Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.portoantico.it
)
The port that once controlled a small empire has reaffirmed itself as one
of the best places to enjoy a
passeggiata
(evening stroll) since a decade-long facelift in the
late 1990s and early 2000s. Young nightlife searchers and kids are particularly well
catered for with an aquarium, the futuristic Bigo (lookout) and a pirate ship (Il Galeone
Neptune)..
Acquario
(
www.acquariodigenova.it
;
Ponte Spinola; adult/reduced €18/12; 9.30am-7.30pm; )
No glorified
fish tank, Genoa's bright-blue aquarium is one of the largest in Europe, with more than
5000 sea creatures, including sharks, swimming in six million litres of water. Moored at
the end of a walkway is the ship Nave Blu, refurbished in July 2013 as a unique floating
display. It contains 2,700 sq metres of exposition space and specialises in exhibits of coral
reefs and a reconstruction of a Madagascan rainforest. The aquarium has disabled access.
AQUARIUM
Biosfera
(Ponte Spinola; adult/reduced €5/3.50; 10am-7pm mid-Mar-mid-Nov, to 5pm rest of year)
A giant
glass ball housing a humid mini-ecosystem with tropical plants, butterflies and birds, the
Biosphere is an interesting and innovative addition to the port, although its assorted green-
ery probably won't delay you more than 15 minutes. The ambient temperature inside is
controlled by computers.
BIOSPHERE DOME
Bigo
LOOKOUT
(Calata Cattaneo; adult/reduced €4/3; 10am-11pm Jun-Aug, 2-6pm Mon, 10am-6pm Tue-Sun Mar-May,
Sep & Oct)
The port's most eye-catching and futuristic structure is this giant spider-like
contraption that hoists a cylindrical viewing cabin 200m into the air for mediocre city
views that struggle to justify the price tag. The lift has access for visitors with disabilities.
Galata Museo del Mare
MUSEUM
(
www.galatamuseodelmare.it
;
Calata de Mari 1; admission €12; 10am-7.30pm, closed Mon Nov-Feb)
Rivalled only by Barcelona and Venice as a medieval and Renaissance maritime power,
Genoa's 'museum of the sea' is, not surprisingly, one of its most relevant and interesting.
