Lanterna di Genova (Genoa Lighthouse)

The Lanterna di Genova is the lighthouse that has marked the entrance to the port of Genoa, in Liguria, Italy, since the Middle Ages. Rising about 77 metres, it is the city's best-known symbol and stands on the Rampa della Lanterna in the San Benigno district of the western harbour. The tower is built in two stacked square sections, and its profile appears on countless images of the Genoese skyline. At its foot, a museum-park tells the story of the beacon, the surrounding fortifications and the port that depended on the light, with displays that make the history easy to follow for visitors without prior knowledge. Visitors can choose between a park and museum ticket, or a combined ticket that also includes access up to the first terrace of the lighthouse. The first terrace is the main draw for views: on a clear day it opens over the whole harbour, the cranes and container terminals to the west, the old town to the east and the hills behind the city. Photographers generally favour clear mornings, when the light falls on the harbour from the east and visibility is best. The opening schedule is limited. In the 2026 programme the site is open Friday to Sunday, 10:00AM to 6:00PM, with last admission at 5:00PM, from 1 June to 31 December, with a few extra openings in December. It closes on 25 December and during orange or red weather alerts. The park and museum ticket costs about EUR 6, the combined ticket with the lighthouse about EUR 9, and online booking adds EUR 1. Children up to age 17 enter free. A visit takes roughly an hour and a half to two hours, and because opening days are few, weekend afternoons can be busier than a typical weekday museum. The lighthouse is about 10 minutes on foot from Dinegro metro station and around 25 minutes on foot from Genova Piazza Principe.