The best street in Genoa? Well, it's a big city with one of the largest historic centers in all of Europe, and many wonderful streets, some of them lined with palaces, shops, and lots of restaurants. How could one possibly be the best?
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Our choice for the "best" is not one of those beautiful, grand boulevards, but instead, is a pedestrian lane just 600 meters long. It is one continuous route changing names frequently, and short enough you can easily explore it in an hour or two, enjoying its many lovely sights.
This "best street" starts from Piazza delle Fontane Marose as Via Luccoli, then passes through Piazza Luccoli, Piazzetta Chighizola, Piazzetta Merli, Piazza di Soziglia, Via di Soziglia, Piazza Campetto, via degli Orefici, via Banchi, Piazza Banchi, and Via al Ponte Reale to the waterfront.
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In addition to walking the main route, we'll stop at several little piazzas and look at the side streets that connect with it: Salita di Portafico, Vico Superiore del Ferro, Salita Pallavicini, Vico della Casana, Vico del Fieno, Via dei Macelli di Soziglia, Via San Luca. This pedestrian street is family-friendly, filled with all sorts of local people out for a stroll, and lined with many shops and restaurants.
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Pedestrian streets and piazzas offer a serene tranquility and are also vibrant hubs of activity filled with life and a sense of community. Car-free streets also play a vital role in promoting the economy, with businesses here often thriving as they attract a steady stream of customers drawn to the peaceful atmosphere. At one time, merchants feared pedestrian streets, then realized it was good for business.
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You could easily spend a full day walking on this main street and branching off to the neighborhood's side lanes and other little piazzas. You can go around in loop fashion, return to the main street, take another loop, and so on. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and historic sites to see. You'll undoubtedly want to stop for refreshments, maybe some gelato, do some window shopping, take your time and enjoy the sights.
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This is the magic of a pedestrian street, a haven where cars are banished and the simple pleasure of walking reigns supreme. One of the joys of strolling down a pedestrian street is the sense of tranquility it offers. Sitting at an outdoor table on the lane is a perfect spot for people-watching.
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This walking tour starts at Piazza delle Fontane Marose, which has several UNESCO World Heritage Palaces. Because we are starting the walk on the piazza in front of Cafeteria San Giorgio, this would be an excellent place to get a cup of coffee and give us a jolt of energy to power through the walk. Aah, some cappuccino, delightful at a friendly place like Cafeteria San Giorgio.
Our street begins as Via Luccoli for the first half of the route. It's a very easy walk because it's slightly downhill, then levels off, and is very well paved. At street level we have shops, and upstairs are homes for the local residents.
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The first of the side lanes is called Salita di Portafico. Salita means "climb" because many of these side lanes go uphill. Along Via Luccoli, there is a small Piazza Luccoli, with outdoor tables in the center and shops around it. Another side lane leads off, heading towards Piazza del Ferro.
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You could easily spend a full day walking on this main street and branching off to the neighborhood's side lanes and other little piazzas. You can go around in loop fashion, return to the main street, take another loop, and so on. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and historic sites to see. Or you could take just 12 minutes walking at two miles an hour from one end of the street to the other, which is only 600 meters long. But you'll certainly want to stop for refreshments, maybe some gelato, do some window shopping, take your time and enjoy the sights.
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This is the magic of a pedestrian street, a haven where cars are banished and the simple pleasure of walking reigns supreme. One of the joys of strolling down a pedestrian street is the sense of tranquility it offers. Sitting at an outdoor table on the lane is a perfect spot for people-watching.
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Be advised: Graffiti will be seen on some of the streets. Like many historic harbor cities, Genoa has a certain gritty charm that adds to its unique character. There's a bit of a rough-around-the-edges quality here, which adds to the city's raw artistic vibe and creates that unique and authentic atmosphere with a great diversity of culture.
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Via Luccoli now becomes Piazza di Soziglia, which is at the very center of our street and is the heart and soul of the neighborhood, with its bustling outdoor market that appeals to locals and visitors alike. Kicconero Cafeteria serves delicious coffee and pastries, with a statue on the façade above it that is a small shrine to Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of Genoa. We entered the piazza from Via Luccoli, on the right side of the cafeteria. On the left side, there is a major side lane that is worth a look.
