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Weekend magazineEdited by Jenny Needham jenny.needham@nne.co.uk

Gateway to Italy’s rivieraItaly is not short of splendid cities, so why choose Genoa, asks Malcolm Bassett-Smith

G ENOA is amazingly well positioned to give visitors access to the most desirable parts of northern

Italy. It is within good reach of chic shopping in Milan and Tu-rin (not that Genoa lacks quality shopping of its own); it is the hub for sailings to Corsica, Sar-dinia, Spain and North Africa, and it is the gateway to the Ital-ian Riviera.

My flight with BA from Gat-wick was both short and effort-less, landing pretty much in the city itself. Within minutes I am at my hotel, the Melia. This is swish and sophisticated, but in a relaxed way and opposite is a well-priced street terrace pub.

Genoa is an old city which has retained much of its history de-spite facing the ravages of war. There is no shortage of either museums or churches, galleries or gelato (Italian ice cream).

We kick off with a look at some of Genoa’s “historic shops” –there are more than 20 of them, fiercely protected by the city to display the style and propor-tions of bygone days when the Italian economy was booming.

We visit the maritime muse-um, which I rate very highly. As well as being the biggest in the Med, it’s great value and you can spend hours there.

On to dinner and a special treat: this is taken with the mayor and hundreds of visiting dignitaries inside the city aquarium.

WITH history comes pageantry and I have timed it perfectly. It is

the day, once in four years when the young, muscled, tanned and toned men of Genoa compete with opposite numbers from Venice, Pisa and Amalfi in a row-ing race across the port. Four teams of eight, plus the Italian version of a cox, battle for the oarsmen of the year title among the ancient seagoing nations.

Spectators are there in their thousands to watch as the an-cient kings, queens and noble-men of the four great cities pa-rade through the streets of the ancient city.

The old stone walls reverberate as the Genoa contingent appears in view. Then it’s onward to the docks to prepare for the race it-self.

It seems quite a long race and in truth you only appreciate the last half mile. The sweat is pouring off, the crowd willing on their teams, anxious faces stretched and pulsing and then it’s done... Venice cross the line first in their mini-galleon, Amalfi second, Genoa third and Pisa last.

Genoa is more than just a city; it’s an old kingdom which still boasts a host of villages with

pretty, hidden beaches with inti-mate cafes and bars, somewhere to enjoy rather than show-off in. Equally there are mountain vil-lages overlooking the azure blue water where herbs are grown and basil is transformed into unique Genova Pesto (it’s all in the garlic).

Could I recommend Genoa as

a standalone destination in its own right? Yes, but only for two or three days. What I would say is Genoa is perfect as an add-on when visiting northern Italy, Portofino, San Remo, or the is-lands of Corsica and Sardinia. There is a lot to do and see, and I found it enjoyable and well worth discovering.

History and pageantry meet in Genoa’s rowing race, above, and parading, left

Below, there are hidden places to enjoy the sun and sea

n Until September 30 there are organised excursions which take in an overnight stay with guided tours and museum entrance from 70 euro. Or for 20 euro more, an overnight stay with entry to the aquarium, the “city of children” and an open-air bathhouse. For further information go to visitgenoa.it/enn Make sure you pick the right airport. Genoa is also known as Genova, and Geneva is one heck of a walk.n British Airways operate direct flights to Genoa ba.com. Flight time is about 100 minutes, and transfer time from the airport to downtown Genoa, ten minutes.n Public transport is frequent and of a high standard, but parts of the city are quite hilly – allow plenty of time if walking.n Prices, across the board, are not dissimilar to those in the UK.

Travel facts

69FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2014 The Northern Echo

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