When in Genua, the things you must see are the palaces. Genua, to me, would be the city of palaces. My favorite is the palazzo Reale. Which doesn't look like much on the front, but the backside is gorgeous!
Also be sure to check the inside if you enjoy Baroque. The way this palace has been designed was influential throughout Italy. Tickets are only 4 euros (2 if you're under 18!) and it's worth the price. Inside you'll find rooms like this:
Just beautifully decorated and every room has a different colour and function.
Another place to visit if you enjoy architecture is the Piazza De Ferrari. Which has this gorgeous fountain in the centre, which had pink water while we were there. It is situated between the old and the new centre of Genua. It is also a stop on the city sightseeing busses.
I recommend the sightseeing busses for only a handful of cities. Genua is one of them. Not because the sights are far apart (Palazzo Reale is a bit of), but because of the hills and the cramped up steets. You get exhausted if you have to walk an entire day of uphill, then downhill, then uphill and then downhill again. You have to walk through a lot of small streets that zigzag through the city to get to the different sights. So if you can, invest a little in these busses. It's also worth it to do one entire round in one of the busses (takes about an hour) and learn about the city while listening to a guide.
I've talked about the small streets, which are very prominent in Genua, but the "main street" for tourism, Via Garibaldi, is luckily a bit wider. In this street you'll find tons of palaces, all of which look beautiful. Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco are two of the favorites.
The street is also great for buying your ice cream, with a couple of really cute shops. My suggestion is to visit the Via Garibaldi first and then the Palazzo Reale and the following cathedral.
The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, which is situated in the same street as the palazzo Reale, is free to visit and a great way to semi finish the day off. The cathedral is ginormous and beautifully decorated.
Finish your day by having a relaxing walk on the jetty of the beautiful harbour Genua has. I say jetty and not just walking along the side of the harbour, because it's cramped with parking lots and people trying to sell you stuff.
General tips & suggestions:
- If you can spare the money, buy a ticket for the CitySightseeing busses. Walking will be exhausting. Going by bike may be a good option if you're more of an active person
- It is possible to stay under 50 euros a night when sleeping in Genua, but you have to book in advance. We stayed in a B&B just outside of Genua, which was fine as well.
- Genua is not expensive, the cathedral for example is free, but you do have to take in account that the palaces cost some bucks if you are with an entire family (say 4 euros per person).
- For lunch and dinner pick a small restaurant near the harbour. We ate at a pizza place where we only paid 6 euros for an entire pizza, which was delicious! Check the menus beforehand and it will be quite easy to find a place similar to ours.
- For ice cream, go for a gelatteria on the Via Garibaldi. The shops are very cute and have delicious ice cream.
♥ Love, Vivian