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Via dei Macelli di Soziglia is just over 100 meters long but has interesting shops, a lively bar, food markets, and restaurants. When you get to a place like this, you feel you are really off the grid. There's not even any Google Street View to show it.
From there, return to Piazza di Soziglia, which has been a significant part of Genoa's commercial and social life for centuries. Originally, it was one of the main city markets until the 17th century. Historically known for its meat markets, by the 18th century, it had transformed into a social hub, housing some of the busiest cafes and sweet shops in the Old Town.
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Vico Del Fieno is another one of those lovely side lanes that leads into the piazza. Typical of these little streets, there are shops, little outdoor cafes, and interesting old buildings bringing us back into the piazza. It is quite amazing that you hardly see any litter on the sidewalks. It's being cleaned up every day.
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You will see plenty of locals out walking their dogs. It is good exercise for humans and hounds and a chance to interact with and meet your neighbors and have a little conversation along the way. It's really nice to walk along such an interesting street with hardly any tourists. It seems this street is about 99% local. After all, we are off the beaten track, away from those famous boulevards and fancy palaces and museums. But as you've seen, this stroll has led us through a fascinating and authentic experience.
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Genoa is not overrun with tourists. We've heard all about overtourism in other popular cities such as Venice and Rome, which each get over 30 million annual visitors, whereas Genoa gets about 5 million. It is comfortably not crowded.
Piazza Campetto Campetto has long been a bustling hub of commerce and social activity, and is a popular spot for street musicians. It's surrounded by historic buildings, many of which were once home to Genoa's noble families, including several palaces, along with small shops and boutiques where you can find some local products.
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At this point, the street's name changes once again. It had been via di Soziglia earlier, and now it becomes Via Degli Orefici, which translates to Street of the Goldsmiths. It has been a center of commerce since the Middle Ages and got its name from the numerous goldsmith workshops that were established here as early as the 13th century. These workshops were part of a larger network of metalworking trades in the area, including blacksmiths and silversmiths.
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There is a rich diversity of shops open here. You'll see that most of them are for a local clientele. Tobacco shops, hardware stores, and a small supermarket are always good places for savvy visitors to hunt for bargains instead of always eating out and spending a lot of money in restaurants. As we have seen from the very beginning, there is retail at street level, and upstairs, there are lots of apartments. It's a mixed-use neighborhood with shops and homes thriving together.
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In the early evening, the street gets even busier with the golden light setting in, creating an ambient mix of streetlights and shops and the beginning of a luminous twilight. With this lovely scene of friendly conviviality, you can see why I have picked this street as the best in Genoa. It has been one continuous street but has changed names five times and offers an endless variety of sights and characteristics.
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Now changing names again to Via Banchi. The name means Bank Street, reflecting its historical role as a hub for money changers and merchants. It was known for its bustling markets and commercial activities, making it a vital part of Genoa's economic life.
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It leads right into Piazza Banchi, a central hub of commerce since the 12th century. Originally, it was a grain market, later becoming famous for its money changers' stalls. The Church of San Pietro was built in the late 16th century above a series of shops, combining religious and commercial functions. It was funded by the sale of those retail spaces down below, giving rise to the nickname "church above the shops."
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These pedestrian streets and piazzas offer serene tranquility and vibrant hubs of activity filled with life and a sense of community. These car-free streets also play a vital role in promoting the economy. Businesses located here often thrive as they attract a steady stream of customers who are drawn to the pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. At one time, merchants feared pedestrian streets, then realized it was good for business.
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Another charming pedestrian lane branching out from Piazza Banchi is via San Luca, another one of those long lanes extending 600 meters. a subject for another story. Returning to Piazza Banchi, we have almost reached the end of our journey.
We exit a corner of the piazza leading to Via Al Ponte Reale, then head for the waterfront. We have completed our walk along Genoa's best street. As you have seen, you'll want to spend a lot of time exploring this wonderful neighborhood, which ends up at the Old Port waterfront.
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Of course, in addition to our best street, there is much more to see in Genoa. There are so many wonderful sights, palaces, museums, and lots of other pedestrian streets throughout the city. You could easily spend three or four days in Genoa and never get tired of all these wonderful sights.
