Genova City Centre

Genova, Italy...

This beautiful city will always have a place in my heart. I can say that I know it like the two palms of my hands.

Genova is situated on the Ligurian cost. It streches along the seacost for about 30 kilometers. From Voltri on the west up to Nervi on the east, but I will talk about other neighbourhoods in another post.

Streets of Genova

I arrived in the beginning of summer 2016. My apartment was in the historical city centre, surrounded by those little italian streets and right next to via Garibaldi, which is well known for its ancient palaces. If you ever reach Genova, don't forget to take a coffee break and sit in any of the cafes inside the city centre. At first I thought it is not so pleasant and at all comfortable to sit on a table, which is right in the middle of a very little street with people always passing by, but it turned out to be the best way to feel the Italian spirit. People are walking slowly by, never in a hurry to go somewhere and this takes you so far from the busy city life.

Via Garibaldi

Unfortunately I do not have photos of the street, but you should definately pass through it to check out the palaces. There are some that have a free entrance and you can go inside to see the halls and yards. If you are there, take a sit at a cafe called "Mentelocale" and take a cappuccino break, you will see it is worthed (costs €1, 60).

Spianata di Castelletto

This is a must-see place in Genova. If you reach Piazza della Meridiana on via Garibaldi, you will see the lift that goes to the Castelleto (€1, 50 one-way ticket) or you can take the stairs above the elevator to reach the top. The path is called "Salita alla Spianata di Castelletto". If you are young and healthy this is a great exersice. The first time you take the stairs you will probably need to catch a few breaks on the way and for sure you would have lost a bit of your breath when you finally reach Spianata di Castelletto, but believe me the view will take your breath away in a much more pleasant way. There are two terraces, one has a view of the port and you can see the lighthouse in the left:

The other side of Spianata di Castalletto offers a view of the city centre:

Don't miss out to go there in the night with a beer. Many local people gather there and drink beers enjoying the view. I actually spent my 21st birthday there.

The Port

Genova port is the second busiest Italian seaport in the Medditerenian Sea. The area where the port itself is situated, has not much to offer in terms of attractions, but along the coast you can find the lighthouse (La Lanterna di Genova), the museum (Galata Museo del Mare), the aquarium(Acquario di Genova) and the Bigo. My favourite part of the port was next to the aquarium. I had the habbit of getting out in the morning, grabbing a coffee from those 24 hour machines and going next to the Bigo, sitting on the stairs, that are exactly over the water and waking up under the first rays of the sun.

This is what I saw from the stairs. The quiet water under my feet and the mountains in front of me.

The Bigo

The Bigo is one of the symbols of Genova and it offers a great panoramic view if you decide to ride the lift. I recommend that you do it, it costs €5 and if you want to ride it, I suggest you catch one of the last rides on sunset. The view is really beautiful from the top and it is great for pictures.

Acquario di Genova

The aquarium is one of the biggest tourist attractions as it is the largest aquarium in Italy and the second largest in Europe. The ticket costs €25, but I promise you that it is worthed. I suggest you include this in your budget. (Sorry that I don't have more photos, but if you are interested you can check online. )

My favourite penguins:

Cattedrale di San Lorenzo

Behind the port you have to go on via S. Lorenzo. It will take you right in front of Genova's Duomo ('Duomo' - the biggest cathedral in an Italian city). It is really impressive. Don't forget to put on your long pants and cover your shoulders in order to go inside. It is very beautiful. At night you can see young people sitting on the black and white stairs of the cathedral. Don't miss to sit with them to have a beer and relax.

Source

De Ferrari

De Ferrari is a main sqare in the city centre. You can easily reach it from the cathedral. Just go up the street and you will see it.

This is one of the meeting spots in Genova. If you go there you will see a lot of people sitting next to the fountain, waiting for somebody. It is the perfect place for meetings, because of its central location. It is close to all main spots in Genova. If you are lucky you can catch a light show during some night. It is very beautiful to see the fountain in different colours. Right next to the fountain is the big shopping street of Genova - via XX Settembre.

Via XX Settembre.

Along this main street you will find a lot of stores of famous brands. If you are into shopping, this is the best place to go.

At the end of the street you can see one of the main train stations - Brignole. Across the train station there is "Arco della Vittoria". It is a nice place to sit, as the arc is on a sqare, without many cars passing around. On the other side of the arc there is a little park.

That is it for my first post. Next I will tell you about the other neigbourhoods of Genova.

I hope you enjoyed reading!

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Photo gallery