1. Duomo di S. Lorenzo, Piazza S. Lorenzo

The cathedral of Genoa, in the medieval district, stands out among the other beautiful buildings for its magnificent gothic façade. It features a collection of religious artifacts acquired during Genoa's heyday as a mercantile empire.

2. Palazzo Ducale, Piazza Matteotti 9

The former residence of the Genoese Doges, it now hosts exhibitions, congresses, concerts as well as social and cultural events.
The building mixes a medieval tower -once used as a prison- two renaissance courtyards and an imposing neoclassical façade.
[map] 
www.palazzoducale.genova.it 

3. Aquarium, Magazzini del Cotone, Porto Antico

One of the largest Aquariums in Europe, designed by Renzo Piano and Peter Chermayeff, it reproduces natural environments from all over the world.
Seals, sharks and penguins, spiders and crocodiles make the fun of children and grown-ups.
Right on the other side of this expanse of water are the waterfront "Cotton Warehouses", built at the beginning of the XX century and renovated in the 1990s by Renzo Piano. They house a modern congress centre, the "Città dei Bambini" and a huge children's library.
Boat tours of the port area last approximately 45 minutes, and give a good view of the busy port and of the city from the sea. Also (summer, weather permitting), leaving from Ponte Spinola are whale-watching expeditions organized in cooperation with the WWF. A biologist will accompany the passengers to discover the "sanctuary of cetacean" during a full day excursion.
aquarium: details

4. Via Garibaldi

The grand renaissance street which fascinated artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, is still an open air delight. It is lined with elegant residences built at the end of the XVI century by the city's wealthiest merchant families.
Palazzo Bianco is home to one of Genoa's most important collections of Ligurian art, as well as the best Dutch and Flemish paintings (Wildens, Van Dyck, Rubens); Palazzo Rosso, former residence of the family Brignole-Sale, is now housing a museum with furniture, ceramics, sculpture and a good collection of paintings (Van Dyck, Veronese, Guercino); Palazzo Doria Tursi, the largest one in Via Garibaldi, built in pink limestone, is today an important section of the new art itinerary of the city. It houses the "Sala Paganiniana".
[map]

5. Palazzo Reale, Via Balbi 10

Built for the Balbi family in the XVII century, and transformed into a magnificent residence by the Durazzos, it was chosen by the Savoia family as one of their royal palaces in 1824. Its gallery features sculptures and paintings by Tintoretto, Van Dyck, as well as frescoes and antiques from the XVII to the XIX century. Not to be missed are the Hall of Mirrors modeled after Versailles and the Throne Room.
[map]

6. Palazzo del Principe, Piazza del Principe

One of the finest examples of XVI century monumental and decorative architecture in Liguria. Built for Andrea Doria, an Admiral of Emperor Charles V, it features elegant frescoes ceilings, tapestries, antiques and paintings, and a view over Italian-style gardens adorned by marble statues.
[map]

7. Palazzo Spinola, Piazza di Pellicceria 1

Residence of the Doria and the Spinola families, the XVII and XVIII century frescoed rooms contain many of the original furnishings and works of art (Rubens, Grechetto, and Pisano). The 3rd and 4th floors house the Galleria Nazionale della Liguria (National Gallery of Liguria).
[map]

8. Piazza S. Matteo

Undoubtedly Genoa's most beautiful square, it is a jewel of medieval urban architecture. Facing onto it are the residences which belonged to the important Doria family and the Church of S. Matteo (1125) with its lovely XIV century cloisters.
[map]

9. Teatro Carlo Felice, Piazza De Ferrari, Via XX Settembre

The original theatre was destroyed during World War II and this new one was rebuilt after much long, heated debate. Home to the city's opera company and symphonic orchestra, it seats 2000 and is innovative from a technical and formal point of view.
The theatre overlooks the hearth of the city, Piazza De Ferrari with its huge bronze fountains, and is very close to the main shopping thoroughfare with banks, cinemas and department stores under the arcades.
[map]

10. Porta Soprana

An imposing arched gateway with twin towers built in the XII century; it was the main entrance for people and goods arriving from east. Nearby are the reputed boyhood home of Christopher Columbus and the Romanesque cloister of S. Andrea.

11. Palazzo S. Giorgio, Piazza Caricamento, Portici Sottoripa

A part-Gothic, part-Renaissance structure once housing the famous Genoese bank of St. George. The frescoes façade was restored in the 1980s.

12. Lanterna

The tallest lighthouse in Europe (386 ft.) and one of the oldest still in service, the Lanterna is considered the symbol of Genoa. Upon climbing 365 steps to the terrace one can enjoy an impressive view of the port area and the city.

13. Cimitero di Staglieno

A monumental cemetery built in the 1850s with a stirring collection of neo-classical, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco works. Set against a backdrop of lush green hillside, it was appreciated by such visitors as Guy de Maupassant, Friedrich Nietzsche and Mark Twain.
[map]
Staglieno: details

14. Important Churches

In a very ancient and important city as Genoa is, there are obviously many old and beautiful churches; still, the ones we chose distinguish themselves for that…"something special":
S. Ambrogio e S. Andrea, Piazza Matteotti: a XVI century building, it is a baroque jewel in itself, enriched with masterpieces by Guido Reni, Peter Paul Rubens and Simon Vouet.
S. Maria di Castello: set in the oldest district of Genoa, the Dominican abbey is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture and rich in works of art.
S. Donato: one of the most beautiful examples of Genoese Romanesque-Gothic period, with the splendid triptych of the Adoration of the Magi dated 1515 by Joos Van Cleve.
S. Siro: the Church of the Twelve Apostles was Genoa's first Cathedral, probably existed even before the IV century. It was later dedicated to the first Bishop of the city. The church is a grand baroque building, and the high altar is a work of art dated 1670 by Pierre Puget.