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Genoa – a brief overview
Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Genoa is a city with a split personality. Huddled around its once famous port, dark caruggi (alleyways) snake uphill into a Dickensian medieval quarter more reminiscent of a North African medina than an Italian city. But Genoa was always a rich and urbane centre of trade and its 19th-century face, seen along Via Garibaldi and Via XXV Aprile, is lined with UNESCO-listed palaces, banks, cafés and theatres.
Add to that a superb seaside location, a mild tropical microclimate and a revamped port, and you’ll understand the city’s continuing allure.
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Top 10 sights in Genoa

Musei di Strada Nuovo
16124 Genoa
Italy
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Opening times:
Tue-Fri 0900-1900
Sat-Sun 1000-1900
Via Garibaldi is lined with 16th-century palaces. Buy a combination ticket and visit the three finest (Palazzo Doria Tursi, Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco) to enjoy florid interiors, Italian masters and a collection of Paganini’s violins.
Palazzo Ducale
16123 Genoa
Italy
Tel: +39 010 817 1600
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Opening times:
Daily 0900-2000
This Mannerist palazzo was home to the Doges of Genoa during the city’s seafaring heyday. Now its frescoed halls host excellent temporary art exhibitions.
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Opening times:
Daily 0900-1200 and 1500-1900
Genoa’s black-and-white striped cathedral is a visual feast. Guarded by two crouching lions, its monochrome interior is lit by a stained-glass rose window that shatters coloured light down the nave.
Palazzo Reale
16126 Genoa
Italy
Tel: +39 010 271 0236
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Opening times:
Tue-Sat 1000-1900
Sun 1330-1900
Genoa grew rich on the success of banking families such as the Balbis and Durazzos who ploughed their wealth into this palace. The gilded Hall of Mirrors is worth the entrance fee alone.
Museo del Risorgimento
16124 Genoa
Italy
Tel: +39 010 246 5843
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Opening times:
Tue and Fri 0900-1300
Wed 0900-1900
Sat 1000-1900
Located in the home of Italian patriot Giuseppe Mazzini, this museum dedicated to Italian unification is full of personal possessions and illuminating explanations on the birth of a nation.
Chiesa del Gesù
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Opening times:
Daily 0800-1200 and 1630-1900
A visual feast of floor-to-ceiling frescoes, this fabulous Jesuit church dates from 1597 and showcases two grand works by Dutch artist Peter Rubens.
Galleria Nazionale
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Opening times:
Tue-Sat 0830-1930
Sun 1330-1930
Genoa’s main art gallery displays Italian and Flemish Renaissance art over four floors of the Spinola palace. Highlights include works from Van Dyck, Rubens and Strozzi.
Acquario
16128 Genoa
Italy
Tel: +39 010 23451
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Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0930-2000 (Jan-Feb and Nov-Mar)
Sat-Sun 0930-2100 (Jan-Feb and Nov-Mar)
Mon-Fri 0900-2000 (Mar-Jun and Sep-Oct)
Sat-Sun 0830-2100 (Mar-Jun and Sep-Oct)
Daily 0830-2400 (Jul-Aug)
Located at the port, Genoa’s huge aquarium is one of Europe’s largest with over 5,000 species of fish. Special exhibits of coral reefs and Madagascan rainforest are housed in the Nave Blu ship moored in the port.
Galata Museo del Mare
16126 Genoa
Italy
Tel: +39 010 234 5655
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Opening times:
Daily 1000-1930 (Mar-Oct)
Tue-Fri 1000-1800 (Nov-Feb)
Sat-Sun 1000-1930 (Nov-Feb)
Genoa’s museum of maritime heritage is fascinating. High-tech exhibits explore Genoa’s role as Europe’s greatest dockyard through the ages of sail and steam. There’s also a special exhibit on native son, Christopher Columbus.
Genoa-Casella Railway
16122 Genoa
Italy
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For a bird’s-eye view over the city, take this 1929 narrow gauge railway from the central station to the village of Casella. The views are spectacular.
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Italy / Country Information
Country overview
Despite incessant praise, travelling in Italy remains one of those rare experiences in life – like a perfect spring day or the power of first love – that cannot be overrated. In few places do history, art, fashion, food and la dolce vita (the good life) intermingle so effortlessly.
There are sunny isles and electric blue surf, glacial northern lakes and fiery southern volcanoes, rolling vineyards and an urban landscape that harbours more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country in the world. Few places offer such variety and few visitors leave without a fervent desire to return.
