Naples is one of the most beautiful cities to visit during a trip to Italy, it offers an incredible variety of things to do, sights to see and magical stories that envelop it in an aura of mystery. The city a more be visited even ten times a year, but each time will give something different and new places to explore that seem to never run out. From the sea to the culture, nature, leisure and the delicious cuisine, which is not just pizza, tourists remains entranced by the heat and from the places that have made and continue to make history of our country. The historic center of Naples is a never-ending succession of squares, churches, palaces and spiers of the most important.
Walking through its streets, such as the San Gregorio Armeno, which at Christmas time becomes the heart of Naples with its artisan market of statues and items for the crib, you can discover the true soul of the city.
The famous Palace of Capodimonte, Naples underground, the church dedicated to San Gennaro, where every year we celebrate the miracle of the blood dissolution, Posillipo with its belvedere and the Vomero with its villas are just a few things to see in its center that already fill the visit. But Naples is also much more, and off the main core of the city the itinerary is enriched by historical sidelights, archaeological, and natural magic will not have comparisons in the world. The routes that wind in the Naples area are many and varied, from the spell of Capri blue, the breath of the history of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the burning land of the Campi Flegrei.
At short distance from the historic center of Naples, it appears a moonscape: craters, lakes, fumaroles, seems to be in the gate of the underworld. That ‘s right that the ancients considered this area, a burning ground, where the subsurface bubbles and rise to volcanism harnessed to mythological and magical stories. The Campi Flegrei is part of a regional park, with 40 craters. The most famous is the active crater Solfatara in Pozzuoli. It is one of the unique volcanic wonders in the world, in fact, such a place is found only in Japan. This crater, puffing with its fumaroles issuing the typical smell of sulfur, is responsible for the phenomenon that characterizes all the air. Another place not to miss near Pozzuoli, if you love nature, is the Crater of Astroni, a wonderful WWF protected reserve. The area is covered with a dense forest with many animals that live among the vegetation.
If you visit the city of Naples you have reserve a bit of time to see the two most famous places of the surroundings of Naples, namely the two cities buried by the eruption of Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum. The two sites have been scarred forever by the proximity of the volcano, which characterizes the landscape, but it is also the protagonist of their destruction. The eruption that has engulfed the city is that of 79 AD, which blocked the two Roman centers in an almost surreal dimension, where the houses, streets, public buildings, objects of everyday life and even people appear peacefully asleep under volcanic dust. Both Pompeii and those of Herculaneum are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to the testimonies that reproduce the life of a society from another era, that is unparalleled in the world.
The Herculaneum site was discovered in the eighteenth century, quite by accident, by a prince who had a villa in Portici, that – performing the excavations – found the remains of an ancient temple. The various excavations have brought to light various works of art, temples, the Basilica, several houses and the villa of the Papyri, still partly unexplored, where about 1700 papyrus, enclosed in boxes, have been found, which deal philosophical texts in greek and latin. The Herculaneum visit allows travel with the imagination and wander through the old streets and enter homes discovering the customs and habits of the past.
Pompeii is the most famous archaeological site, located 25 kilometers from the center of Naples, is by far the most visited place. Houses, public buildings and roads blocked at 79 d.c. report to a distant era where life does not seem to ever stop. In the tour of Pompeii, you can visit the splendid villas, including that of the Mysteries and the Villa of Diomede. Preserved under the rain of ash and lapilli there are also the Basilica, the administrative buildings, the buildings dedicated to the imperial cult, the macellum, the baths, the theater district and the amphitheater. No less valuable are the houses, with wonderful frescoes and mosaics, abandoned by the inhabitants during the eruption.
Mount Vesuvius is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuvius consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure.
Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as several other settlements. The eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ashes and volcanic gases to a height of 33 km, spewing molten rock and pulverized pumice at the rate of 6×105 cubic metres second, ultimately releasing a hundred thousand times the thermal energy released by the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings. More than 1,000 people died in the eruption, but exact numbers are unknown. The only surviving eyewitness account of the event consists of two letters by Pliny the Younger to the historian Tacitus.
Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. Today, it is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards violent, explosive eruptions of the Plinian type, making it the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.
A few kilometers from Naples there is an enchanting scenery, formed by small towns overlooking the sea, which are reflected in the waters of intense colors. The Amalfi Coast, or simply the coast for many Neapolitans, runs on a scenic road, among the most beautiful in the world. The localities that are crossed in a tour of the Amalfi Coast are fourteen, from Positano to Vietri. Being on the sea the best time to visit is summer, but winter can give a magical atmosphere with the many Christmas markets. Among the most beautiful cities there is Amalfi, where the most important monument is the cathedral and from where you can go by boat to visit the Emerald Cave. Not far away there are the villages of Conca dei Marini, Furore, Praiano. The most renowned one is Positano, a place for luxury holidays, featuring houses on the rock overlooking the sea, surrounded by vegetation, which make it similar to a crib. Follows Ravello, with the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, which offers a breathtaking view. Not far from Salerno is Vietri sul Mare, famous for the production of hand-painted porcelain. Going up the Amalfi Coast to Punta Campanella is also possible to meet the towns of Maiori and Minori, famous for its beautiful beaches and for the sweet and tasty pastry.
Close to the Amalfi coast there is the Sorrento coast, which stretches from Castellammare di Stabia to Punta Campanella. The most representative city is Sorrento, a true haven of art and culture of the bell, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea, with important historical and artistic heritage. The heart of the city is formed by a maze of narrow streets lined by small shops of craftsmen that produce the typical and folkloristic items products, in addition to the many taverns where you can taste all specialties. There are opportunities for wellness tourism , with the renowned thermal spas of Vico Equense. One recommendation, do not leave the Sorrento Coast without tasting the famous Limoncello liquor.
Paestum was a major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Magna Graecia. After its foundation by Greek colonists under the name of Poseidonia (Ancient Greek: Ποσειδωνία) it was eventually conquered by the Lucanians and later the Romans. The Lucanians renamed it to Paistos and the Romans gave the city its current name.
The ruins of Paestum are notable for their three ancient Greek temples which are in a very good state of preservation.
Today the remains of the city are found in the modern frazione of the same name, which is part of the comune of Capaccio in the Province of Salerno, Campania, Italy.
The Royal Palace of Caserta sits majestically on a hill overlooking the estate once belonging to the Bourbon kings of Naples. Built in grand style and stature, it was one of the largest buildings constructed in Europe in the 18th century and remains one of the continent’s largest palaces. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and at nearly 47,000 square meters in size it is the largest royal residence in the world.
The palace was inspired in large part by the Palace of Versailles in nearby France, though maintains its own individuality and style. Similarly surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens, fountains, and parks, it is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and impressive in its scale alone. A few things not to miss: the Royal Staircase, atrium, and Palatine Chapel, which meet a central, particularly scenic part of the palace
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