Genoa, Italy
Located on the northern Mediterranean shore is the wonderful port city of Genoa. Steeped in a maritime history, Genoa like most port cities has many tales to tell and enthrall. Capturing the heart of Genoa's favourite son Christopher Columbus, exploring the city is a must.
Genoa is a great city for simply walking the streets and discovering the life and wonders that . No more is this true than in its extensive old city, an often confronting reminder of pre-modern life with its twisting maze of narrow caruggi (streets), largely intact. Emerge blinking from this thrillingly dank heart to Via Garibaldi and the splendid Enlightenment-era gold-leaf halls of the Unesco-listed Palazzi dei Rolli. Off the Piazza Dante you will find the rebuilt home of Christopher Columbus. We have designed the walk to take in many of the great sites in the old part of the city and some of its wonderful history.
Italy's largest sea port is indefatigably contradictory, full at once of grandeur, squalor, sparkling light and deep shade. The old town especially is a maze of alleyways ripe for exploration. It’s also where you’ll stumble across excellent coffee shops and gelaterias. The city's once-tatty port area now hosts museums and a number of eating and drinking options.
The city also has a number of parks that are worth exploring. For the child-like thrill of ascending above the city on a cliff railway, catch one of the funiculars up the hillside. The Zecca-Righi route, is the most popular and transports both visitors and locals to the Parco Urbano delle Mura at the top, where you’ll also find the ruins of the Castellaccio and Sperone military forts, built between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.
The Journey
Commence at the Royal Palace Museum and walk south-east on Via Balbi towards Salita di Pietra Minute, at the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Piazza della Nunziata. Continue onto Via Paolo Emilio Bensa and then onto Largo della Zecca. Turn right onto Via Cairoli continue onto Piazza della Meridiana and then continue onto Via Garibaldi. Walk east on Via Garibaldi towards Vico Boccanegra, note Via Garibaldi turns slightly right and becomes Piazza delle Fontane Marose. Turn left to stay on Piazza delle Fontane Marose and continue onto Salita Santa Caterina and then straight onto Largo Eros Lanfranco. Palazzo Doria-Spinola will be on the left.
Walk south-east on Largo Eros Lanfranco towards Via Roma and turn left onto Via Roma. Then a slight right onto Piazza Corvetto. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit and turn right onto Via XII Ottobre, then turn left onto Viale IV Novembre/Viale Quattro Novembre and then slight right onto Viale IV Novembre. The Porta dell'Olivella will be on the right.
Walk south on Viale IV Novembre towards Viale Quattro Novembre and continue onto Corso Andrea Podesta'. Turn right onto Salita Salvatore Viale. Take the stairs and turn right onto Via XX Settembre and then right again onto Via Brigata Liguria and then left onto Piazza della Vittoria. Turn right to stay on Piazza della Vittoria and the Arco della Vittoria will be on the right.
Walk south on Piazza della Vittoria and turn right to stay on Piazza della Vittoria. Continue onto Via Ippolito D'Aste and then onto Galleria Cristoforo Colombo. Turn left onto Scalinata Frugoni and take the stairs, continue onto Scalinata Poli Camillo and take the stairs. Turn right to stay on Scalinata Poli Camillo taking the stairs, then a slight left to stay on Scalinata Poli Camillo again taking the stairs. Take a slight right onto Corso Andrea Podesta' and at the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Via Santa Chiara. Continue onto Salita S. Leonardo and take the stairs. Turn left onto Piazza Dante and turn left onto Vico Dritto di Ponticello, take the stairs and the Columbus House
will be on the right.
Walk north-west on Via di Porta Soprana towards Piano di Sant'Andrea, turning right onto Via Francesco Petrarca. Continue onto Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari and then continue onto Via Ettore Vernazza. Turn left towards Portici dell'Accademia and continue onto Portici dell'Accademia. Turn left onto Largo Sandro Pertini the Teatro Carlo Felice
will be on the right.
Walk south-east on Largo Sandro Pertini towards Portici dell'Accademia and turn right onto Portici dell'Accademia. Take the pedestrian tunnel stairs and take the stairs to continue onto Via Cardinale Pietro Boetto, and then turn right onto Piazza Giacomo Matteotti.The Doge's Palace will be in the piazza to the left.
Walk north-west on Piazza Giacomo Matteotti towards Via Tommaso Reggio and turn right onto Via Tommaso Reggio. Turn right onto Salita All'Arco vescovato and then turn left onto Vico degli Indoratori. Turn right onto Via dei Conservatori del Mare and them left onto Via degli Oreci. Turn right onto Vico delle Mele and them turn left onto Vico della Torre di S. Luca and right again onto Vico Dietro Il Coro di S. Luca. Continue onto Piazza di Pellicceria and the Palazzo Spinola National Gallery will be on the left