Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Built in the style of Via Garibaldi by the Balbi and Durazzi families in the early
1600s,
Via Balbi
is Genoa's equally famous street. However, its traffic makes it
less pleasant than the pedestrians-only Via Garibaldi, and there is one stop really
worth making: the
Palazzo Reale
(Via Balbi, 10;
%
010-2710211;
€
4; Tues-Wed
9am-1:30pm, Thurs-Sun 9am-7pm).
This is by far the most beautiful and luxuri-
ous of Genoa's palaces, not least because it was home to the Savoyard royals, who
spared no expense in outdoing every other home in the city. They covered every
inch with gold and created a hall of mirrors that challenged the supremacy of the
Palace at Versailles as
the
royal residence in Europe. Unless you wait for the half-
hourly guided tour (which is recommended, though the rooms do have brief his-
torical descriptions), you can nip through in about 20 minutes, by which time
your neck will be aching (not for nothing did Gustave Flaubert wax lyrical about
“the beautiful ceilings of the palaces of Genoa, under which it would be such a
delight to love”).
Porto Antico
5
The
Porto Antico (old port)
9
is indeed very touristy, but it's also a balm
for beleaguered parents, who come here in droves to visit Europe's largest
Aquarium
(
%
010-2345; www.acquario.ge.it;
€
13 adults, children 4-12
€
8;
daily 9:30am-7:30pm).
Designed by Genoa's most famous architect, Renzo Piano,
it looks appropriately enough like a container ship filled with watery exhibits, and
has certainly put the wind back into Genoa's tourism industry, attracting an
annual average of 1.2 million visitors. All in all, 4 million liters of fish-filled waters
are on view, with tanks containing full Caribbean coral reefs, dozens of sharks,
dolphins, and more. Most children who visit—even those who have seen it
before—are awestruck. Exploring is very straightforward: A walkway takes you
past 71 tanks hosting some 600 species. Set aside around 2 hours to cover it all.
From here, families with kids should walk over to the nearby
Città dei
Bambini
(
%
010-2475702;
€
5 adults,
€
6 children; 10am-5:50pm, visits organ-
ized into hour-long sessions, reserved in advance),
Italy's first center of science,
designed for children 3 to 14. Activities are divided by age, and though much is
in Italian, even children who only speak English find it fascinating.
Renzo Piano also designed the Porto Antico's
Bolla
biosphere, a large sci-fi ball
housing tree ferns and birds, and the
Bigo.
Supposedly evoking the harbor-side
cranes, but more like tentacles of a giant submerged arthropod, the Bigo hoists a
glass elevator
ascending 60m (197 ft.), where you can enjoy a panoramic view of
Genoa
(
5
4; daily 10am-6pm);
equally impressive is to simply take a stroll here at
night and look back at Genoa, its undulating hills glittering with pin-prick jew-
els of light. It's beautiful and part and parcel of the great surprise that is Genoa.
THE OTHER GENOA & THE ITALIAN RIVIERA:
LIFE, DEATH & ART
She steps out of the Mercedes in a swirl of lace and satin, resplendent with joy as
only a bride can be. The waiting groom holds her in delight; when he kisses her,
the glamorous guests (no one out-glams the Italians) raise a small cheer. This is
a typical scene outside the
Municipio offices
in Palazzo Tursi on Via Garibaldi,
a public ritual repeated throughout the day until the flagstones are pale with
€
