A sea republic stacked its palaces above the harbor, and the alleys kept their shade.

• 

  1

  The street of the Balbi

  Start near Piazza Principe station, on Via Balbi, laid out between 1602 and 1620 for the Balbi banking family. The largest of its palaces passed to the Durazzo in 1677 and to the royal house of Savoy in 1823, which is why it is now called the Palazzo Reale; its terrace looks over the port.

• 

  2

  The Strada Nuova

  Past the Annunziata, the lanes lead to Via Garibaldi. The republic sanctioned the street in 1550 and it was built between 1558 and 1583 as the Strada Nuova, the New Street, lined with palaces of the richest families; it took Garibaldi's name in 1882. Three of them, Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi, are one museum.

• 

  3

  Up to Castelletto

  From Piazza del Portello, just off the street, a public lift climbs to the Spianata di Castelletto, the terrace where a small fort once stood. From the belvedere the roofs of the old town, the domes and the port lie spread out below, with the Lanterna far to the west.

• 

  4

  The doges' square

  Back down, Piazza De Ferrari opens around the bronze fountain built in 1936. One side is the Palazzo Ducale, the palace of the doges from the first in 1339 until the end of the republic; today it is a museum and a center for exhibitions.

• 

  5

  The gate of the walls

  A short climb south, the twin towers of Porta Soprana mark the walls the city raised in 1155–1159 against Frederick Barbarossa. Below the gate stands the house tradition gives to Columbus's family — an 18th-century rebuilding of the one where he grew up.

• 

  6

  The striped cathedral

  Into the alleys and down to San Lorenzo, the cathedral consecrated in 1118, its front banded in black and white stone with lions on the steps. On 9 February 1941 a British naval shell crashed through the roof and did not explode; it sits inside the nave.

• 

  7

  The old harbor

  At the bottom of the lanes lies the Porto Antico, the old docks Renzo Piano rebuilt for Expo '92, with the white arms of the Bigo, the Aquarium — the largest in Italy — and the Galata sea museum. Along the quay, the Lanterna stands 77 meters tall on its rock at the harbor mouth.

• ArrivingTwo stations and an airport bus.Trains from Milan reach Piazza Principe in about an hour and three quarters. From the airport, the Volabus runs to Principe and Brignole stations in about half an hour.Getting here
• The streetsWalk the alleys, ride the hills.The old town is a maze to cross on foot. One metro line runs beneath it, and public lifts and funiculars climb the slopes above.Getting around
• The calendarMild winters, stormy autumns.The sea keeps winters gentler than inland, while autumn brings the heaviest rain. Summer is hot and long, with the most sunshine of the year.When to come

Italy · LiguriaAbout 566,000 peopleItalianEuroA maritime republic until 1797UNESCO World Heritage since 2006

1. IEighteen places, one page eachThe SightsFrom the Lanterna to the cliff path at Nervi: what each one is, what you see, and how long to give it.
2. IIRail, air, sea and roadGetting HereTwo main stations, the airport bus, the ferry port, and where a car should stop.
3. IIIOn foot, and then upwardGetting AroundThe alleys you walk, the metro under them, and the public lifts and funiculars up the hills.
4. IVThe medieval alleysThe CaruggiHow the narrow lanes between the port and the squares were built, and how to walk them.
5. VForty-two palaces on the UNESCO listThe Rolli PalacesThe lists that lodged a republic's guests, and which of the palaces open their doors.
6. VIWhat to arrange firstBooking AheadThe few things in Genoa worth fixing a time for, and the many that need nothing.
7. VIIThe year in GenoaWhen to ComeMild winters, autumn storms, summer on the rocks at Boccadasse, month by month.
8. VIIIPesto, focaccia and farinataEating & DrinkingThe dishes that belong to Genoa and Liguria, and where the city eats them.
9. IXFrom the port to the hillsWhere to StayEach part of the city for a night or a week, drawn on a map.
10. XOne day, two days, threeItinerariesRoutes by the length of your stay, planned around what closes when.
11. XICamogli, Portofino, the Cinque TerreDay TripsWhere the coast trains and boats out of Genoa lead in a day.
12. XIIQuestions answered at lengthThe JournalVisitor questions about Genoa, answered in full, with new pieces as they are written.

• On the water

  The old port and its museums
  1. The Porto Antico
  2. The Aquarium of Genoa
  3. Galata Museo del Mare
  4. The Lanterna

• In the medieval maze

  The caruggi between the port and the squares
  1. San Lorenzo Cathedral
  2. Palazzo Ducale
  3. Piazza San Matteo
  4. The Church of the Gesù
  5. Porta Soprana and Columbus's House
  6. Piazza De Ferrari

• The palace streets

  The Strade Nuove of the 16th and 17th centuries
  1. Via Garibaldi and the Strada Nuova Museums
  2. Palazzo Reale and Via Balbi
  3. Santissima Annunziata del Vastato

• Up the hills

  Lifts, a funicular, walls and a cemetery valley
  1. Spianata di Castelletto
  2. The Righi Funicular and the Forts
  3. Staglieno Cemetery

• Along the east shore

  The fishing village and the cliff walk
  1. Boccadasse
  2. Nervi and Its Promenade