Naples

When you arrive in Naples, take a taxi from the train station to your hotel. If you are arriving by car, be sure to buy a detailed city map in advance and mark with a highlight pen the route to your hotel. In addition, ask for exact directions when making your hotel reservation because Naples is a confusing city in which to find your way by car. However, once you get settled in your hotel, you will discover Naples an excellent city to explore on foot.Naples, a fascinating city whose history dates back 25 centuries, reflects its rich heritage in its architecture and culture. It seems everyone at one time claimed Naples as “theirs,” including the Greeks, the Romans, the French, and the Spanish. Until the unification of Italy, Naples was an important European capital, and is still today a vibrant, exciting city with a stunning setting on the edge of the sea. For many years Naples had the reputation of being a dirty city that was plagued by petty crime. Most tourists came to see its fabulous Museo Archeologico Nazionale and then move quickly on. However, recently a great effort has been made to freshen up the entire city plus deal with the crime issue. Today a great transformation has taken place and Naples is indeed well worth a visit. It is a wonderful city filled with intriguing small squares, an unbelievable assortment of churches, a colorful waterfront, palaces, fortresses and world-class museums. Plus Naples makes an excellent base from which to take side trips.Below are some suggestions on what to see and do in and around Naples:SIGHTSEEING IN NAPLESIf you enjoy walking, you can visit almost all of the sights listed on foot. Or, at least walk one way and return to your hotel by taxi. Museo Archeologico Nazionale: The Museo Archeologico Nazionale is considered one of the finest museums in the world, and rightly so. It has an incredible collection of jewels of antiquity, including unbelievably well-preserved statues, intricate mosaics, and delicate frescoes. There are endless marvels to see. You are bound to be awestruck as you stroll through the corridors lined with the dazzling Farnese collection of ancient sculptures. You could spend endless hours gazing in wonder at the huge statues and deftly carved marble busts that line the well-lit hallways. If you include a visit to Pompeii (which you must) you will find that the originals of the most outstanding mosaics and sculptures have been transferred to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale for safekeeping. The mosaics alone are worth a trip to Naples. Within the museum there is an “off limits” section that is called the secret cabinet which is a series of rooms that display a collection of quite risqué paintings, sculptures and mosaics discovered under the ash at Pompeii (only a limited number of people are allowed in at a time and you need a special ticket that can be bought when you arrive at the museum). Arrive at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale when it opens in the morning in order to be among the first visitors. As the day progresses, busloads of tourists descend. After looking at your map, if you decide walking round trip is too strenuous, we suggest taking a taxi to the museum then strolling back to your hotel since the return will be downhill. NOTE: Museum closed on Tuesdays.Capodimonte Hill: Perched on Capodimonte Hill, which rises above the city, is a splendid park with over 4,000 varieties of centuries-old trees. Within these grounds is the Palazzo Capodimonte, built in 1738 as a hunting lodge for the King Charles III. Housed within the palace is the Museo e Gallerie Nazionale di Capodimonte featuring a breathtaking art collection of the wealthy Bourbon kings, including works by such masters as Bellini, Michelangelo, Titian, and Botticelli. You can walk to Capodimonte from the Museo Archeologico, but it is a steep, uphill climb so you might well want to take a taxi, or save the excursion for a separate day. (NOTE: Museum closed on Mondays.)Spaccanapoli District: For savoring the delights and charm of Naples, our favorite tour is in the Spaccanapoli District. Here, on the site of the old Greek-Roman city, you find tiny plazas, little boutiques, outdoor restaurants, coffee shops, markets, and a seemingly endless number of churches. Make your way to the pretty Piazza Gesü Nuovo, where you will find the tourist office facing the square. Pop in here and ask for their map that outlines a walk exploring the Spaccanapoli District. If for any reason, the office is closed, the route is easy to find on your own. Basically what you do is follow streets in