Naples Hotels

Visiting Naples – A City Guide

Naples is a city of superlatives, with world-class art, architecture, fashion, food, wine and coffee. It’s also a city of contrasts, at once vibrant and chaotic. Neapolitans live cheek-by-jowl with poverty, grime and graffiti, alongside hundreds of churches full of exquisite art, and within sight of the still-smouldering Mount Vesuvius. Though Neapolitans are said to have a fatalistic approach to life, never knowing when disaster might strike (as the inhabitants of nearby Pompeii discovered back in 79AD) they remain passionate – about food, family and tradition. Naples is an unmissable assault on all the senses.
 

Naples: city layout

Naples grew out of the Greek city of Neopolis, the remnants of which can still be seen today. The historic Centro Storico (Old Town), which contains most of the city’s historical sites, is built on Roman streets. These include Decumanus Maximus, today’s Via dei Tribunali, which lies parallel to Decumanus Inferior, now known as Spaccanapoli – literally ‘splitting Naples’. The old macellum (market) can still be visited beneath gothic San Lorenzo Maggiore church.

The Port is set in the spectacular coastline that stretches southeast from the bustling metropolis to the swanky Amalfi Coast. It’s a jumping off point for the glamorous islands of Capri, Ischia and pretty Procida, all in the lee of Mount Vesuvius.

Top attractions in Naples

The trickiest part of visiting Naples is fitting it all in, but the Archeological Museum, in the Via Toledo area, is unmissable. Here the finest arts and artefacts from Pompeii, as well as the Farnese collection of Greco-Roman artefacts, are displayed within an 18th-century palace.

The Certosa (charterhouse), perched high above the city in Vomero with views over the bay, holds Neapolitan art alongside 18th-century presepe – peculiarly Neapolitan nativity scenes. Set within a magnificent park at the top of the hill, Museo di Capodimonte is home to an extensive art collection, featuring paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries.

To really experience the city, take a stroll through the bustling streets, slipping into a quiet church to contemplate sculptures and art by Italian masters.

The concierge recommends…

• Going underground on a tour of the catacombs, which date back to the second century AD. Visitors can explore the history of Christianity in all the catacombs – of which there are several in Naples – with one ticket.
• Wandering down San Gregorio Armeno, home of Naples’ renowned presepe, or nativity scenes. Here artisans make traditional cribs for Christmas, sometimes with contemporary figures like the former prime minister Berlusconi or football hero Maradona.
• Eating Neapolitan pizza. It’s hard to find a bad pizzeria, but Pizzeria Brandi is the oldest and claims to have created the very first Margherita pizza. Expect a queue.
• Climbing smouldering Mount Vesuvius. Take a trip on the Circumvesuviana railway to the volcano, which looms over the city, and a bus will take you almost to the crater’s edge.
• Visiting the ruins of Pompeii. The city is almost perfectly preserved as it was before the last Vesuvian eruption in 79AD.

Hotels in Naples

Every Neapolitan quartiere has its own flavour, and the range of accommodation is wide. From designer hotels with luxury spas, elegant palazzi and art nouveau villas, to thoroughly modern business hotels, there’s something for every visitor.

Most hotels are concentrated around the Centro Storico, with its characterful art nouveau-style villas, while the swankiest accommodation is closest to the ports, in Chaiai and Royal Naples. Business travellers may prefer to stay close to Napoli Centrale, within easy reach of the city’s main attractions.

Naples can be hectic, but quietly and conveniently situated between the north and south of Italy is the ancient town of Nola, just 25 minutes from Naples Capodichino airport (NAP). Those looking to take in Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast should consider locations closer to the city of Salerno.

Eating Out in Naples

Good food can be found anywhere in Naples – from the familiar pizzerie, where locals pick up a pizzetta (slice) or a ripieno fritto (fried calzone pizza), to high-end establishments serving Neapolitan nouvelle cuisine. Succulent fruits and vegetables are grown on the fertile slopes of Vesuvius, as are vines and olive trees for fine wines and oil. Creamy mozzarella di bufala and fresh seafood complete the table.
 

Fish restaurants around the port specialise in fresh, simply prepared seafood, such as spaghetti with clams. Enoteche (wine bars) serve excellent local wines such as aglianico, a full-bodied red, and falanghina, a fruity white, often served with tasty fried snacks. Regular sagre (food festivals) are held in outlying villages throughout the year.
 

