Have you ever been to Genoa? 

A few weeks ago I was there for work, and since I had never visited the city, I asked my bf to join me with Romeo for the weekend.

And I have to say I was very well surprised, I really liked the city! I was told it was nothing special, and you know, the first thing that comes into mind when you think about Liguria is 5 Terre, so I never thought about visiting Genoa.

But here we are!

Walking tour of Genoa

From the railway station Genoa Piazza Principe you can take the subway to San Giorgio (direction Bignole - 2 stops) and start your walking tour from Porto Antico.

The first time I was in Genoa I was very surprised when I got out of the subway as the first thing you see is the San Giorgio Palace.

It's incredible. I fell in love with its walls. 😍

So, as I said, our first stop of this walking tour was Porto Antico, about 10 min walking from the subway.

Then some of you could think, why shall I visit a port? Well, Porto Antico is not a usual port.

In fact it is full of attractions such as open-air live music, a film museum, and a seasonal indoor ice skating rink.

The area is lined with seaside shops, casual bars and restaurants; and it also houses the great Aquarium of Genoa and the Biosphere, a zoo on the water in a dome-shaped building and a replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon. The whole place is very nice. When I travel to Genoa for work, I really enjoy walking to the office as I have to cross the port and the view I get makes me happy and it is a very good way to start the day.

Aquarium of Genoa: known as the largest aquarium in Europe, it "hosts" over 12,000 specimens belonging to 600 animal species and 200 vegetal species. I did not get the chance to go yet, so I'll tell you more once I have visited, but still if you are in town think about it. I've been told it's amazing!

Price: between 22 and 30 eur, depending on the exhibition chosen

📍Address:  Ponte Spinola, 16128 Genova GE - Website: https://www.acquariodigenova.it/en/ 

Do you know that in Genoa people have breakfast with Focaccia and cappuccino? 

Some of them also dip the focaccia in the cappuccino. Shall we try it? 😉

For breakfast you can stop at Focaccia Food and Drink to have your coffee&focaccia experience (or a croissant, if you do not feel ready).

While if you are in the nearby and want to have an aperitivo or light lunch with view over the port,  La Goletta Seaside is my choice.

Our next stop was the historical centre. Genoa is very known for its narrow streets, called Vicoli in Italian.

From the port you can take Via della Mercanzia and Via Sottoripa to get to one of the first Vicoli and most important, to the best Focacceria ever (about 5 min walking from Via della Mercanzia): Focaccia e Dintorni

More focaccia? YES, you can have focaccia all day long and won't get tired of it

If you don't have lactose intolerances/allergies, you have to try the focaccia with cheese and pesto: a bomb. But if you do, a focaccia liscia (no toppings) will still be amazing.

Focaccia e Dintorni

📍Address: Via di Canneto Il Curto, 54r/56r, 16123 Genova GE

Price: 5/10 eur

And where do we eat our focaccia? Well, as I said, Genoa is full of vicoli, so it could be quite difficult to enjoy your focaccia in there. You can walk a few more meters and get to Piazza De Ferrari (about 5 min), the central square and heart of Genoa, recognisable by the large circular bronze fountain located in the centre.

One of the most famous places of interest in Genoa.

I really like the architecture of the buildings, it reminds me of Buenos Aires.

From there you can admire four eclectic-style buildings (which are now headquarters for companies and institutions), the Doge's Palace (venue for exhibitions and conferences), and the famous Carlo Felice theatre, destroyed during the Second World War and completely rebuilt after the war.

The next stop is Galleria Giuseppe Mazzini for some window shopping, located between Carlo Felice Theatre and Piazza De Ferrari.

After exploring most of the city center, we took an elevator to see how it looks like from the top.

An elevator? Yes, exactly, because Genoa is built on hills and has elevators and funiculars that connect the historical centre to the upper part of the city.

The viewpoint is called Spianata Castelletto.

And of course, once there we enjoyed this view while having an aperitivo at Calice, a nice bar located less than 5 min walking from the viewpoint.

Price: 8/10 eur pp

As Italians are all about food, after the aperitivo we went back to the centre and had lunch. We chose a random place while walking back to the port to take the train and actually made a great choice.

Osteria Pandemonio: the restaurant is very nice and the staff super friendly (and PET friendly!). We tried their pasta with ragu of octopus, the one with mushrooms and truffle and their trofie with pesto of course. All served with a fine bottle of white wine.

It was all very good (indeed I do not have a lot of pics). I'll definitely come back.

Price: 15/20 eur pp

In the afternoon we decided to go to the beach. Yes, Genoa has also some nice beaches. You can take a train, and about 25 min later you'll be enjoying the sun in Nervi.

Price: Purchase your ticket on Trenitalia, the cost is only eur 1.50.

If you are in Genoa, you cannot miss it! Nervi has one of the most beautiful promenades of Italy, also known as the Anita Garibaldi promenade. It is a delightful journey of about 2 km that starts from the small port of Nervi, and ends at the ancient port, offering a crazy panoramic view. There are also some free beaches such as Spiaggia Capolungo (dogs should not be allowed but we saw a few, so we brought Romeo - it may depend on the season)

And how to end the day if not with another aperitivo?

We enjoyed a drink at Anita 17 before heading back to the train station. They have a terrace and some tables on the promenade. The view is beautiful, especially with the sunset.

Price:8/10 eur pp

Hope you have enjoyed this post, and see you on the next journey!

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