Naples City Break
Naples is loud, lively and bursting with life - the birthplace of pizza, with a UNESCO-listed old town, Vesuvius on the horizon and the bay at its feet. Ready-made routes from the metro lead you from the grand squares by the sea up into the narrow, buzzing lanes of Spaccanapoli - with no planning needed.
🗺️ Open Naples interactively – map & navigationOur walks through Naples
Two routes that link up: through royal Naples from Castel Nuovo to the sea and up the funicular onto the Vomero (10 stops, approx. 4.5 km) - and from Metro Dante through the UNESCO heart of the old town to the National Archaeological Museum and the catacombs (9 stops, approx. 2.5 km). Plus four great day trips: Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and the Vesuvius hike. The highlights:
Royal Naples, the Sea & Vomero
From Municipio down to Castel dell'Ovo by the sea, then through royal Naples: Plebiscito square, Teatro San Carlo and the Galleria, the Via Toledo shopping street and the buzzing Quartieri Spagnoli with the Maradona mural - via the Toledo art metro station and the funicular up onto the Vomero to Castel Sant'Elmo and the San Martino charterhouse with the finest panorama.
- Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) – This mighty fortress with five round towers was begun in 1279 by the House of Anjou. Between two towers gleams the white Renaissance triumphal arch - one of Italy's finest city gates. From the sea, the castle is the landmark of the port.
- Castel dell'Ovo & Borgo Marinari – On an islet in the bay rises Naples' oldest castle - legend says the poet Virgil hid an egg here on which the city's fate depends. From the roof the view sweeps to Vesuvius; below lies the little fishing quarter of Borgo Marinari with its restaurants.
- Piazza del Plebiscito – The city's grandest square, framed by the sweeping colonnade of the church of San Francesco di Paola and bounded by the Royal Palace. A monumental contrast to the narrow old-town lanes - and a favourite meeting point.
- Teatro di San Carlo – Opened in 1737, the Teatro di San Carlo is Europe's oldest continuously active opera house - older than Milan's La Scala. Its red-and-gold auditorium can be admired on a guided tour.
- Galleria Umberto I – The magnificent shopping arcade of 1890 with its glass-domed roof and marble mosaic floor - Naples's elegant answer to Milan's Galleria, right across from the opera house.
- Via Toledo (shopping street) – The bustling avenue of 1536 is Naples' main shopping street: fashion chains, historic cafés and street performers along a kilometre from Plebiscito square to Piazza Dante. A stroll right through Neapolitan life.
- Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarters) – A tangle of narrow, steep lanes with fluttering laundry, street shrines and buzzing Vespas - the most authentic Naples. Here you'll find the huge mural of football icon Diego Maradona, now a place of pilgrimage. Best explored by day.
- Metro Toledo – Toledo station is considered one of the most beautiful metro stations in Europe: the "Crater de Luz" leads through a deep-blue mosaic vault of thousands of points of light, drawing you in like the sea. A spectacular opening - before you even reach daylight above.
- Castel Sant'Elmo – The star-shaped tufa fortress crowns the Vomero hill. From its terrace you get the very best panorama over all of Naples, the bay and Vesuvius - the postcard view par excellence.
- Certosa e Museo di San Martino – Right beside Castel Sant'Elmo lies the sumptuous charterhouse: a Baroque masterpiece with a dazzling white cloister, a famous collection of Nativity scenes (presepi) and balconies with the same dreamlike bay view - the crowning finale.
Centro Storico: Spaccanapoli, Duomo & Museum
From Metro Dante straight into the UNESCO heart of Naples: the diamond facade of Gesù Nuovo, the majolica cloister of Santa Chiara, the Veiled Christ in the Cappella Sansevero, the Nativity lane of San Gregorio Armeno and the Duomo with the blood of San Gennaro - along the dead-straight Spaccanapoli to the city's best pizza. To finish, by metro to the National Archaeological Museum and by bus up to the catacombs.
- Gesù Nuovo – On the eponymous square with its Marian spire stands this Baroque church with its unusual facade of black diamond-cut stone. Inside, an overwhelming blaze of marble, frescoes and gold - this was the church of the healer-saint Giuseppe Moscati.
- Chiostro di Santa Chiara (cloister) – Behind the plain monastery church hides one of the city's most enchanting spots: a cloister whose pillars and benches are entirely clad in hand-painted 18th-century majolica tiles - vines, flowers and rural scenes in yellow and blue.
