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Cinque Terre – The Cinque Terre is a gorgeous
section of coastline, dotted with five picturesque towns, Riomaggiore, Manarola,
Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. The fun of visiting the Cinque Terre
is getting there – villages are linked by train, boat and
hiking trails. Hike from one town to the next on the footpaths, the
trails are appropriate for kids, some sections are paved. Or, take a boat
(you can pick up the ferries along the water), or ride the train. |
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Tip: Buy a Cinque Terre Card – Good for 1, 3 or 7 days, you can hop on and off the trains, ferries, and
trails between the villages, and use the shuttle bus in town. With the card,
you'll also get railway and ferries timetables, and trail maps. Pick up
the card at the information kiosks for the national park. |
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Portofino –Your best bet in Portofino
is the Castello Brown, originally built to keep out invading armies,
but later it was the home of the English consul to Genoa. The castle itself
doesn't have much to see inside, but it's a fun walk from the promenade
along the harbor up to the castle. The views are great and the gardens are
beautifully planted. |
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Genoa – |
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 Old
Port of Genoa (Porto Antico, Genova) – Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo) grew
up in Genoa and started his sailing career here. The Old Port of Genoa is
still an exciting place to visit, starting with the Sea and Seafaring
Museum (Padiglione del Mare e della Navigazione). This large museum,
dedicated to the history of seafaring, has full size reconstructions of
traditional vessels, an 18th century street in Genoa, a shipyard, interiors
of a steamship and ocean liner, plus scale models of sailing ships. |
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Neptune pirate ship – Come aboard to explore this replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon (used in several movies). Go below to see rows and rows of cannons, on the half deck above, kids can imagine piloting the ship through turquoise waters. |
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Near
the Sea and Seafaring Pavilion is the Genoa Aquarium (Acquario di Genova).
The aquarium has over 50 tanks with sea life from many different habitats.
Especially interesting are the exhibits with angel and sandbar sharks that
live in the Mediterranean, plus tanks of seals, dolphins and Neptune grass. |
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Tourist tram – In front of the Aquarium, pick up the red and white "Trenino Pippo" tourist tram, and take a 45 min. tour around the port and old city. |
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For
a panoramic view of the harbor, take a ride on the elevator to the
top of the Grande Bigo, a huge Tinkertoy-like construction on a small
artificial island. |