Geography
Italy is situated in Europe, with a long coastline of approximately 7,600km (4,720 miles) stretching into the Mediterranean Sea and a mountainous northern border adjoining France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. This northern Alpine region contains some of the highest peaks in Europe and is a good area for winter sports.
In central Italy, Tuscany has a diverse landscape composed of fertile rolling hills, lush river valleys, minor mountain ranges and a long sandy coastline. To the east is Umbria, known as the ‘green heart of Italy’; hilly with broad plains, olive groves and pines, and Le Marche – a region of gentle mountains, rivers and small fertile plains.
Further south lies Rome, Italy’s capital city. Within its precincts is the Vatican City. The south of the country is hotter, wilder and much, much drier than the north, characterised by dry sierras, rocky mountain ranges and volcanic outcrops, including three of Europe’s most active volcanoes: Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli. Puglia, the ‘heel of the boot’, is a mixed landscape of fertile plateaus, expansive olive groves and flat, ochre-coloured plains. The islands of Sicily and Sardinia lie offshore to the southwest and west respectively.
General knowledge
Key facts
Area: 301340 sq km (116348 sq miles).
Population: 60.5 million (2015).
Population density: 204.0 per sq km.
Capital: Rome.
Language
The state language is Italian. South Tyrol is officially a bilingual province, where German is the language mainly spoken. In Trentino, Ladin is taught in some schools.
Currency
Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the two round-pin type.
Public holidays
In addition to public holidays, local feast days are held in honour of town patron saints, generally without closure of shops and offices.
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2019 – December 2020 period.
2019
Capodanno (New Year’s Day): 1 January 2019
Epifania (Epiphany): 6 January 2019
Pasqua (Easter Sunday): 21 April 2019
Lunedì dell’Angelo (Easter Monday): 22 April 2019
Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day): 25 April 2019
Festa del Lavoro (Labour Day): 1 May 2019
Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day): 2 June 2019
Assunzione di Maria Vergine (Assumption): 15 August 2019
Tutti i santi (All Saints’ Day): 1 November 2019
Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception): 8 December 2019
Natale (Christmas Day): 25 December 2019
Santo Stefano (St. Stephen’s Day): 26 December 2019
2020
Capodanno (New Year’s Day): 1 January 2020
Epifania (Epiphany): 6 January 2020
Pasqua (Easter Sunday): 12 April 2020
Lunedì dell’Angelo (Easter Monday): 13 April 2020
Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day): 25 April 2020
Festa del Lavoro (Labour Day): 1 May 2020
Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day): 2 June 2020
Assunzione di Maria Vergine (Assumption): 15 August 2020
Tutti i santi (All Saints’ Day): 1 November 2020
Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception): 8 December 2020
Natale (Christmas Day): 25 December 2020
Santo Stefano (St. Stephen’s Day): 26 December 2020
All information subject to change.
Flight and accommodation
Nightlife in Genoa
The revitalised port area is the centre of a youthful nightlife scene and the medieval quarter is dotted with dark, atmospheric bars that spill out into ancient piazze.
Piazza de Ferrari and Piazza delle Erbe nearly always draw a crowd.
Live Music Club
16151 Genoa
Italy
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Good beer, good steak and excellent live music are the USPs of this club.
Fratelli Klainguti
16123 Genoa
Italy
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A 19th-century café where cappuccinos merge seamlessly with cocktails.
Bar Berto
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Located on vivacious Piazza delle Erbe is this popular bar with alfresco seating.
Teatro Carlo Felice
16100 Genoa
Italy
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The principle theatre of Genoa hosts concerts, ballet, opera and jazz.
La Claque
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Come here for cabaret, indie bands, intimate DJ sessions and avant-garde theatre.
Flight and accommodation
Restaurants in Genoa
Ligurian cuisine is some of the most specialised and authentic in Italy given the lack of exposure to outside influences.
Seafood is, of course, a highlight, but so are wild basil-based dishes, bread, walnuts and fine vegetables all served with heavenly Ligurian olive oil.
Voltalacarta
16122 Genoa
Italy
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Price: Expensive
Seafood dishes prepared with passion and served with artistic flair.
Ombre Rosso
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Price: Expensive
Enjoy Ligurian highlights in this romantic medieval house.
Trattoria della Raibetta
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Price: Moderate
Raibetta’s unfussy seafood menu includes octopus salad and local black rice.
Taverna di Colombo
16125 Genoa
Italy
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Price: Moderate
A minimal menu showcases fresh, simple Genovese dishes.
Focaccia e Dintorni
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Price: Cheap
This fast food place serves signature focaccia and chickpea pancakes.
