11 + 5 essentials: what to see and do in Naples and surroundings

Nápoles It is a very controversial city that combines urban chaos to unsuspected limits, with a long history that is reflected in monuments and its artistic wealth.

It is a city that you will love or hate, there is no middle ground, but from a tourist point of view, it contains corners of great interest.

Nápoles It is a city of enormous dimensions, but you will not really be able to confirm it until you have the opportunity to see some panoramic views of its urban development.

But it is also a city open to the sea.

What's more, you may arrive in Naples aboard a cruise ship or from its port take a fast ferry to visit the nearby island of Capri.

You should know that when you visit the city, you will find yourself in the place where pizzas were first made, between the 16th and 17th centuries, and for someone like us who like pizzas so much, it is no small fact.

But also the city ​​of naples It is the starting point to see in its surroundings several of the places that you can visit in Italy, such as the archaeological remains of the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii y Herculaneum.

Also an idyllic place and enclave of luxury, like the Capri island, and also coastal landscapes as spectacular as those of the Amalfi Coast.

In this complete article you have information and access to useful topics and notable places that you can visit in Naples and its surroundings, which will help you plan your trip.

It would be absurd for someone visiting the city where Maradona He is an idol, he would not go to see places like Pompeii

The best things to see in the city of Naples

Basically, Nápoles has two essential visits of the highest level, specifically, the National Archaeological Museum y Naples Underground, and then other very interesting corners that are concentrated in the historic center.

Of course, in the great chaos that is the city, do not be surprised to see many motorcycles coming at you in the opposite direction, and as a basic tip, you should not stray away from the busiest places in the center since it is a city with low security.

Yes, as happens to many people, you don't want to visit Naples on your ownwe leave you three very interesting options.

One is to visit Naples on an excursion from Rome, and on the other hand, two guided tours of the city with the company of a guide in Spanish, so you will not have any problem getting lost and you will be able to ask him any questions you have.

• Naples and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome
• Essential Naples tour
• Guided tour of Naples

Now let's go with the two essentials of the city of Naples and the rest of the notable visits.

National Archaeological Museum

If there is an essential museum to visit in Naples, it is the National Archaeological Museum.

In this museum you can see the artistic objects found in the Pompeii excavations and Farnese collection of classical sculptures

Since it is such an important topic, we have written two specific articles where we talk to you in more depth about the museum and the outstanding details of its interior.

• Tips for your visit to the Naples Archaeological Museum
• Sculptures from the Farnese collection at the Archaeological Museum of Naples

Naples Underground City

Known as the Naples Underground, it is truly amazing, without a doubt, one of the places that has impressed us the most not only in the city, but in all of Italy.

To give you an idea of ​​the dimensions, in the Second World War It had the capacity to protect 200.000 people.

It consists of a network of caves and passages built by the Greeks that run through the entire underground of the city with galleries.

I recommend you read this article because you will be amazed.

• Curiosities and history of underground Naples

Castel Nuovo in Naples

One of the images that will surely stay with you visit of Naples, is that of Castel Nuovo, the great fortification that you find in the city's port.

It has become one of the symbols of the city and will be the first monument you see if you arrive in Naples aboard a cruise ship to visit it.

Located on the seashore, in front of the ferry station where you can take, among others, the one that will take you to the Capri island, this great fortification was ordered to be built Charles I of Anjou in 1270 to become a royal residence.

El Castel Nuovo extends majestically across the wide Municipal square, starting point of the tourist service of double-decker panoramic buses that allows you to visit the city.

If from Castel Nuovo you follow the Via San Carlo, you will reach some of the most touristic points of Naples, such as the Umberto I Gallery, Pebliscito square, where the building of the old Royal Palace.

Or also to the Via Toledo that leads you through Spanish Quarter, which I will tell you about later and where you can also visit the underground city.

When this fortification was built, two other fortifications already existed in Naples, the Egg Castle and Capuan Castle, hence its name New Castle.

But the castle eventually fell into the hands of Peter III of Aragon, who conquered the kingdom at the end of the 13th century.

In the following years the castle had various avatars, from becoming a cultural center to where illustrious writers such as Petrarch y Boccaccio, until suffering several attacks.

Another stage of strength Castel Nuovo It was from 1443, after the purchase of the kingdom of Naples by Alfonso of Aragon, with what became known as the period of the aragoneses.

In it, the castle was completely rebuilt to have the configuration that you will see today.

Its function as a royal residence ended during the 18th century, during the reign of Charles of Bourbon, who later was Charles III of Spain.

This king decided to move his residence to the aforementioned Royal Palace for the Plebiscite Square, also using the Royal Palace of Capodimonte.

Now the Castel Nuovo It is home to several institutions, such as the Library of the Neapolitan History Society, and also houses the Civic Museum, which you can visit, and in this way get to know the interior of the historic fortification.

Here you can consult the visiting hours of Civic Museum at the Castel Nuovo as well as the ticket prices.

Spanish Quarter, Via Toledo

The Spanish Quarter is a very popular area of ​​the city, whose main axis is Vía Toledo.

