Genova: the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and Paganini, Italy’s biggest port and as Charles Dickens remarked in 1844, a city of the strangest contrasts. Renaissance palaces, grand 19th century boulevards and gilded Baroque churches are squeezed alongside, and on top of, a warren of steep medieval streets. Fine restaurants and chic bars are hidden in the dark, narrow alleys. Genova is made for exploring and getting lost in the medieval quarter – one of Europe’s largest – and is all part of the experience.