Flight and accommodation
Calendar of events
SUQ Genova
Juni 2019
Website
Venue: Piazza delle Feste, Old Port and Palazzo San Giorgio
Artists from over 35 countries take part in a captivating programme of theatrical productions, workshops, dance and music performances for nearly two weeks each June. Social and environmental initiatives are woven in too, and might highlight the stories of refugees or focus on recycling issues.
Feast of St John (Festa di San Giovanni)
23 – 24 June 2019
Venue: Piazza Matteotti (23 June); cathedral and streets (24 June)
Genoese celebrate St John the Baptist’s birth with torches, candles and a midnight bonfire. There’s a cracking party atmosphere, with jugglers and musicians entertaining the crowds. The cathedral holds a special mass the next day, and a solemn procession of local brotherhoods heads to the sea carrying statues of Christ.
International Music Festival
July 2019
Website
Venue: Various venues
For four days in July, Filarmonica Sestrese hosts an international medley of marching bands, wind ensembles, show bands and orchestras in a spectacular festival of concerts and parades. The visiting musicians entertain summer crowds in squares, streets and nearby Ligurian resorts.
International Boat Show
September 2019
Website
Venue: Fiera di Genova
Over 100,000 visitors flock (or float) to Genoa’s prestigious boat exhibition, which has been seducing sailing enthusiasts since 1962 with shiny new vessels. There are usually around 1,000 boats on show on and off the water, along with snazzy gadgets and maritime-themed seminars and workshops.
Festa della Scienza
October – November 2019
Website
Venue: Various venues
Taking a new theme each year (such as ‘Horizons’, ‘Time’, ‘Future’ or ‘Imagination’), Genoa’s science festival is crammed with interactive exhibits, enlightening live demonstrations and engaging lectures and conferences led by leading international scientists. Over 200,000 visitors turn up to learn something new.
Old Port Summer Show (Porto Antico Estate Spettacolo)
November 2019
Website
Venue: Most events take place at the Arena del Mare
Big-name music, dance and theatrical acts take to the open-air waterside stage in the Old Port on summer evenings. Performers have included the likes of Massive Attack, Paolo Nuttini and Gorillaz Sound System as well as a whole host of Italian stars.
All information subject to change. Please check the dates on the relevant event organizer’s website.
Flight and accommodation
Hotels in Genoa
Genoa has a huge range of hotels, but location is of critical importance given the city’s traffic. Many hotels are located near the central station and along Via Balbi.
Those in the medieval centre are characterful, but hard to access.
Melia Genova
16128 Genoa
Italy
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Category: Expensive
Designer-styled contemporary interiors within a turn-of-the-century villa.
Grand Hotel Savoia
16126 Genoa
Italy
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Category: Moderate
An old-world hotel with grand reception rooms, art deco bedrooms and classy service.
Hotel Cairoli
16124 Genoa
Italy
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Category: Moderate
Themed art rooms give this friendly multilingual, mid-range place bags of character.
Palazzo Morali
16123 Genoa
Italy
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Category: Cheap
A bed and breakfast with florid décor, sumptuous breakfasts and beautiful views of the port.
Flight and accommodation
Best time to visit
Today: Thursday, 21.02.2019 18:00 UTC

overcast
temperature
8°C
wind direction
northwind speed
13.75 mph7 days forecast
Saturday
23.02.2019
10°C / 5°C
Sunday
24.02.2019
10°C / 4°C
Monday
25.02.2019
15°C / 8°C
Tuesday
26.02.2019
14°C / 5°C
Wednesday
27.02.2019
18°C / 7°C
Thursday
28.02.2019
18°C / 8°C
Friday
01.03.2019
13°C / 6°C
Climate & best time to visit Italy
Italy is a great destination to visit year round, particularly if taking a city break, though for the warmest and most reliable weather April to June is the prime tourist season. Most Italians take their holiday in July and August so prices, and crowds, can soar during these months, which are also the hottest of the year. If you’re keen to avoid the main scrum of peak season but still bank on mild weather, late September to October is a good choice.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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absolute max | absolute min | Ø absolute min | Ø absolute min | relative humidity | Ø precipitation | days with deposit > 1mm | sunshine duration | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan | 20 °C | -6 °C | 10 °C | 5 °C | 61 % | 106 mm | 7 | 3.8 h |
Feb | 22 °C | -8 °C | 11 °C | 5 °C | 63 % | 95 mm | 7 | 4.5 h |
