Naples, Italy
Naples has a reputation and most of it is unfair. Yes it is loud, and the traffic runs on rules nobody has written down. It is also the best place to eat in Italy and the closest thing the country has to a city that does not perform for visitors. Most people use it as a stop on the way to Pompeii or the coast, which is their loss. Naples is the birthplace of pizza and home to some of the finest Italian cuisine. The historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site, includes sites like the Royal Palace and the Naples Cathedral. Overlooking the Bay of Naples, this city also serves as a gateway to the archaeological wonders of Pompeii and Herculaneum, frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Naples is loud, crowded and unpolished, and it is the least performed-for-visitors city in Italy.
Some of our favorite things to see and do in Naples include:
- Visit the markets, Wander through the stalls, admire the colors, and pick up a traditional red corno(lucky horn) for good fortune. Pignasecca Market is the most famous though you can also checkout other notable ones, like Mercato di Porta Nolana or Mercato di Poggioreale.
- Eat lots of pizza, Naples is the birthplace of pizza. For gluten-free, we recommend Sorbillo Gluten Free or Pizza Autentica.
- Explore the Galleria Umberto I, A grand 19th-century shopping arcade with glass domes, mosaics, and loud cafés.
- Cappella Sansevero, Marvel at the Veiled Christ, one of the most moving marble sculptures ever created.
- Naples Underground, Explore the ancient Greco-Roman tunnels beneath the city for a different perspective on its history.
- Santa Chiara Monastery, A Gothic complex with a cloister decorated in hand-painted majolica tiles.
- Piazza del Plebiscito, Stroll the city’s grandest square, framed by the Royal Palace and San Francesco di Paola church.
- Castel dell’Ovo, Perched by the sea, this castle offers sweeping views and the legend of Castel dell’Ovo says the poet Virgil, revered in the Middle Ages as a magician, placed a magical egg in the castle’s foundations. The egg was believed to safeguard both the fortress and the entire city of Naples, if it ever broke, disaster would strike, bringing ruin to the castle and misfortune to Naples.
- Naples National Archaeological Museum, See one of the world’s greatest collections of Roman art, mosaics, and Pompeii treasures.
- Teatro di San Carlo, Visit the world’s oldest working opera house, rich with music and history.
- Quartieri Spagnoli, Wander the narrow lanes filled with murals, trattorias, and daily Neapolitan life.
- Day or overnight trips, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Mount Vesuvius are just outside the city; Capri and Procida are ferry rides away.