EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVITIES
Discovering Genoa and its Surroundings
The Wonders of the Superb
Activities, Experiences and Advice
Visiting Genoa always guarantees pleasant surprises for both those who are there for the first time and those who already know it a little. Genoa has a thousand faces, a thousand souls, and although at a glance its historic center seems to be gathered in a thin strip of land between the sea and the heights, at every turn it somehow manages to amaze even the Genoese themselves.
The first impact with Genoa certainly concerns the Porto Antico area (with the Aquarium, Galata Museo del Mare and Bigo panoramic elevator) and Via Garibaldi, also known as Strada Nuova with its imposing Palazzi dei Rolli (many of which house the city's most important museums). The heart of the historic center is definitely Piazza San Lorenzo with its imposing cathedral, which is ideal as a starting point for exploring the city with its Palazzo Ducale, which is always at the forefront with the exhibitions it hosts, and Piazza De Ferrari, which is overlooked by both Palazzo Ducale and the Carlo Felice Theater and from which the main shopping arteries depart.
GENOA AND ITS CARRUGGI
The historic center
Genoa's historic center is a maze of alleys (caruggi) that open unexpectedly into small squares, often linked, like the churches that face them, to important noble families.
The spirit of Genoa resides precisely in the alleys, where different smells, tastes, languages and cultures have always mingled. And the historic center, more than any other part of the city, has always been a melting pot.
In these narrow spaces, squeezed between the hills and the sea, the pride of the wealthy Genoese merchants and nobles had splendid mansions built, where works of art were collected and guarded for centuries, still visible inside some of the palaces, now museums open to the public.
THE LARGEST IN EUROPE
The Aquarium of Genoa
The precious treasure chest of biodiversity: with its 27,000 square meters, 70 tanks and more than 12,000 animals of 600 different species, the Genoa Aquarium is the largest exhibition of aquatic fauna in Europe.
A journey of discovery of underwater life among dolphins and sharks, penguins and manatees, jellyfish and seals, tropical fish and Antarctic animals awaits visitors to the Genoa Aquarium.
THE PEARL OF LIGURIA
Portofino
Portofino is a fishing village on the Ligurian Riviera southeast of Genoa. Pastel-colored houses, exclusive boutiques, and seafood restaurants line the cobblestone Piazzetta overlooking the harbor, where megayachts are docked. A path connects the Piazzetta to Castello Brown, a 16th-century fortress with an adjoining museum inside which art exhibitions are mounted and which affords views of the town and the Ligurian Sea.
THE "CAPITAL" OF TIGULLIO
Chiavari
A town of ancient seafaring traditions, it still reveals in many clues its economy strongly linked to the sea: boatyards, ship sheds, artisan workshops specializing in woodworking and fiberglass, and embarkations for tourist cruises. Its most famous attractions are precisely the marina and the waterfront promenade, but Chiavari is not the typical seaside resort that lives only in the summer months. On the contrary, it is a dynamic town, bustling with activity, fortunately still on a human scale: credit perhaps to its lovely medieval-style historic center, with arcades and splendid nineteenth-century buildings, to which the mild climate of the Riviera lends valuable assistance.
