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The beautiful Italian city that's the country's 'treasured secret' with flights for under £20
An Italian city has been described as the country's 'treasured secret' with a beautiful coastline.
According to Lonely Planet, Genoa is one of the world's best cities to visit in 2025 and one of Italy 's best hidden gems.
A port metropolis on Italy's northwest coast, Genoa was the 26th most visited city in Italy in 2017 with far fewer tourists than the likes of Venice and Rome.
Lonely Planet reveals: 'Few places in Italy are "undiscovered", but Genoa feels like a treasured secret.
'With a new high-speed-train connection in the works, now is the time to seek out this stately city with superlative culinary chops, a stunning seaside and a well-earned reputation as one of Italy's most historically and culturally vibrant cities.'
Genoa has one of the world's largest medieval town centres. Within its depths, tourists will discover a labyrinth of caruggi (alleyways) packed with historic monuments.
Cathedral San Lorenzo was built in 1098 and is said to hold the ashes of Genoa's patron saint, St John the Baptist.
The city's caruggi are also packed with independent shops, some of which date as far as back as the 1600s.
Romanengo 1780 is Italy's oldest sweet shop and many of its colourful creations are still made by hand.
Tourists seeking the coast can head to tiny Boccadasse, a former fishing village, which Lonely Planet describes as having 'Cinque Terre vibes'.
Buses run to the small colourful village which is one of Genoa's prettiest places to enjoy a gelato. It also has a picturesque pebble beach with easy access to beach bars.
Children will love the Aquarium of Genoa, which is the city's best-rated attraction on Tripadvisor. It's home to dolphins, sharks and hundreds of other species.
When it comes to eating, Genoa is the home of one of the UK's most beloved pasta sauces.
Pesto originates from Genoa and is traditionally served on trofie pasta or focaccia. Genoa's indoor food court, the Mercato Orientale, is one of the best places to try the city's fresh produce.
When to go to Genoa
Genoa is warmest in July and August when temperatures can reach as high as 28 degrees. Unlike southern Italy, the city doesn't tend to suffer from heatwaves in the summer.
The city has a fairly busy cruise port and the season tends to run from April to October.
How to get to Genoa
Ryanair operates direct flights from London Stansted to Genoa, with one way fares currently available from £18.99 in August.
Alternatively, tourists could fly to Milan and then take a direct train to Genoa. easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair are among the airlines to offer direct flights to Milan.
Day trip destinations from Genoa
If you'd like to combine your trip to Genoa with a visit to destination, it takes around an hour and a half to get to the Cinque Terre from the city.
Milan is under two hours away by train while tourists can also cross the border into France and reach Nice in around three hours by rail.
Both Pisa and Lucca are also around two hours away on the train.
