I stood at the rail as we glided into Genoa harbor and thought about young Cristoforo Colombo walking these same quays in 1451, dreaming of horizons beyond what any map could promise. The Porto Antico — once one of the busiest harbors in the Mediterranean for centuries when the Republic of Genoa ruled these waters — now spreads before me redesigned by Renzo Piano, the aquarium sphere and Bigo panoramic lift standing where merchant galleys once loaded spices and silk. This city built its fortune on the sea: in 1099, twelve Genoese galleys and 1,200 soldiers including fearsome crossbowmen sailed to the First Crusade and helped take Jerusalem, earning Genoa trading privileges that would fuel her maritime empire for generations.

The historic center starts literally at the dock gates and swallows you whole. Narrow caruggi alleys twist between 12th-century palaces and tiny shops selling sciacchetrà wine and pesto by the kilo. I got happily lost for hours, emerging at Piazza De Ferrari just as the fountain started dancing. But what truly made me catch my breath were the Palazzi dei Rolli — 42 magnificent Renaissance palaces recognized as UNESCO World Heritage in 2006. Here's the marvel: from the 16th through 17th centuries, Genoa maintained an official register called the Rolli, a list of noble palaces grand enough to host visiting dignitaries. When a cardinal or duke arrived, the Senate would select a palace from the register based on the visitor's rank, and that family had the honor (and expense) of hosting. We toured Palazzo Rosso and I stood in rooms painted floor-to-ceiling by Van Dyck while chandeliers dripped crystals above us, imagining Spanish ambassadors and French princes being received in these same gilded halls.

I had lunch at Antica Sciamadda — farinata and trofie al pesto — chickpea flatbread hot from the wood oven and pasta so green it glowed. In the afternoon I took the funicular up to Castelletto for the panoramic view locals call "the most beautiful in the world." Before leaving, I walked past the Casa di Colombo, the reconstructed house where Columbus was born, its modest stone walls a humble beginning for a man whose ambition would mirror his city's own seafaring audacity. The pros: authentic Italian port city with almost no cruise crowds, layered with centuries of genuine maritime history. The cons: the caruggi can feel intimidating at first, but they're completely safe in daylight and full of life.