Discovering the real Italy is best done by walking through the streets. Naples has a pretty good public transport system, but you are best off to just start walking from the city centre. The most beautiful street is Via Dei Tribunali. This small street is full of monuments and churches. May you be a lover of visiting churches then Naples is definitely a good recommendation. Alongside this street you will find different churches where you can simply walk into.
One of the biggest attractions in Naples is San Francesco Di Paola. It is a similar structure as the Pantheon in Rome, only without the mass tourism. The front of the church is phenomenal and inside hang the most beautiful pieces of art. On the big square on the front side are children's heads in different patterns. The front of the church consists of 30 columns that form a circle. If you are standing in front of the basilica then the sight is wonderful. Inside you will straight away notice the similarities with Rome.
The Greeks and Romans have built a tunnel labyrinth underneath the city. In this labyrinth they primarily stored supplies and goods in a cool spot. During the war the underground tunnels were mostly used as shelter. The entrance of the underground tunnels is hidden on Via Tribunali. After 140 stairs you are in the underworld of Naples. Every two house tours are given through the old tunnel system of Naples.
Naples always feels Roman and Greek when you are strolling through the city. You definitely do not expect a Medieval castle, but there is one there! Castel dell'Ovo is the oldest castle of the city. Presently its mainly used for showcasing exhibitions. The castle was built in 1279. In the castle you can find different works of art. From the city centre it is possible to walk to the castle.
On Via San Gregoria Armeno you will find tradesmen that make christmas figures by hand for the Italian christmas stalls. Don't think about christmas figures like Maria and the standard figures. Actually, these figures that are being made here do not have anything to do with christmas. You will find Messia, Maradonna and Berlusconi that are made of terracotta and are painted by hand. The figures look beautiful and are a great souvenir to bring back home. Throughout the year you can buy the figures here, but especially during christmas time the tourists and locals shop for their christmas decorations. Pay attention that you buy the real handmade figures. Nowadays there is a lot of scamming with the christmas figures, they often come from China and are not handmade.
The most important excavations from Pompeï are not found in the ancient city itself. Most findings are brought to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. The museum knows the most important collection of archeological findings in the world. The biggest part of the collection is coming of course from Pompeï. There are also objects to be seen from the Greek times and the Renaissance. An exhibition that was showcased in Naples and which caused a lot of commotion was that of erotic findings from Pompeï. These are from the Roman bathing houses and were not allowed to be showcased for a long time.
The oldest opera theatre of Italy is Teatro di San Carlo, This old theatre is known for its excellent acoustics. According to the professionals the acoustics are even the best in the world. Lovers of opera come from across the world to Naples to visit an opera show. Especially for the young folks there are operas in the mornings that are a bit more accessible. You can get to know opera in a light manner in this way. The old theatre was built in 1737, but in 1816 the theatre was destroyed by a big fire. After 6 days the theatre was rebuilt by the opera enthusiasts and restored to its original state. They did make changes to improve the acoustics. These alterations in the architecture have been really successful as the acoustics are highly regarded.
Naples is often seen by a lot of tourists as a crazy place. It takes a bit of getting used to the busyness of course , but fortunately there are also different small islands nearby to escape the crowds. One of the most well known islands is Capri. This beautiful island is known for its steep cliffs and is reachable by boat from Naples. You can easily spend a weekend on the island or simply make it into a day trip.
One of the most important sights is actually outside of Naples, namely Pompeï. Different taxi drivers will offer you to bring you to Pompeï. We actually discourage you to use the taxi but take the train instead, because the taxi drivers like to rip tourists off by charging enormous amounts. It is cheaper to take the train from Naples. The train stops right up to Pompeï. Take at least a day to explore Pompeï because the city is gigantic. The chances are that even in a full day you would not have seen everything yet. Combine a visit to Pompeï with a visit to the National Archeological Museum of Naples to really have seen everything. Most findings are not anymore in Pompeï but in this museum. The house of Vettii is absolutely to be recommended to have seen. This was a rich family through trade and you can see this back in their home. In the city there are also a number of temples and theatres that have been preserved through time. The Amphitheatre is also well preserved and is worth having seen.
Just like in the rest of Italy, you can enjoy wonderful Italian food in Naples. A recommendation is to have eaten pizza in Naples. This Italian dish namely comes from Naples! Actually you can eat good pizza's virtually anywhere in Naples. It is a good idea to eat at Pizza for President in Via dei Trubunali 94. This pizza baker says he invented the pizza, there are some doubts about this statement however. One thing he did manage to do was that when in 1994 Bill Clinton was president, he managed to have him come for a meal at his place. During the G-7 top he sneaked out to eat a pizza. A picture as proof hangs proudly in the restaurant.
