﻿One of Italy's most interesting, but overlooked cities is Genoa, with its
delightful waterfront promenades, a collection of classic old buildings, monumental statues,
and my favorite attraction of the city, a vast pedestrian zone, one of Europe's largest,
making a delightful place to go for a stroll. Genova has an amazing number of these little
side alleys. They go around, and up and down. Some of them are very quiet, like this one. Others are
lined with shops and filled with people walking around. It's got so much character, you could
easily spend days in the maze of alleys of Genoa. You're about to see that Genoa is a wonderful
place with many exciting attractions, and yet it's not in the top-20 most-visited places in Italy,
even though it's the country's sixth-largest city with a population just over half a million,
Genoa is not one of those cities that's overcrowded with tourists,
which makes it a delightful place to visit. There are many enjoyable things to see and do in
Genoa, for example, along the waterfront, you've got the beautiful marina, there's a maritime
museum reflecting Genoa's long history, and the largest aquarium in Italy, one of the city's most
popular attractions. Among the favorite exhibits are the manatees and the penguins, along with
15,000 other animals representing 400 different species in a beautiful building designed by the
famous local architect, Renzo Piano who also designed this crane that can lift you up 40
meters for a spectacular aerial view of Genoa. Another great view is from Spianata Castelletto,
with a commanding view over the whole city. Pastel-colored buildings are typical of this
region of Liguria, and one place you find a lot of them is along via Garibaldi, lined with historic
palaces that are UNESCO World Heritage sites, ranking among the city's top visitor attractions.
Nearby is Palazzo Reale, the Royal Palace museum, constructed in the mid-17th century,
complete with frescoes, stucco paintings, sculptures and furnishings that belonged
to the noble families who lived there. One of the great aspects of Genoa is the
pedestrian zone. It's so enjoyable to walk around without any cars getting in the way,
down lanes that are lined with shops, and cafes and restaurants,
making a great place for people-watching. And there are many quiet side lanes, without
shops and fancy attractions, but an authentic down-to-earth feeling to them. This is where
the local people do their business, talk with friends, and live upstairs in the many apartments
that you find in this central core of the city. Genoa is densely populated, with this downtown
about two kilometers across, packed with commercial and residential buildings,
with those little lanes running between them. About half-dozen of those pedestrian lanes,
outlined in red, are the main streets that you would enjoy exploring. It's a safe place,
but you might get a little lost, so it does help to have a map as you're wandering around.
It's also wonderful to explore at night, where you'll find many dozens of outdoor restaurants.
Towards the end of one of the main streets, you'll reach an indoor collection of restaurants
called the Oriental Market, a popular gathering spot with many different choices of cuisine.
There is a lot more to see in this beautiful city, with its hundred pedestrian lanes,
and we didn't even get to the church is yet, but this is only been a brief four-minute
summary of the wonderful city of Genoa. Genoa is at the center of the Italian
Riviera, with towns stretching east and west. When you've finished your visit, there are many
other great towns to explore throughout northern Italy, all of them easily reached by train.
We frequently upload new movies, so please subscribe to our channel and
click that little alarm bell so you'll be notified. And if you enjoyed the movie,
how about a thumbs up and we always welcome comments down below. Or if you have questions
about the destination, make note and we'll answer them. Thanks for watching.