Nice and Genoa

If you have been unfortunate enough to catch my bragging posts on Facebook and Twitter you have probably worked out that I have been on holiday and of course it involves lots of museums and an assortment of old things.

When people asked where I was going, I said Nice, France (which always got a nod of recognition) and the Ligurian coast, Italy (which rarely did). The Ligurian coast is basically the bit of Italy that is on the Med if you turned east from France.

The different in reaction of the people I spoke to, really sums up the experience I have between these two places; the well-trodden tourist route of Nice to the hidden rough around the edges gems in Genoa, the capital of the Ligurian coast.

Nice had everything you expect. An established tourist area in the centre of the old town. Lovely clean streets and squares with a million and one cafes. The sea front had a lovely promenade. What was a bit of a surprise addition was the museums run by the local council. Some were a bit random (one had a cat sprawled out in its galleries) but on the whole there had been a big investment. They were free to enter too which was great so you could enjoy the contrast between the Modern Art Museum and the local history museum housed in one of the villas on the sea front.

The said cat

Nice at night

Genoa on the other hand, was, well a bit different. According to the guidebook the city was on the up and hadn’t been on the tourist trail for long. Also it said don’t be fooled by first impressions i.e. the grimy bit by the stations. Therefore as you can imagine we were a bit hesitant and the guidebook wasn’t wrong. Genoa is very hit and miss. Getting the bad news out the way – the quality of the hotels and restaurants aren’t as good as Nice’s.

However, and this is what make me want to come back in ten years’ time; Genoa has the goods. It has a great and interesting history and was once the seat of great power as a city republic. The great mercantile families built grand palaces and now a significant area of the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed into the register in 2006. This inclusion on the list along with being a past European Capital of Culture and host of a G8 summit has meant there is growing momentum to celebrate its history. There was good interpretation and information everywhere and an English translation was the norm. The ancient port has been regenerated and a new Maritime Museum has been built was really good and well thought out.

So the guidebook isn’t wrong, Genoa is up and coming in terms of a place to visit. Everything is there, all its needs is the people to come and boost the local tourism economy. Hence why I want to revisit in ten or so years’ time, to see if the tourist infrastructure has matched the offer yet. If the small alleys off the main streets become more attractive would also be a bonus.

The next stop after Genoa was Levanto which neighbours Cinque Terre and a day trip out in Monaco. Watch this space.

Angharad x

p.s. You might have noticed that there isn’t any photos of Genoa. I promise I was there but it was raining so hard I didn’t want to risk my camera getting wet. Honest. I kept the sodden city map we used if you want evidence of the visit. I cannot vouch for its readability though.