General considerations -- The Golgi apparatus and main discoveries in the field of intracellular transport -- The Golgi apparatus as a crossroads in intracellular traffic -- Main machineries operating at the Golgi apparatus -- SNAREs -- Rabs -- COPII -- COPI: mechanisms and transport roles -- Arfs and Arls: models for Arf family members in membrane traffic at the Golgi -- COG complex -- The TRAPP complex -- The role of Ca2 in the regulation of intracellular transport -- Golgi glycosylation enzymes -- Nucleotide sugar transporters of the Golgi apparatus -- Luminal lectins -- The Golgi ribbon and the function of the Golgins -- Functional cross talk between membrane trafficking and cell signalling -- The role of the cytoskeleton in the structure and function of the Golgi apparatus -- The dynamin-cortactin complex as a mediator of vesicle formation at the trans-Golgi network -- The geometry of organelles of the secretory pathway -- Main transport steps -- ER-to-Golgi transport -- Intra-Golgi transport -- Structure and domain organization of the trans- Golgi network -- Golgi-to-PM transport -- Protein transport from the trans-Golgi network to endosomes -- The transport of soluble lysosomal hydrolases from the Golgi complex to lysosomes -- Transport of lysosomal membrane proteins from the Golgi complex to lysosomes -- Retrograde endosome-to-TGN transport -- Retrograde plasma membrane-to-Golgi apparatus transport -- Interactions between endocytosis and secretory transport -- Origins of the regulated secretory pathway -- Secretion and endocytosis in endothelial cells -- Formation of mucin granules -- Golgi apparatus and epithelial cell polarity -- Golgi apparatus inheritance -- Peculiarities of intracellular transport in different organisms -- Features of the plant Golgi apparatus -- Yeast Golgi apparatus -- Morphodynamics of the yeast Golgi apparatus -- Structure and function of the Golgi organelle in parasitic protists -- Evolution of the Golgi complex -- General conclusions -- Concluding remarks, questions, and perspectives.