The chef recommends...

• Spaghetti alle vongole (with clams): an unmissable treat when it’s on the menu, best tried with a glass of chilled falanghina white wine.
• Parmigiana di melanzane: this local speciality of fried aubergine baked with tomatoes and mozzarella rarely disappoints.
• Orecchiette con salsiccia e friarielli: a typical dish of little ear-shaped pasta with sausage and friarielli, local Neapolitan greens.
• Pizza marinara: made with San Marzano tomatoes from Vesuvius’ slopes, garlic, oregano and olive oil.

Shopping in Naples

Neapolitan tailoring is world famous for its bespoke suits, silk ties, hand-stitched shoes and leather goods. Naples is home to top designer brands, as well as sprawling street markets where you can find designer knock-offs and bootlegged CDs. Specialist shops, like those housed in the 19th-century Galleria Umberto I, sell everything from artisanal chocolates to jewellery and hand-carved ceramics.
 

Head to the neighbourhoods of Chiaia and Royal Naples for Louis Vuitton, Prada and Versace boutiques, particularly along Via dei Mille, Via Filangieri and Piazza dei Martiri. Street markets abound, but look out for the Fiera Antiquaria Napoletana (Naples Antiques Market), running between the Villa Communale park and the Lungomare seafront stretch. Here you’ll find crafts, antiques, collectables and modern artworks.
 

Best things to buy in Naples

• The local lemon liqueur Limoncello is available all over the city and will always remind you of sunny Naples.
• Presepe (nativity scenes) are sold year-round on Via San Gregorio Armeno.
• A hand-stitched silk tie or scarf is a lot less expensive than a handmade suit, which might cost 1,000s of euros, and E. Marinella is the place to find one.
• It does rain occasionally, even in Naples. You’ll find silk umbrellas and elegant walking sticks at 19th-century fashion house Talarico.

Culture & Nightlife in Naples

In Naples, atmospheric churches filled with classical art combine with world-class museums showcasing art and archeological finds. There’s also classical opera, Baroque music and theatre, and a thriving contemporary art scene. Even in the city’s metro stations, modern artists have left their mark.
 

A night out in Naples lively, and often impulsive. Hordes of Vespa-riding youngsters head to the seafront neighbourhoods of Chiaia or Mergellina for an impromptu meet-up at an ice-cream chalet, then on to an out-of-town nightclub.
 

Most locals, however, are happy to take a seafront walk, stopping for a gelato ice cream, a Neapolitan pastry – the rum-laced babà is a favourite – or an aperitivo in a local bar. Others might swank it with a visit to the famous Teatro San Carlo opera house.
 

Most cafés serve alcohol as well as coffee and cake. If you’re looking for a people-watching spot, Chiaia or the bars in hilltop Vomero are a good bet.
 

Where to go in Naples

• Teatro San Carlo, the oldest opera house in Europe, has seen the debuts of some of the world’s greatest operas. It’s important to book your tickets well in advance.
• The metro system is an underground art gallery in itself – visit Toledo, University, Dante, Garibaldi and Materdei stations to see interesting works by contemporary artists.
• Villa Communale, the people’s park, is positioned between the sea and bustling Chiaia. Lovely to walk through, it has playgrounds, a roller-skating rink and is host to September’s popular song and dance festival, Festa di Piedigrotta.
• The seafront strip between Chiaia and Mergellina is a lovely setting for a walk before dinner.

Visiting Naples with a Family

Naples is very child-friendly, from its food – ice cream and pizza – to its many parks and green spaces. There are beaches aplenty further along the Amalfi Coast, and boat rides to any of the three nearby islands make for fun-filled day trips. Then there’s Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, which is surrounded by a nature reserve. For a shorter journey, take a funicular ride up to the leafy neighbourhood of Vomero and the Certosa monastery and museum.
 

Where to take the kids in Naples

• Città della Scienza is an interactive science museum in Bagnoli with a hands-on approach to science, featuring children’s workshops, exhibitions and guided tours. A new hall is dedicated to deep-sea creatures.
• Museo Pietrarsa is a museum showcasing the history of trains, engines and the railway.
• Napoli Sotterranea, a fascinating network of tunnels and chambers built by the Ancient Greeks, can be explored on a tour. The network remained in the Neapolitan water supply system until 1884, and was opened up again during World War II to provide bomb shelters.