After the Portofino Marathon: Genoa

The Route: Santa Margherita Ligure → Genoa (1 night) → Santa Margherita Ligure Logistics: Direct regional trains run along the coast to Genova Brignole and Genova Piazza Principe. Allow roughly 40 to 50 minutes, and check the timetable and the Monday morning frequency before you book. Marathon Month: January Duration: 1 night

Santa Margherita ──(train, about 40-50 mins)──> Genova Brignole or Principe
                                                    │
                       Via Garibaldi palaces ── cathedral ── Porto Antico
                                                    │
                                      night in Genoa, train back next day

Genoa is a city that has been built up the side of a hill and then folded over itself. The old town is a knot of alleys so narrow that the sun reaches the paving for a few minutes a day, and the buildings on either side lean in to touch overhead. It is the largest port in Italy, and it still smells of diesel, frying and salt. After a coastal marathon on a promenade it is a sharp change of gear.

Distances inside the centre are short, and the ground is mostly flat along the waterfront and in the main streets. The steep parts are the hill streets above the old town, which you can skip. There are lifts and funiculars if you want a view without a climb, and city buses cover the rest. After a marathon, the stairs in older buildings and the cobbled alleys will be the hardest part, so pick a hotel with a lift.

January in Genoa: this is the quiet season. Days are cool and often bright, with a sharp wind off the sea, and the light fades by late afternoon. Some museums close on Mondays, so check the weekly schedule, and aim the afternoon at the harbour if the weather is dry.

Getting there

The two main stations are Genova Piazza Principe, near the harbour and the western end of the old town, and Genova Brignole, to the east, near Via XX Settembre. Trains from Santa Margherita Ligure stop at both. Principe is closer to Via Garibaldi and the old harbour, and Brignole is closer to the shopping streets and Piazza della Vittoria. Buy a ticket on the Trenitalia app or at the machine, and check the platform number.

The first evening

Walk or take a short bus ride from your station to the old town. A good first stop is the Porto Antico, the renovated old harbour, which is flat and quiet at night. The Aquarium of Genoa sits on the quay, and it is large enough to fill two or three hours. Check the current opening hours and ticket prices on the aquarium's website, because both change with the season.

For dinner, look for a trattoria in the old town that serves pesto genovese, trofie or trenette, farinata (a thin chickpea pancake, baked in a wood oven) and stuffed vegetables. Book ahead if you want a table on a Monday evening.

Strada Nuova and the palaces

On the next morning, walk Via Garibaldi, also called Strada Nuova, a street of sixteenth-century palaces built by the city's merchant families. The Rolli palaces are on the UNESCO list. Three of them, Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria-Tursi, form the Musei di Strada Nuova, a joint museum with a single ticket. Check opening times, because the days differ from museum to museum, and some close on Mondays.

The street is flat and short, with benches in the courtyards. If you want a view, take the Castelletto lift from Piazza Portello, a short ride up to a terrace over the roofs and the harbour. The fare is low, but confirm the current operating hours.

The cathedral and the alleys

The Cattedrale di San Lorenzo is a ten-minute walk from Via Garibaldi, and its facade is striped in black and white marble. Inside, a shell from a Second World War naval bomb is displayed in the nave, according to the guides. The surrounding alleys, the caruggi, are best explored without a plan. Via San Lorenzo slopes down towards the harbour, and the pavement is stone and uneven in places.

Where to stay

Choose a hotel near a station or close to Via Garibaldi to cut down on walking. Options that suit are Hotel Bristol Palace on Via XX Settembre, a grand old hotel a few minutes' walk from Brignole, and Grand Hotel Savoia, close to Principe station. Check the current rates and room availability, because they vary with the season and with conferences at the port.

Getting back

Return to Santa Margherita Ligure by the same line. On a Tuesday morning the trains are busy with commuters, so a mid-morning departure is easier on a stiff body. Check the timetable the evening before, and leave margin if you have a flight.