It is made up of a set of narrow streets, full of life that has a history deeply linked to Spain.

I don't want to talk to you more in this section about the neighborhood because we have an article in which we tell you many more things about this curious place.

• This is the visit to the Spanish Quarter of Naples

Plebiscito Square

Al travel to Naples, on a cruise, a main focus of your walk through the historic center will be the Plebiscite Square.

Throughout history and today, it is the public space where large outdoor events are held in this large city in southern Italy.

The configuration of buildings and monuments that this enclave currently has is relatively recent, from the time after the occupation of the Napoleonic troops.

But this square has been a very popular meeting place among Neapolitans for centuries, especially since the 17th century, when the Royal Palace.

Now pedestrianized, the monument that will catch your attention the most is, without a doubt, the Basilica of San Francisco de Paula, which was completed in 1846.

Surrounded by a large colonnade, the basilica is a neoclassical style building whose exterior appearance may remind you of the Pantheon of Agrippa de Roma.

In front of the façade of the basilica you can see the equestrian statues of Charles III and Ferdinand I.

In addition to the aforementioned Royal PalaceIn the Plebiscite Square are also located palaces of the Prefecture and Salerno.

As information, I will tell you that at the confluence of this square with the aforementioned Trieste and Trento Appointments are made for the start of the Guided tours of Naples underground.

In short, a fundamental axis in your visit to Naples.

Brandi's Pizzeria

If you travel to the south of Italy, it is almost obligatory eat pizza, more so in the case of Naples, where pizza became a very popular food among poor people, who bought them in bakeries.

But among the many pizzerias What is there in Nápoles, there is one that has the reputation of being the pizzeria that at the end of the 19th century became the supplier of pizzas to the queen of Italy and, also, the inventor of the famous Margarita pizza.

I mean the Brandi's Pizzeria, which you find on a corner of the very popular Via Chaia, pedestrian street that starts from the center Trieste and Trento square, next to the large esplanade of the Plebiscite Square, in the Spanish Quarter.

The origin of the Brandi Pizzeria dates back, neither more nor less, to the year 1780, when the pizzeria was founded Pietro…that's enough. Its owner, Pietro Colichio, later transferred the pizzeria to Enrico Brandi, after whom the establishment is currently named.

The pizzeria passed into the hands of his daughter Maria Giovanna, who married Raffaele Esposito, who became popularly known as Pietro the pizza maker.

And went in 1889. when after arrival at Nápoles of the then kings of Italy, Umberto I and his wife, Pietro the pizza maker was called to Royal Palace of Capidomento, because the queen was interested in trying the pizzas.

Raffaele Esposito then prepared three different new modalities for the occasion, among which was one with mozzarella cheese and tomato. And this was the one that the queen liked the most.

And from then on, the Brandi's Pizzeria became the official supplier of pizzas to the queen of Italy. And the new pizza was renamed Margherita, in honor of Queen Margaret of Savoy.

Now in your visit of Naples can try the famous Margarita pizza (or the one you prefer within its extensive menu) in the Brandi's Old Pizzeria.

If you go in the summer season, you can sit on the terrace located on the alley on both sides of which the establishment is located. And, possibly, you will hear the typical Neapolitan songs sung by a traveling musician.

Umberto Gallery

One of the great surprises that your visit to Naples will bring you will, without a doubt, be the Umberto I Gallery.

It is a large shopping gallery which was completed in 1890 and the result is an imposing architectural complex.

This gallery was built in what was then a depressed area of ​​the city of Naples, where crime prevailed and with a very poor hygienic state.

During your visit you will see a large gallery with a cross plan, which is covered by glass vaults supported by metal structures, in keeping with the fashionable architecture of the time.

La Umberto I Gallery You find it in the most central area of ​​the city, in the Via San Carlo, in front of the building Opera house.

This is the street that allows you to go from the port, passing next to the Castel Nuovo, until Trieste and Trento square, door of Spanish Quarter, Yet the Plebiscite Square.

On the façade of the aforementioned Via San Carlo you will find a large cover in the shape of classic exedra. where you can see large columns on which statues representing the seasons of the year and the continents of the Earth are placed.

On your walk through the interior of the Umberto I Gallery You will see shops and cafes, but above all you should pay attention to the architectural beauty of its different corners.

The center of the gallery is made up of a large octagonal square, and during your visit you should pay attention to the beautiful mosaics on the floor, which were installed in 1959 to replace those that were destroyed during the Second World War.

Dante's Square

In your walk through the historic center of Naples, a place that will undoubtedly catch your attention is the Dante's square which you will recognize by its semicircular configuration.

Its origins date back to the 16th century, when it housed one of the markets of Naples.

Now Dante's square arrives Decumano, one of the arteries that the Greeks once built in Naples, and one of the reasons why the historic center of the city has been declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco

El Decumano of the Greeks now corresponds to the Via del Tribunali, and enters Dante's square through the arch known as the Alba Gate, which was opened in 1625.

