Genoa attractions

Genoa's sights fall into three groups that want different amounts of time, and knowing which is which saves a wasted day.

The Palazzi dei Rolli are the UNESCO inscription — 42 palaces along Via Garibaldi, Via Cairoli and Via Balbi, inscribed in 2006 under criteria (ii) and (iv). The crucial caveat is that many are privately owned and cannot be entered. Those that can are the three connected palaces of the Musei di Strada Nuova on Via Garibaldi, the Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola and the Museo di Palazzo Reale, and licensed guides run tours to others every Saturday.

The old town is the second group and the one most visitors underestimate: the caruggi are among the densest street networks in Europe, and the cathedral of San Lorenzo, Piazza De Ferrari and the Doge's Palace sit inside them. It is a place to walk rather than a list to complete.

The harbour is the third. Rebuilt for the Expo of 1992, the Porto Antico holds the Aquarium of Genoa, the largest in Italy, which is a half-day on its own. Above the city, La Lanterna and the Walls of Genoa give the long view along a city thirty kilometres from end to end.