Genoa After Hours
After Hours is the Planned vs Rogue series where Katie brings you their favourite things the team did when the cameras weren’t rolling.
The Italian Riviera is a stunningly beautiful part of the country, with iconic coastlines, delicious produce, and the amazing culture of the aperitivo. You can watch us enjoying all of this and more in our episode above, but if you really want to get into the nitty gritty of how we spent our time in Genoa, read on for all the details! And believe me when I say - I saved the best for last.
Explore the Labyrinth
One of Genoa’s most iconic visuals is the tight, twisting alleyways that make up much of the old town. These ancient walkways have some colourful stories from their past, but these days are made up mostly of bars, restaurants and small businesses on the ground floor, and residential dwellings above (the laundry hanging from window to window makes this very clear). Be forewarned - Google Maps does NOT understand these streets.
Despite the growing number of heaving bars opening up the old town, it still very much feels like you’ve taking a step back in time. Even on the hottest of Italian summer days, the lack of sunlight and ever-present moisture in the cobblestones ensure a cool climate. The narrower the alleyway, the damper the look and smell - so for this reason alone it is best to stick to the wider, more populated areas. Given how hidden some parts of these walkways are, always keep your wits about you walking through here - especially at night. We saw at least two illegal exchanges of sorts occurring during our week in Genoa. Nothing to frighten us off, but just serving a reminder of things to be mindful of when visiting an unfamiliar city.
Day Trip to Portofino
There are countless day trips you can do when staying in the Italian Riviera. Cinque Terre is perhaps the most popular of the options in recent years, which is why we decided to give it a miss on our last visit. Over tourism is taking a toll on the area, plus TikTok was really serving us the cautionary tales of those taking the day trip last summer. Having said that, we wanted to make sure we saw a good few beaches along the coast while we were there.
Portofino is another famous name in the region, but with it being less than an hour away by train (closer than Cinque Terre FYI), we decided to give it a go. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice of day trip. It was far from crowded, and those on the beach seemed to largely be locals soaking up the midweek sun. We were able to relax for a good few hours and not once did we encounter someone trying to sell us a beach towel (which we had become accustomed to).
Easy to get to, beautiful scenery, and away from too many tourists - this is definitely the top of our day trip list!
Marvel at Piazza De Ferrari
Piazza De Ferrari is Genoa’s main square, and it punctuated by the massive bronze fountain in the middle. Water jets illuminated in different colours join in the centre to create an iconic water feature that we had to resist splashing around in on those hot summer days. The square is named not for the luxury car manufacturer as one might assume, but for Raffaele de Ferrari, the Duke of Galliera. Ferrari was a renowned banker, politician and philanthropist, who generously funded much of the port’s expansion and helped make it into the major trading hub it remains as to this day.
The square itself has a fascinating history, being built and expanded over the centuries to bring the different parts of the city together, and act as a symbol of unity where they were once governed independent of each other. For this reason, it is exciting to take in the varied architectural styles that border the square, a reminder of the division that once existed in the city. The square remains one of the city’s key meeting places for cultural events. Read more about the history of Genoa’s main square here.
Do a Craft Beer Crawl
If your world doesn’t revolve around craft beer like ours does, you may not be aware of how good craft beer can be in Italy. As is the case with a lot of western Europe, their dedication to classic styles means you can play it safe with beers such as Birra Morretti, or mix it up with a local brewery putting their spin on things. Either way, you’re likely to find a brew you’ll enjoy.
Kamun Lab is definitely one to check out. They tick off everything you could want about visiting a craft brewery in Genoa. It is set within the labyrinth of the old town, the staff are very happy to help Aussies pick their paddle, and the bar snacks are extremely generous (we’re talking mini pizzas and veggies with dip that they replaced when we finished the first lot - all for free!). You can also sit inside with the old school warm decor, but if the weather allows, we recommend people watching in the alley way as you sip your beverage.
Have Dinner at Le Rune
When I said up top that I saved the best for last, I really meant it. Le Rune is a restaurant just beyond the old town, basically downstairs from the apartment we were staying in. It only just caught our eye one day when we were walking past (it was closed and only has a small sign out the front), but something about it piqued my curiosity and I found them online. The reviews were so outstanding that we quickly made a dinner booking for later in the week.
Even with the overwhelming positive reviews, we were impressed. The food and the service were both among the best we experienced in Italy. The atmosphere was incredibly warm and can be summarised by our waiter lovingly station “I love this one” as the generously filled Benny’s wine glass the remainder of the bottle free of charge. It felt like a family-run restaurant although we can’t say it for certain. We ended up opting into all four courses as we couldn’t resist the items on the menu. They suggested that we share a starter to allow room for the rest of the dishes, and even brought the ravioli out already divvied up into two bowls.
The menu also makes a point of denoting which items are seasonal in case that is of interest to you. So much of it is seasonal that they don’t actually bother putting a menu on their website. The prices were also extremely reasonable given the quality. If you’ve only got time for one dinner out in Genoa, make it at Le Rune.
