Genoa Mini Guide
Genoa is an ancient maritime capital which is now a seeting port city with a maze of medieval passages. It is a seaport in the north west about 120 km (75 miles) south east of
Turin. Genoa's tall narrow shuttered buildings painted orange, yellow and tomotoe red are squeezed into the hillsides next to palaces, churches and crumbling remains. From the main shopping streets you descend down to the old medieval town of
Genoa where you will be reminded fo the back-stabbing dramas and intrigues in the dark pedestrian alley ways.
At the base of the old town is the historic port of Genoa and the newer built dockside areas where you will see wonderful yachts, power boats and the big cruise liners. Christopher Columbus is the most famous son of Genoa and it is heralded as his birthplace although some disput this and believe he was born in Calvi on the island or Corsica. Genoa stretches along the coast for approximately 30 kilometers and is served by fifteen different train stations. The Piazza de Ferrari is a splashing fountain which is the centre piece of Genoa's main square and is surrounded by magnificent buildings among which is the Art Nouveau Palazzo della Borsa which is closed to the public.
There are lots of museums in Genoa and it is best to purchase a card musei which gives you access to approx 20 different museums, this can be bought at several locations including the tourist booths. There are boat trips around the port and for further destinations and springtime provides whale watching expeditions in a 96,000 square kilometer protected zone which is situated beween France and Tunisia and there is an estimated whale population of 2000 with eight different species. There are also open top bus tours around the cits with commentary being provided via headphones which are available in several different languages.
The famous sauce made from Basil and garlic - Pesto Genovese, is available in all of the restaurants along with parmesan and pine nuts which appear on nearly all the menues. Another speciality is focaccia topped with cheese, farinata which is a thin pancake made from chick pea flour and torta pasqualina which is a spinach, ricotta and cheese & egg tart. The refurbished area of Porto Antico is filled with bars including sophisticated establishments and old time favourites along with numerous cafes where you can sit and sip coffee watching the world go by.