Genoa - Italy

There’s a lot of history here, but recent regeneration has seen the city develop a line-up of modern attractions. The shopping and dining scene is excellent, and the aquarium – home to 5,000 species of marine life – is one of the largest in Europe.  

Genoa still has an old soul, however, with a sprawling knot of alleyways and historic piazzas making up its old town, all overlooked by a medieval lighthouse.  With impressive links to its past like the UNESCO-honoured group of palaces, Palazzi dei Rolli, it’s not hard to see how Genoa earned the nickname, ‘the Proud One’.