City of Rich Maritime, Cruising and Ship Building, Genoa, Italy

So, if you are a ship and transportation geek, like me, then you will find that Genoa is actually a fascinating treasure trove of maritime and cruise liner history. Something that I had not realised before I went there, as it is not something that the travel sites and travel journals talk about. So much to my excitement, as a fully qualified ship geek, the more I explored the city the more I discovered.

I think that more could be made of Genoa’s strong connection to ships. It is not that obvious in any of the official promotional material and tours either. They tend to focus more on the culinary delights and the cultural side of Genoa, which was a European City of Culture in 2004. And yet, there is an exciting, vibrant and romantic link to ocean going that still is alive today. Maybe I am too much of a transport and ship geek, but I think this side of Genoa is worth making much more of than they do.

Christopher Columbus, who discovered America, originated from Genoa. It was the centre of the Italian transatlantic service. Today, cruise ships are built in the city, and hundreds of cruise ships and yachts visit every year. It is where the head office of the Italian Costa Cruise line is based, and there is a large and important maritime museum where one of Italy’s most famous submarines is retired at. This and more makes Genoa a great city for any ship buff to explore. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).