u201cas it was, where it was\u201d) and reopened in 1991. The fa\u00e7ade is a replica of the original, but inside is a thoroughly modern opera house, with world-class ballet and musical performances.<\/p>\n

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    A stroll to the iconic Boccadasse waterfront is the quintessential Genovese tradition. Luca Siciliano for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Day 2<\/h2>\n

    Morning<\/h3>\n

    Italians love their passeggiate<\/i> (strolls) and Ligurians are all about the sea \u2013 so combine the two with a slow stroll along the waterfront to Boccadasse, a teeny fishing village three miles east of the Porto Antico. Starting at Corso Italia, follow the boardwalk eastward, past lavish Liberty-style villas and summertime lidos (public swimming pools \u2013 the cliff-cut ones are filled with seawater).\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Eventually you\u2019ll hit a tiny cove chomped out of the coastline, with candy-colored houses spilling down the cliffs. This is effectively Genoa\u2019s city beach, so it can get busy on weekends. Stop here for lunch.<\/p>\n

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    The black and white stripes on the facade of the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo are typical of Genovese architecture. Francesca Salamone for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    How to spend the day<\/h3>\n

    Walk back, or take the 42 bus to Piazza De Ferrari. This higher part of town is shopping central, but you\u2019ll also find historic, one-of-a-kind boutiques housed in Belle Epoque splendor.<\/p>\n

    Next up: churches. Start with the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Genoa\u2019s striped cathedral (those black and white stones are the signature of the city\u2019s architecture). Don\u2019t miss the \u201cHoly Grail\u201d in the cathedral museum. It\u2019s a glam emerald-green crystal cup, once thought to be the cup from which Jesus sipped. Today it\u2019s been proven to be of medieval Islamic origin.<\/p>\n

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    The spirit of Genoa lives in the alleys of the Centro Storico. Francesca Salamone for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Nearby is the Chiesa di San Matteo, decorated by Michelangelo\u2019s pupil Montorsoli and home to the sword (and tomb) of Andrea Doria, Genoa\u2019s legendary unofficial ruler who brought prosperity to the city in the 1500s.<\/p>\n

    Within a few minutes\u2019 walk you\u2019ll also find frescoes by Rubens in the Chiesa del Ges\u00f9, and \u2013 my favorite \u2013 the Chiesa di San Donato, a rare example of Romanesque architecture. This is part of the Sestiere del Molo, Genoa\u2019s small design hub \u2013 one of many successful regeneration projects in the historic center. You\u2019ll find everything from vintage interiors to lamps and vases made from textiles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Head back toward the cathedral, stopping for an aperitivo<\/i> in bar-filled Piazza delle Erbe. Try a sei un mi-to<\/i>, a Campari-based cocktail, as an alternative to a spritz.<\/p>\n

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    Anywhere in Genoa\u2019s city center will be an excellent place to eat, from traditional dishes to modern cuisine. Francesca Salamone for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Dinner<\/h3>\n

    Since Genoa is not an overcrowded city, anywhere in the center will be an excellent place to eat. There is everything here from farm-to-table affairs with menus based on slow food produce and ingredients from the surrounding Liguria region, to restaurants based around rich, highly seasonal soups, delicious in every time of year.<\/p>\n

    After Dark<\/h3>\n

    Where many other Italian cities turn their heritage into museums and galleries, in Genoa they live it. That\u2019s how you\u2019ll find yourself climbing a sumptuous staircase, or passing statues and columns, to drink cocktails at an utterly unique bar or nightclub.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Modern-day Genoa has always been forward-thinking, but keeps an eye to historical preservation. Luca Siciliano for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Day 3<\/h2>\n

    Morning<\/h3>\n

    Time to head into the present. Genoa has always been forward-thinking and the area around Polcevera Park has drawn beauty from tragedy. The Morandi Bridge, a viaduct leading west from the city center, collapsed in 2018, killing 43 people. Today the bridge has been replaced by an elegant Renzo Piano viaduct, while beneath it lies the Park and the Red Circle, a public space designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    This is part of a vast regeneration of the Val Polcevera district. Nearby is Certosa, known for its spirit-raising street art. Murals and other pieces can be seen under Piano\u2019s San Giorgio Bridge, and via Maurizio Gregorini\u2019s “On the Wall” project, which has given space to 15 artists across the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

    Afterward, head back into the city to take a ride on the Righi (or Zecca-Castellaccio) funicular, which will whisk you into the mountains behind Genoa to the Parco delle Mura. Here,\u00a0 17th-century walls embrace the city from on high, and you\u2019ll find the Castellaccio and Sperone fortresses tottering at nearly 1,500 feet.<\/p>\n

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    Porto Antico is modern Genoa at its best, with shops, restaurants and museums. Francesca Salamone for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    How to spend the day<\/h3>\n

    Return down on the funicular and grab lunch. Then head west along the waterfront. There\u2019s too much to do here in one day, so you\u2019ll have to choose between Galata Museo di Mare (a fascinating maritime museum), the MEI, Italy\u2019s national museum of emigration which tells the moving stories of hundreds of Italians who left for a better life, or the Villa del Principe, the former out-of-city retreat of Andrea Doria.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    On your way back to the center, meander through Palazzo Reale, Genoa\u2019s “royal palace” \u2013 constructed in the 1600s for a noble family, but so extravagant that the incoming Savoy royals snapped it up in 1823. Amid artwork by Tintoretto and Van Dyck, don\u2019t miss the Galleria, a mini Hall of Mirrors straight out of Versailles. Outside, on Via Balbi, you\u2019ll find the Ascensore Montegalletto, another public lift, which will whisk you up to the Castelletto district. Here the Castello d\u2019Albertis awaits \u2013 a neo-Gothic “castle” built for writer and navigator Enrico d\u2019Albertis, and today an unofficial ethnographic museum, full of souvenirs from his trips around the world.<\/p>\n

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    What\u2019s Italy without pasta? Ravioli al Tuccu and Pansoti Sugo di Noci are some of the best dishes to be found in Genoa. Francesca Salamone for Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    After dark<\/h3>\n

    Toast Genoa farewell with a nighttime rumble around the caruggi <\/i>(historic alleyways). You\u2019re here to try an after-dinner drink made in the city: Camatti, a century-old amaro<\/i>\u00a0(a bitter liquer) voted best in the world in 2023. Like it? You\u2019ll have to return for Corochinato vermouth, a local white wine fortified with 20-something herbs and spices, including absinthe. But save that for your second visit to Genoa \u2013 you don\u2019t want to forget your first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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