The semicircular configuration of the Dante's square is due to the reform that was carried out in 1765, although the statue dedicated to Dante Alighieri which you can see was installed in 1871.

Now you are faced with an almost completely pedestrian plaza, after the remodeling carried out in 2002 due to the construction of the Metro line.

Prince of Naples shopping gallery

On the walk to archeological Museum, almost in front of it, you will find another shopping gallery with characteristics similar to those of the large Gallery of Umberto I.

This is the Prince of Naples shopping gallery, which was designed in 1869 and completed in 1883, before the aforementioned one. Smaller in size, it has a similar style, also with a cross plan and glass vaults supported on metal structures.

This shopping arcade was completely restored in 2008 and reopened to the public in 2009.

Views of Naples from the San Martino Charterhouse in the Vomero neighborhood

Without a doubt, the place to enjoy the best panoramic views of Naples It is the hill where the great enclosure of the San Telmo Castle and Charterhouse of San Martino.

This hill is located at the top of the cosmopolitan Vomero neighborhood, developed in the 19th century, where palatial buildings abound and middle class people live.

El San Telmo Castle It dates back to 1275, although it was completely renovated in the XNUMXth century.

For its part, the adjacent Charterhouse of San Martino It was founded as a Carthusian monastery in the 14th century, and currently houses the National Museum of San Martino, with a curious display of figures of Bethlehem.

The atmosphere that is breathed has nothing to do with the murkier one that is breathed in the center of Naples, specifically, in the Spanish Quarter.

The panoramic views of Naples You have them from the viewpoint located in front of the building of the Charterhouse of San Martino, from which you will see the historic center and, in the background, the famous volcano Vesuvius.

You can walk up to this enclave with its viewpoints from the main square of the aforementioned Vomero neighborhood, Vanvitelli, and if you have decided, as we did, to aim for the Naples City Tour on the double-decker tourist bus, to go up to San Martino you must take line C.

The viewpoint is precisely the main attraction of this tour, and the bus will stop for a while there so you can get off and take photos.

Gulf of Naples shore excursion to Cape Posillipo

On your trip you have the opportunity to get to know a Naples that is very different from urban Naples, and the best way to do it is to walk along the promenade that runs from the port along the coast towards the west.

If you don't have your own car, one way to do it is by taking the typical panoramic tourist bus City Tour which starts from the Castel Nuovo, next to the port and near the Spanish Quarter.

This is what I did in my until now only one visit of Naples.

Of the five lines offered by this tourist service, it is line B that goes along the coast towards the Cape Posillipo.

During this tour you will first pass through one of the historic mansions of Naplesand Calabritto palace, and other tourist enclaves such as Tombs of Virgil and Leopardi or the Science City.

On this tour you will end up leaving the city until you reach the nearby Cape Posillipo, point where the panoramic bus begins his return, no longer next to the sea but following the Via Petrarch, a road that runs along the slope of the mountain and from where you will have excellent panoramic views of the aforementioned capri island, as well as Vesuvius volcano.

Finally, once again at the entrance to the city and resuming the route along the coast, you will pass another of the outstanding monuments of Naples, the Castel dell'Ovo, to finally finish the trip at Castel Novo.

Yes to enjoy these landscapes of the Gulf of Naples If you opt for this panoramic bus, it will take about 70 minutes for the entire route.

Best places to see and visit around Naples

As we have already mentioned, one of the great attractions of traveling to Naples is visiting some of the most interesting places in its surroundings.

Below we are going to provide you with the information you need to know to plan your trip to this city in southern Italy.

Pompeii

Pompeii is, without a doubt, one of the star visits in Naples. I would tell you more, whoever travels to Naples, mainly does so because he is going to visit Pompeii.

And Pompeii is one of the most special places in the world, because there is no place where you can see an ancient city that was engulfed by a volcano and, as a result of the violence of the explosion, remained anchored like this. in the time.

It's one of those things that happens once and doesn't happen again.

Below we recommend several articles that you should read before traveling to Naples and visiting Pompeii.

• Useful tips for your Pompeii sightseeing tour
• Curiosities of Pompeii
• Frescoes from the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii
• Human figures in the archaeological remains of Pompeii
• Access, schedules and ticket prices to visit Pompeii
• How to go by train or bus from Rome to Naples and Pompeii

Herculaneum

Herculaneum is an ancient Roman city that, like Pompeii, was engulfed by Vesuvius.

But in terms of the archaeological remains that can now be visited, although Pompeii gets the logical fame, in reality much more was destroyed, so, after having visited both enclaves, the best place to see the history of what passed is Herculaneum.

• Tips for your visit to the Herculaneum excavations
• How to get to and visit the Herculaneum excavations

Capri Island

• The best things to see and do when visiting the island of Capri
• Tour to Capri from Rome

Ischia Island

• Visit of the tropical garden La Mortella on the island of Ischia
• Resort Garden & Villas on the island of Ischia

Amalfi Coast

• Ravello, the viewpoint of the Amalfi Coast