There are streets you walk down and streets that walk through you. Via Garibaldi is the second kind. Built in the 16th century as the most prestigious address in Genoa, it was designed to show off the wealth and power of the city's noble families — and it still does, five centuries later.

The 42 palaces lining this street are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, collectively known as the Palazzi dei Rolli. Each one is more elaborate than the last — frescoed ceilings, marble staircases, grand courtyards hidden behind heavy doors. Several are open to the public as art museums, including Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco, and Palazzo Tursi, where you can see one of the violins that once belonged to Niccolò Paganini — yes, the actual violin, in a glass case, in a palace, on this street.

Come in the morning when the light is low and the tourists are still at breakfast. Walk the full length slowly. Look up constantly. And if the Rolli Days festival is happening while you're in town — usually in May and October — many of the private palaces open their doors to the public for free. Don't miss it.