Some attractions in the city have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is amazing to see them from the top.
You can do it from one of the many hills and their viewpoints or you can go on the Bigo, one of my favorite attractions in the port area.
The Bigo is a panoramic lift that allows visitors to enjoy one of the most spectacular views of the entire city of Genoa.
It is a futuristic and elegant structure located in the heart of the Old Port of Genoa and, from its base, placed on the water right on a dock, seven white arms unfold reminding to some a flower and to some a spider missing one leg.
For some reasons, and maybe due to its proximity with the port, it reminds me of the Sydney Opera House in Australia a bit.
Anyhow, these metal arms have different lengths and this helps to create a pleasant effect around which the whole Porto Antico revolves.
The panoramic lift is supported by its longest arm, complete with a cabin which, at a maximum height of 40 meters, slowly rotates on itself.
The Bigo was designed by a famous Italian architect, Renzo Piano, taking inspiration from the cranes used in ports to load and unload goods from ships.
In addition to being a pleasant attraction within the Porto Antico, the Bigo also performs the fundamental function of supporting the structure of the Piazza delle Feste which hosts many fairs and local events.
The Bigo’s circular cabin, which begins to rotate only when it reaches its maximum height, gives the visitor a 360 degree view of the entire Porto Antico below and the entire city, from its historic center to the Forts of Genoa in the background.
From this panoramic lift you can see many symbolic monuments of Genoa and tourists love it because it is unique and fun.
From the top, you can enjoy a privileged view on the Aquarium and the Biosphere, the latter is a steel and glass structure within which a tropical micro climate has been perfectly reproduced.
From here, you can also distinguish the Galata Museo del Mare, the Genoa stadium, the Galleon Neptune, where Roman Polanski filmed “Pirates,” a 16th century villa and the cotton warehouses.
Looking beyond the ancient port, from the Bigo's rotating cabin you can see the alleys of the historic center and the Sottoripa arcades, the Palazzo di San Giorgio with its sumptuous Renaissance facade and then the Castello d'Albertis, a medieval fortress located on top of a hill in the Castelletto district.
It is also impossible not to notice the iconic Lanterna, the highest lighthouse in the whole Mediterranean sea, and then the Forts of Genoa, built on the surrounding hills between the 18th and 19th centuries, which can also be reached via the Righi funicular.
The Bigo lift is maneuvered manually by a sort of driver or operator who is sitting on a cabin at the center of the lift.
The operator opens and closes the doors, manages the lift by going up and down and chooses when to rotate the lift 360 degrees allowing a perfect view to all occupants of the lift.
The lift normally rotates 3 or 4 times on its own (very slowly) before starting its descent back down.
This summer 2022, the municipality shut down the lift for a couple of weeks due to the high temperature reached and to the fact that the Bigo does not have air conditioning on board.
