pablopk

My wife and I are doing a Switzerland/Northern Italy driving tour and were looking to spend some time visting a coastal city. We don't want to get too far South, as our time is somewhat limited. For example, we considered Le Spezia, but decided it would make more sense to stay a little bit father north. We are looking a Genoa, but wanted to hear people's thoughts. What can we expect from Genoa? Additionally, are there any other cities on the surrounding coast that are worth (or demand) a visit.

bobthenavigator

Santa Margherita/Portofino

notbob

Genova is too big city for my taste and a big port city as well.

Santa Margherita Ligure would be an option. Portofino seems to hard to get to through traffic for the result. More of an anchor your yacht kind on place.

Camogli is another spot in the same general area.

Sestri Levante is a bit farther down the coast.

You can google all three to get some images of the seaside and old town sections.

zeppole

Another port of call you might consider is Nervi. It's quite close to Genova, has a few rather fascinating museums in its own right, and very good food and a few good hotels.

Another good option with a car is Lerici if that suits your autostrada route. Or Portovenere, but get a hotel with parking.

All the above mentioned towns are pretty, and close to Genova, and generally have good food. If you are in the region for a few days, Chiavari has a fascinating historic core and the best food but no good hotels. It's better to stay elsehwhere, park the car and use the trains.

If you have a car, it is more fun to use it to run up into the untouristed hills (places like Torriglia, or Staglione Cemetary) than tour the beach. If you are traveling in summer, the coast gets a lot of traffic jams. Use the boats instead.

The Italian Touring Club guide for the Italian Riviera is a great resource for the region, and might be found (in English) on Amazon. Otherwise, the Cadogan Guide for the Italian Rivier and Piemonte can really help out as well, in detail, for both Genova and any small or large town anywhere in Liguria.

pablopk

Thanks to all for your fine and detailed comments. We have a lot for exciting consideration. As a follow up question I wanted to ask, "Should we skip Genova all together?". Any thoughts and debate on this point would be helpful and appreciated.

notbob

You need to ask yourself what kind of experience you want. Genova is a big city. It is probably Italy's largest seaport. As a result it is a big transportation hub, highway, rail, containers, ferries, ships.

Does it have a rich history, attractions, museums, hotels, restaurants and things to see and do? Yes. Are these things the type of activities you want? Can't say.

The population of metro Genova is probably somewhere over 1.5 million people.

The population of Camogli is probably around 6000 people and in the summer you might add another 6 or so thousand into the mix, depending on when and the weather.

SO do you want a big city experience or a village experience?

Lots of people go to Genova, I'd personally pick one of the smaller villages on the Ligurian coast.

LenNYC

We spent 2 days in Genoa in 2005 and were very pleasantly surprised with the city. It didn't have that touristy feeling and food was great. I would recommend to spend time there. Of course, there is always Cinque Terre and Portofino if you prefer small overpriced picturesque villages with mob of tourist. And avoid La Spezia at all cost!

toni_g_b

It took four trips to Italy before we finally made it to Genoa. After that visit, I wondered why it doesn't get more tourist buzz. I thought it was wonderful. (Although my husband wasn't as enamored. Different strokes...) By this time I had done a fair amount of study on the history of Italy and knew more of Genoa's place in it. It was a real player in the banking of the middle ages. It knew wealth not just ships.

Today, it has the modern seaport with aquarium and more, plus various excursions to other seaports. There's the Bank of St George. Sottorippa porticoes for shopping - wonderful foodstuff. The carrugi - medieval lanes that take you back in time. Palazzi della Rolli - the magnificent mansions on the various boulevards. By comparison to the other big cities, Genoa has some of the best food, hands down. If you go and you see lasagnetta on the menu, don't hesitate, order it. Wide noodle, green beans, potatoes, and pesto. OMG And one other highlight is the evening aperitivo. In the summer it seemed typically to be a Spritz (a very distinct color), a combination of campari or aperol and prosecco, served with a substantial plate of complementary appetizers.

Bottom line, I'd go back to Genoa in a heartbeat.

KayF

Another vote for Santa Margherita Ligure, we had a couple of nights there a few years ago and loved it. We still talk about the fabulous bakery there, one day we'll go back to gorge on their fantastic tarts.

Kay

zeppole

I agree that the most important consideration is what your priorities are for this trip. Most people come to the Italian Riviera to see the pretty fishing villages, and for that you just have to decide between the famous ones filled with foreign tourists (le Cinque Terre and Portofino) or the not-so-famous filled with suntanning Italians (take your pick of any along the coast). All are pretty.

But if your priorities include history, food and understanding contemporary Italy and Europe, Genova is everything described above. It is Switzerland's port and well as Italy's, one of the world's most important shipbuilding centers, a fishery, a gastronomic destination and an important player in the history of Italy (and France and Spain). It has Europe's largest still-standing medieval quarter. Not only did it give the world great seamen like Christopher Columbus and Andrea Doria, it gave the world blue jeans (genes blu).

Some things not mentioned in previous posts are that Genova has a lot of open prostitution, drug use, a fair number of pickpockets and pollution. It has only a few piazze and many roar with auto traffic. Some of the typical guidebook attractions are sub-standard: The aquarium, Christopher Columbus's house. Its museums of painting don't hold a candle to the best in Italy, although it has a number of quirky museums of fascination.

If you decide to go to Genova and want a taste of a fishing village as well, visit the quarter of Genova known as Boccodasse, just at the city's edge. Other rewarding attractions are the Strada Nuova and going up to the belvedere of the Spianata diCastelletto for a gelato.

http://digilander.libero.it/PALEOROB...s/image20.html

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_7N_TrZy6Viw/Rh...astelletto.jpg

zeppole

By the way, La Spezia -- The Spice -- is not that bad! Not only does it have great Ligurian food, it has a couple of art and archeology museums of real note, a friendly safe atmosphere, a chocolate festival and a rock festival, good affordable hotels with easy access to a whole range of beautiful destinations, but also has its own youthful atmosphere because of the local university and naval school Amerigo Vespucci -- as opposed the kind of Floridian retirement feel one often experiences elsewhere on the Riviera. And no tourists.

http://www.speziaholiday.com/img/la_spezia_1.jpg

http://rispendo.corriere.it/spezia.jpg

http://res.sys-con.com/story/may06/2..._La_Spezia.JPG

http://www.guida-italia.org/popup/Li...a%20Spezia.jpg

http://www.mybee.it/natura-e-sport/w.../07/spezia.jpg

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/med...zia-viewed.jpg