My wife and me visited Genova on a hot and sultry day in July 2005. Above the mountains around the city there were some heavy clouds and we heard the thunder of the thunderstrom. In spite of that there was no rain in the city and the port the whole day. Our first way led us to the port. Who wants to see buildings when you have one of the biggest port at the mediterranean sea in front of you. We had a really nice harbour tour.

The port of Genova is located at the ligurian coast in the northern part of Italy. Around the town and the port there is a mountain range. The area named the italian riviera. Genova has a glorious history. Over hundreds of years the port was the basis of the trade and the riches of the merchants. In this period the rich families in Genova built some really nice and big houses in the town. Today you can visit most of these "Palazzi" ( italian term for a small palace or big villa ). The port is protected by a mole against the waves of the mediterranean sea. The port was founded during the period of the first crusade. In the middel age the citizen of Genova had a lot of armed conflicts with Venice, Pisa and countries around the mediterranean sea.
Than in the 17th century the port was enlarged. In the archives you will find documents from the year 1610 to 1624 about this expansion. After that the boom started. At this time Genova had about 4000 citizens, 1000 of these people were seamen or fishermen. Seamen from Genova were very required staff on board of the ships.
About the hundreds of year a lot of famous people were born in Genova e.g.: Christopher Columbus, the musician Niccolò Paganini, Admiral Andrea Doria and the patriot and fighter Giuseppe Mazzini.
Every year 7000 ships enter the port of Genova. The port has an area of about 7 million Sq meter. In the port you will find 15 tugboats to assist the ships.