Discover Genoa: Italy’s Palatial City

Tucked between the Apennines and the Ligurian Sea, Genoa is one of Italy’s most captivating cities, and one of its most overlooked. 

Home to one of the largest medieval centres in Europe, a UNESCO-listed collection of Renaissance palaces and a food culture that gave the world pesto and focaccia, Genoa is a city to be savoured. 

In this episode of Wanderlust: Off the Page, host Aaron Millar is joined by regular Wanderlust contributor Tristan Rutherford, who fell in love with the city on his first visit over 25 years ago and is still coming back for more.

Receiving just a fraction of visitors as the county’s better-known cities, this is a journey on the road less travelled into the heart of one of Italy’s most beautiful, historic, and delicious destinations.

Highlights include:

•       Spend a night in a palace. On select occasions, Genoa's tourist board opens up  the city's UNESCO-listed aristocratic palaces for visitors to spend the night. It’s a rare chance to experience the extraordinary opulence of what was once one of Renaissance Italy's most powerful cities.

•       See a once-in-a-generation Van Dyck exhibition. Van Dyck spent six formative years in Genoa, and this summer the city is reuniting the greatest collection of his portraits ever assembled, many never publicly displayed before.

•       Get lost in the caruggi. Genoa's medieval old town is one of the largest in Europe - a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, historic shops and ancient bakeries where locals still get lost today.

•       Pesto, focaccia and wildflower gelato. Genoa invented pesto, mastered focaccia and has been perfecting the art of wildflower gelato and candied fruit for centuries. 

•       The best-value base in northern Italy. Portofino in 30 minutes away. Cinque Terre just over an hour. Milan, Florence and the Italian Alps all within easy reach.  Genoa is the perfect base for day trips to explore the surrounding area, without breaking the bank.

•       The Rolli Days - and why 2026 is the year to go. Every October, Genoa’s most extraordinary private palaces open to the public. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Palazzi dei Rolli’s UNESCO inscription, making it the perfect moment to visit.

Find Out More

Plan your Genoa adventure: visitgenoa.it/en

Discover more about Genoa at: wanderlustmagazine.com

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Credits

This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Lyn Hughes and Laura Field introduce the show. Aaron Millar is the interviewer and script editor. Audio production by Charles Tyrie.