Genoa is a beautiful city with many cobbled streets and small alleyways. We meandered through many on our way from the train station to find our Airbnb and then exploring to find the many hidden cafes and restaurants with all of their tasty dishes, breads and cappuccinos.

In Genoa there are many beautiful cathedrals. The main one being the Genoa Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Genova, Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) – a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo) and the seat of the Archbishop of Genoa. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Gelasius II in 1118 and was built between the twelfth and fourteenth century. Later in the sixteen century the bell tower and dome were added. The architecture is both romanesque and gothic in style.

On February 9, 1941, the cathedral was bombed by Allied troops during Operation Grog and a shell pierced the roof of the cathedral, landing in the south-eastern corner of the nave.  Miraculously the projectile did not detonate, and the event is commemorated today by a replica of the bomb displayed in the nave.

According to a legend shared over many hundreds of years during the construction of the cathedral one of the sculptors lost his dog and to preserve his memory he carved a tiny sleeping dog into one of the columns. We found the little dog!

Piazza De Ferrari is the main square of Genoa and is situated in the heart of the city between the historical and the modern centres. Piazza De Ferrari is renowned for its fountain designed by the architect Giuseppe Crosa di Vergagni.

The square was built in the late 1800s and was restored and restyled during the 1990s. From the square you can see the Teatro Carlo Felice and the statue dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi built by the Italian sculptor Augusto Rivalta in 1893., the bronze fountain, the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti – an academy of fine arts – and the Palazzo Ducal.

Palazzo Ducal was once the home of the Doges of Genoa, it is now a museum and a centre for cultural events and arts exhibitions. The palazzo has two different entrances and façades, the main one on Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, and the second one on Piazza De Ferrari.

Set along the Ligurian Sea, Porto Antico (Old Port) is a buzzy harbor packed with attractions such as an outdoor live music venue, a film museum, and a covered seasonal skating rink. It’s flanked by seaside shops, casual bars, and eateries, and is home to the sprawling Aquarium of Genoa and the dome-shaped overwater Biosfera attraction. There’s also a marina, a ferry terminal, and a 17th-century Spanish galleon replica.

The new port is one of the most important and busiest seaports in Italy with a trade volume of 51.6 million tonnes. This is where we will be catching our cruise ship on Thursday.