Planning a trip to Italy this coming spring or summer?
Chances are you’re planning to visit Florence, Venice or Rome, right? But why
not add one more destination, one that’s not on most travelers’ itineraries?
Birthplace of Columbus, ancient seapower and
still-functioning seaport, Genoa, Italy attracts few tourists—a shame for it, but
a great opportunity for the curious traveler seeking that rarity: an Italian
city without tante turiste.
To wit: these days it’s tougher than ever to escape crowds.
Paris hosted 32.3 million tourists last year, Machu Picchu 3.1 million, and the Grand Canyon 4.5 million. Every year, more travelers crowd
the world’s most popular sites and cities—which makes the less popular ones all
the more appealing.
My parents taught me to get off the beaten track and stray
from where tourists clustered, so from my first stop in 1989 at the
atmosphere-rich, old Genoa train station sandwiched between bluffs and
crumbling, terra cotta colored walls, I knew I had to visit.
And that visit finally occurred this past October.
And what did I find? An active seaport that boasts a row of
grand palazzi, a harbor lined with
cafés and restaurants, and one of the largest medieval quarters in Europe.
And the icing on the cake: the seaside city receives barely
a trickle of tourists.
So why isn’t Genoa thronged with tourists? Well, the
Mediterranean seaport is a little rough around the edges, more Naples than
Florence. But if you prefer a city with streets lined with shops and businesses
that serve residents instead of tourists, you’ll find plenty that pleases.
Winding, dark streets in the medieval quarter don’t have an
abundance of polished cafés and restaurants, but serve as home to middle and
working class Genovese. Toward the west, the quarter is occupied by immigrants
from Africa and the Middle East. Throughout the neighborhood you’ll find small
shops, stand up coffee bars, churches, small groceries, and few t-shirt shops. Churches
are dusty, grand, and quiet.
Once one of the toniest streets in the world, Strada Nuova still boasts palazzi, but
today they’re open to the public (complete with rooftop views of the harbor and
medieval quarter).
For the kids there is a harbor
side aquarium and sea
cruises that feature dolphin sightings and views of seaside towns. For the
parents, there’s great shopping (including, um, leather goods) and Old World
cafés just outside the medieval quarter.
Best of all, Genoa is relatively
undiscovered by the American tourist, so you can play a little like Columbus in
reverse and discover his hometown.