a rectangular pattern, returning where you began in Piazza Gesü Nuovo. Leaving the square, head east on Via Benedetto Croce that soon changes its name to Via San Biagio dei Librai. Continue on until you come to Via Duomo where you turn left and go a couple of streets to until you see on your right the Cathedral (Duomo di San Gennaro). Next, retrace your steps on Via Duomo for a half a block and turn right, heading west on Via Tribunali. When the road dead-ends at Via San Sebastiano, turn left, go one block, turn right and you are back where you began. You will see many churches along your way, including two that are on the Piazza Gesü Nuovo (The Church of Guesü Nuovo and the Cloister of Santa Chiara). Most of the churches are open only during services, but the fun of this walk is not so much sightseeing as savoring the flavor of this colorful, ancient part of the city. Make this a leisurely stroll, looking into the little shops, sitting in the small square, maybe a cappuccino at a small café or a pizza, which originated in Naples.The Piazza Plebiscito and Place to Visit Nearby: The Piazza Plebiscito is a large, bustling square located just at the lower part of one of Naples’s principal boulevards, Via Toledo. This is a major square, so it is not surprising there are many monuments and museums nearby. Listed below are some of the recommended places to visit.Palazzo Reale: Dominating the east side of the Piazza Plebiscito is the large, impressive Palazzo Reale, an outstanding palace that was built for the Spanish Viceroys in 1600, in honor of King Philip II’s arrival in Naples. Accenting the façade are niches with statues of the kings of Naples. This is an massive complex, and it might take a while to find your way to the ticket office. Once you have your tickets, you climb an imposing double staircase that sweeps to the floor above where the royal quarters have been opened as a museum. You might want to rent a cassette which gives commentary on what you will be seeing. It is fun to wander through the endless rooms in this noble residence, including the queen’s private chapel, the throne room, a quaint 18^th-century theater, and an assortment of sumptuously adorned apartments. NOTE: Closed on Wednesdays. Theatre San Carlo: Just around the corner from the Piazza Plebiscito, in a wing of the Palazzo Reale that faces the Piazza Trieste e Trento, you find the dazzling Theatre San Carlos. Commissioned by Charles of Bourbon in 1737, this jewel is reminiscent of La Scala Theatre in Milan. It looks like an ornate wedding cake with 186 private, gilt adorned boxes that rise in six tiers that face an imposing stage. Sometimes there are tours of the theater so you might want to drop by to check the schedule before visiting the museum in the Palazzo Reale. The Umberto Gallery: Just to the north of Piazza Plebiscito, facing a second small square, the Piazza Trieste e Trento, is the belle-époque-style Umberto Gallery, a shopping arcade dating to 1887 which is made of four wings radiating like a cross from its core (if you have been to Milan, the Umberto Gallery is similar to the Galleria there). Wander in to admire the handsome mosaic floor and the ornate, glass-domed ceiling which soars over 50 meters.
Castel Nuovo: Just to the east of the Palazzo Reale, the Castel Nuovo rises on a bluff above the Porto Beverello, the dock from which the ferries leave for Capri and Sorrento. The Castel Nuovo (New Castle) certainly isn’t very new—it dates back to the 13^th century. The building is definitely dramatic, a rectangular stone building punctuated by huge round stone towers. In the 15^th century a splendid white marble Triumphal Arch was added, a true masterpiece whose beauty contrasts pleasantly with the stern, fortress like castle. A deep moat, originally filled with sea water, embraces the fortress. Within the museum you can visit the Museo Civico that contains 14^th-century frescoes. It is also possible to visit the Palatine Chapel and the Baron’s Hall.Castel dell’Ovo: Leaving the Piazza Plebiscito, head down to the waterfront and turn right, following the Via Nazario Sauro as it traces the waterfront. As it rounds a bend, the name of the boulevard changes to Via Partenope, which is fronted by deluxe hotels that face onto Santa Lucia Harbor. Built on a rocky peninsula, that juts into the sea and forms one side of the harbor, is the Castel dell’Ovo built by the Norman King William I in the 12^th century. The name means Castle of the Egg, which supposedly originated from a legend that a magic egg was buried in the castle, and if ever broken, bad luck would descend upon Naples.