- Cappella Sansevero (Veiled Christ) – This small Baroque chapel holds one of the world's most famous sculptures: the "Veiled Christ" by Giuseppe Sanmartino (1753), whose marble shroud looks so gossamer-thin you'd swear it were real. Plus mysterious anatomical models in the basement. Book ahead - it gets very busy.
- Via San Gregorio Armeno – The "nativity lane" is Christmas all year round: in tiny workshops, artisans have crafted the famous Neapolitan nativity figures (presepi) for generations - from shepherds to caricatures of today's celebrities. A feast for the eyes.
- Duomo di Napoli (San Gennaro) – The cathedral is dedicated to the city's patron, San Gennaro. Its ornate Baroque chapel keeps his blood, said to miraculously liquefy three times a year - an event that grips all Naples. Don't miss the early-Christian basilica of Santa Restituta either.
- Spaccanapoli – The dead-straight lane that slices the old town in two like a knife (hence the name 'Naples-splitter') is the pulsing spine of the Centro Storico: workshops, sfogliatella bakers, street altars and the reclining Nile god on Piazzetta Nilo.
- Pizza finale: L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele – To finish, perhaps the most famous pizza in the world: since 1870 Da Michele has served only margherita and marinara - thin, wood-fired, for a few euros. Take a number, queue briefly and enjoy true Neapolitan pizza. Sorbillo in the old town is a great alternative.
- National Archaeological Museum (MANN) – One of the world's foremost museums of antiquity: the treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Farnese collection with its colossal Hercules and the Secret Cabinet of erotic antiquities. The perfect prelude before you visit Pompeii.
- Catacombs of San Gennaro – Beneath the Sanità district, the vast early-Christian catacombs stretch over two levels, with frescoes and mosaics - the oldest resting place of the city's patron San Gennaro. Tours are run by social cooperatives from the neighbourhood.
Getting there & around
The old town is best explored on foot; for longer stretches Metro Line 1 carries you across the city - its Toledo, Università and Municipio stations are little works of art in themselves. Tickets cover the ANM metro, funiculars and buses and are validated on boarding. From Capodichino Airport the Alibus reaches the main station and port in ~25 min. For Pompeii take the Circumvesuviana (EAV); for the Amalfi Coast, train plus SITA bus, or a ferry in summer. Payment is in euros - cash is easiest for pizza and espresso. And keep your valuables close in the crowds.
Going out & nightlife
Rooftop bars
- Caruso Roof Garden (Grand Hotel Vesuvio) – Elegant roof terrace above the Santa Lucia seafront with sweeping views of Castel dell'Ovo, the bay and Vesuvius - sunset cocktail included.
- L'Antiquario – Hidden speakeasy cocktail bar near Piazza dei Martiri in Chiaia - stylish, dark and serving classic drinks at a high level.
Nightlife quarters
- Piazza Bellini – The old town's liveliest nightlife square: cafés, wine bars and student haunts around ancient excavations under the open sky.
- Chiaia & Piazza dei Martiri – The elegant seaside district with chic bars, boutiques and the evening promenade of Via Chiaia.
- Borgo Marinari & Lungomare – At the foot of Castel dell'Ovo lies the little fishing-harbour quarter with waterfront restaurants and bars - behind it the car-free seafront promenade.
Food & restaurants
- Gino Sorbillo – Arguably the city's most famous pizzeria on Via dei Tribunali - wood-fired Neapolitan pizza with a thin base and a puffy, airy crust. Usually a queue, but worth it.
- Diego Vitagliano (Via Santa Lucia) – Celebrated pizzaiolo Diego Vitagliano ranks among the world's best (top places at '50 Top Pizza'). His modern restaurant on Via Santa Lucia 78 near the sea serves artful, airy pizza - reservations strongly recommended.
- Trattoria da Nennella (Quartieri Spagnoli) – Boisterous, down-to-earth trattoria in the Spanish Quarters with hearty Neapolitan home cooking and singing waiters - an experience.
Bars & clubs
- Gassen der Altstadt (Decumani) – Around Via dei Tribunali and San Gregorio Armeno, pizzerias, wine bars and aperitivo spots line up - alive until late in the evening.
- Weinbars im Centro Storico – Small wine bars in the old-town lanes serving Campanian wines and simple bites - laid-back and typically Neapolitan.
Stage & concerts
- Teatro di San Carlo – Europe's oldest continuously active opera house (1737) stages opera and ballet in resplendent red and gold, right beside the Royal Palace.