The last day of our last year's summer euro trip in the Italian city of Genoa left a significant footprint and memorable pleasant memories in life. Our 14-day Summer euro trip in 2023 to Switzerland and Italy was hectic and at some point tiring. We visited several cities on our way and had maintained a very specific route to see the beautiful and enriched cities of Switzerland and Italy. Of course, when you are on a trip where you visit so many cities instead of spending vacation time in one city, it's very tiring and hectic. We were just moving here and there and exploring so much that at the end of our tour, we didn't have any energy left for exploration.
So, spending the last day in the Italian Port city of Genoa was a unique choice and I was very happy that we got the chance to explore the city in a very relaxing way. Genoa which is known as Genova in Italian is a historical port city in Northern Italy. My uncle who works in the Navy (military operation at sea) stayed in Genoa for a couple of years because of a special task and that's how I got familiar with the city of Genoa. I often make mistakes pronouncing Genova (Italian city) and Geneva (a city in Switzerland), I hope you understand what I meant so I use the name Genoa mostly to pronounce this city. The city is highly populated and located on the Gulf of Genoa in the Ligurian Sea. Historically Genoa's port has been playing an important role in the Mediterranean. This city not only offers beautiful tourist spots but also a huge area for job opportunities. Lots of immigrants migrate here to work on the port, I noticed it and was lucky enough to experience the flavor of real life in Genoa.
Piazza De Ferrari
Lido di Genova
Our first location in the city of Genoa was Lido di Genova, a popular beach destination near the city of Genoa. Known as Genoa Lido, this spot is so popular during summer for a nice beach day near the Ligurian Sea. Sandy Beach, panoramic view of the beautiful and majestic sea makes this place beautiful. A lot of activities are available and also if you don't want to go to the private beach, you can find a free beach area as well. The beach was clean and very beautiful, we had chosen a quiet place for ourselves. I was walking on the sandy beach following the waves. Sometimes sea water was hitting my feet and it felt nice and relaxing. Far away, the panoramic view of the large sea and sailing boats and ships created a majestic view even though it was a hot day, 35 degrees Celsius.
Our driver dropped us here to have a beach day, for swimming and other activities. But after spending some time on the sandy beach, I decided to explore the city. There were two options for us, either we could go to the city or we could spend time at the beach, I chose the city tour.
Bagni Capo Marina
So, to go to Genoa City from Lido di Genova, our option was to take a bus because the beach was located around 12 km from the city. Also, I wanted to go directly to the port area where the port museum, aquarium, and city center were located. So, we walked around 15 minutes following the beach line to get to the bus stop. We didn't have a day pass or ticket so we had to walk again to go to a nearby neighborhood to buy tickets from Kiosk. The place was called Bagni Capo Marina, Albaro Neighborhood with a lot of restaurants, small shops, and local shops we found. Finally, we bought a ticket for 1 euro and rode the bus.
These photos were taken from Corso Italia Street following the beach Lido di Genova. The exact location is called Albaro, a residential area of Genoa, full of residential buildings and apartments with a beach view. Lucky people live here I think.
Within 20 minutes, we reached the port area close to Genoa City Center. I wanted to go to Dolphin Excursion (basically dolphin habitat) in the sea but the boats were booked already. To be honest, I was disappointed in myself because I wanted to have this experience of seeing the real dolphin habitat, not the aquarium. Anyway, later with a broken heart, I decided to see the aquarium but the queue was so long that I had to wait for 30 minutes to get my ticket. I will share the aquarium experience in a separate post. The aquarium visit had a very specific time so we had 3 hours to explore the city before visiting the aquarium. I was already tired so we had decided to have a city tour on a trolley train that ran on the road. It was a trolley basically looked like a toy train, I am sure, you have seen those before. They are known as Old Town Trolleys. Cost only 10 euros per person, 45 minutes city tour...
Genoa - Italy
Piazza Corvetto
I don't think it's possible to explain this large city in one post with details so I will just share my sightseeing tour on the old town trolley. Unfortunately, they didn't have an English audiobook so I was just seeing everything from the trolley.
Located in the heart of Genoa city, surrounded by Acquasola Park and the Villetta di Negro; Piazza Corvetto is a significant square named after Italian politician and statesman Giuseppe Garibaldi. The Equestrian Statue dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele ll (the first king of Italy), was constructed in 1886. This statue symbolizes the historical significance of the monarch in the unification of Italy. It's a very prominent and important landmark of the city.
The statue is surrounded by a beautiful garden portraying a regal and commanding presence. It's a tribute to the king for his leadership and contributions to the establishment of modern Italy. This beautiful bronze landmark stands as a reminder of Italy's journey towards unity and the enduring legacy of its founding monarch.
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It's very difficult to explain the architecture of Genoa City in one word. The diversity of culture and history of this city introduced different eras of architecture and that now represents the city.
For example, Genoa's historic center is characterized by narrow medieval alleyways and medieval architecture. Many large buildings architecture followed Baroque architecture and Neoclassical Style. Piazza De Ferrari followed the Art Nouveau style (flowing lines, organic forms, and decorative motifs inspired by nature). The entrance of the third photo characterized Baroque Architecture (17th and 18th centuries) with heavy ornamental detailed work.
Some parts of the city especially the beach side follow Modern and Contemporary Architecture styles.
But overall the city symbolizes the heavy decorative ornamental facades of the buildings inspired by nature, culture, and history.
After sightseeing, we still had time to walk around so we had decided to see some nearby spots. This entrance caught my eye, especially the details. This is the back side of Genoa Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral that represents Romanesque-style architecture originally. If you see the photo closely, you will see the heavy decorative work on thin columns.
Infront of the cathedral, a small shop caught my eye. They were selling some handmade flying dragons. These dragons were called "The Little Dragons of Saint Lawrence", origami dragons. I didn't have much time otherwise I would have thought of seeing them closely.
They were very unique and specifically made in Genoa. It would have been a nice addition to my souvenir collection list but yes, I didn't pay nice attention to them.
Genoa Cathedral also known as the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo), is a remarkable example of Roman architecture in Genoa. The distinctive feature of this cathedral is the black and white striped marble facade, which is characteristic of the Ligurian architectural tradition. It looks so beautiful during the daytime. The cathedral was originally built in the Romanesque style during the 12th century, later it went through significant renovations and additions over the centuries. The Romanesque elements can still be observed in the basic structure and some of the interior details.
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Like I mentioned earlier that I was tired after a long trip so didn't have enough energy to explore the city by walking. Otherwise, I would have seen more and discovered unique locations and spots in this city. But whatever I saw, experienced, and learned, was more than enough for a memorable memory...
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