Mar | 24 °C | -2 °C | 14 °C | 7 °C | 67 % | 106 mm | 8 | 5.1 h |
Apr | 29 °C | 3 °C | 16 °C | 10 °C | 70 % | 85 mm | 8 | 6.4 h |
May | 32 °C | 6 °C | 20 °C | 14 °C | 71 % | 76 mm | 7 | 7.1 h |
Jun | 33 °C | 9 °C | 23 °C | 17 °C | 71 % | 53 mm | 5 | 8.2 h |
Jul | 37 °C | 12 °C | 27 °C | 20 °C | 67 % | 27 mm | 3 | 9.5 h |
Aug | 35 °C | 11 °C | 27 °C | 20 °C | 66 % | 81 mm | 6 | 8.6 h |
Sep | 37 °C | 9 °C | 24 °C | 17 °C | 66 % | 99 mm | 6 | 6.7 h |
Oct | 29 °C | 3 °C | 20 °C | 14 °C | 66 % | 153 mm | 8 | 5.6 h |
Nov | 25 °C | -1 °C | 15 °C | 9 °C | 64 % | 111 mm | 8 | 3.7 h |
Dec | 20 °C | -4 °C | 12 °C | 6 °C | 64 % | 81 mm | 6 | 3.6 h |
year | 37 °C | -8 °C | 18 °C | 12 °C | 66 % | 1073 mm | 79 | 6.1 h |
Flight and accommodation
Telephone & Internet
Telephone
Country code: +39
Mobile telephony and Internet
Since June 2017, EU citizens traveling within the EU, and also in Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein have been able to use their cell phones and surf the Net without incurring any extra charges: In other words, customers pay the same price for phone calls, text messages and data volume as they do at home. Restrictions do apply to the constant use of SIM cards abroad, however, and caps may be set on data packages. For full details, contact your mobile telephony provider in your country. Travelers using a SIM card from a non-EU state do not benefit from the new arrangement.
Free Internet access via Wi-Fi is possible in many busy tourist spots. When using public Wi-Fi networks, it is a wise precaution to ensure encryption of all passwords, credit card details and banking TANs entered. Use of a VPN app or security software to check the safety of a hotspot is recommended.
Flight and accommodation
Shopping in Genoa
Key Areas
In the medieval quarter, look for independent artisan shops and gourmet food. For high-end fashion and shoes, Via XX Settembre, Via Roma and Galleria Mazzini are best, while you can find high-street fashion on Via San Luca and Via Orefici.
Markets
Every neighbourhood in Genoa has a food market, although the biggest is the Mercato Orientale off Via XX Settembre. There are other good markets on Via Carmine and Piazza Statuto. A monthly antiques market takes place in the Palazzo Ducale and Galleria Mazzini, the latter also hosting a big annual book fair just before Christmas.
Shopping Centres
Genoa has been graced with shopping malls since the 19th century in the form of Galleria Mazzini and Galleria Umberto I. The Rinascente department store also has a branch in town (Via Ettore Vernazza) and there’s a large outlet mall, the Centro Commerciale Fiumara (Via Fiumara 15-16), just to the east of the port.
Flight and accommodation
Traveller etiquette
Social conventions
The social structure is heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic Church and, generally speaking, family ties are stronger than in most other countries in Western Europe. Normal social courtesies should be observed. Dress is casual but smart in most places, and beachwear should be confined to the beach. Conservative clothes are expected when visiting religious buildings and smaller, traditional communities.
Formal wear is usually indicated on invitations. Smoking is prohibited in public buildings, transport and cinemas. When visiting an Italian home for dinner, bring a small gift of sweets or chocolate, and dress well. Let your host lead when sitting and starting the meal. Take a small portion of what’s on offer as you will surely be cajoled into having another helping. If you do not want more wine, leave your glass full so it cannot be refilled.
Flight and accommodation
Health
Main emergency number: 112
Food & Drink
Tap water is generally safe to drink. Bottled water is available. The inscription ‘Acqua Non Potabile’ means water is not drinkable. Milk is generally pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Past outbreaks of brucellosis in southern regions means unpasteurised buffalo mozzarella is best avoided. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are considered safe to eat.
Other Risks
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also recommends vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, polio and hepatitis B.
Flight and accommodation
Visa & Immigration
IATA Travel Centre
The IATA Travel Centre delivers accurate passport, visa and health requirement information at a glance. It is a trusted, centralized source for the latest international travel requirements. The IATA Travel Centre is the most accurate source available because it is based on a comprehensive database used by virtually every airline, and information is gathered from official sources worldwide, such as immigration and police authorities.