Genoa Audio Tours

The caruggi are genuinely narrow, dark, and sometimes disorienting. This is part of their appeal. Wear flat, comfortable shoes as many alleys are steep and paved with uneven stone. Some streets are so narrow they get little direct sun and can feel cool even in summer. Getting a little lost is expected and worthwhile.

Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport serves the city with domestic and European routes. The main train station, Genova Piazza Principe, connects to Milan in about 90 minutes and to Turin in two hours. The city is also on the main coastal rail line toward the Cinque Terre and La Spezia.

The historic centre has a rough reputation that is somewhat exaggerated. During daylight hours the caruggi are busy and generally safe, though pickpocketing can occur in crowded areas. The Via Garibaldi palaces and the port area are comfortable for tourists. After dark, some narrower alleys in the old town are best avoided.

Pesto alla genovese, made with fresh basil grown in the local hills, is the city's most famous contribution to Italian food and tastes different here than anywhere else. Focaccia genovese is available at bakeries from early morning and is a legitimate breakfast. Farinata, a thin chickpea pancake baked in a wood-fired oven, is sold by street vendors throughout the old town.