Galata Museo del Mare, Genoa

A big and good museum. The maritime museum offers a good overview of Genova’s naval and maritime activities from the late middle ages to now. The have several life size ships inside the building that you can walk through, which is impressive, especially the medieval galley. They provide much information, but not always with a translation of the Italian. A special treat is the visit to the submarine nearby, which is amazing. There is an interesting part on emigration and immigration. Some floors have special exhibitions. The top floor offers a wonderful view of the city with some indications of important structures. If you would find the museum a bit too big, because the entire visit can take a few hours, you can always skip parts.

I like maritime museums, they’re a quick way of learning the history of a city & culture. We came in knowing little about Genoa, we left impressed & wanting to learn more. The museum is laid out well so it’s fairly easy to navigate. It’s not overly large, so you won’t get museum-fatigue. Some exhibits are dusty & looking a bit forlorn, others were obviously sponsored by a corporation & quite spiffy. Did we wish there were more placards in English? Sure. But no matter, there was enough to get the gist. Definitely definitely go up to the roof, sit & soak in the view