Naples
Advertisement
By Air
Although Naples’ airport isn’t one of Italy’s busiest, it does serve the whole of Southern Italy and is the main gateway to the region. Capodichino Airport is located close to the city, with regular bus transfers into the centre. It is a well equipped two-terminal facility that caters to increased charter flight traffic in the summer. Most of the flights arrive from within Italy and Europe, with the long-haul options being far fewer. With busy hubs, at Rome and Milan, many overseas visitors transfer onto a domestic flight before arriving in Naples.
By Rail
Often used by tourists to get to and from Naples, the Ferrivie dello Stato (FS) is a highly efficient and well developed rail service with several classes of trains, depending on the route, time of day and speed. It is partially privatised and operates the following services: regional (R), which are slow and stop at every little station, but don’t travel long distances; and the inter-regional (iR), which run between regions somewhat faster. The Intercity (IC), Eurocity (EC) and Eurostar Italy (ES) are all high-speed services, but tickets are subject to a supplementary fee. Getting tickets at the Central Station can be a hectic and confusing affair in the busy season, with seat availability difficult on short notice. The ticket classes can be complicated and you might end up being sold a wrong ticket. Remember to validate your tickets in the yellow machines when boarding.
By Bus
Most buses for Italian and some European cities leave from Piazza Garibaldi in front of Central Station (Stazione Centrale). There are numerous daily departures to Rome and major centres nearby such as Bari, Solerno and Taranto, with regional companies serving the surrounding areas and popular resorts such as Sorrento and Amalfi. They are generally cheaper, but slower than trains.
Advertisement
Naples - Harbor
To the east of the palace and the Castel Nuovo in Naples extends the harbor, divided into separate docks and basins by a series of piers and breakwaters, which is always a bustle of activity. Extending east from the Piazza del Municipio is the Molo Angioino, on which is the Marine Station. To the west of this is the Eliporto (Heliport), from which there are regular helicopter services to Capri, Ischia, Capodichino Airport (7km/4.5mi north), etc. Farther south, from the quay on the Calata di Beverello, boats sail to Ponza, Capri and Ischia.
The harbor of Naples is the primary place to visit, with it's beautiful scenery and numerous cafes and ice cream parlors. The Margherita pizza, the original pizza, is a 'must eat' when visiting
National Archeological Museum
From Piazza Dante in Naples the Via Enrico Pessina, the continuation of Via Roma, leads to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Museum), with one of the world's finest collections of antiquities. The building, originally erected in 1585 as a barracks and from 1616 the home of the university, was converted in 1790 to house the royal collections. It contains the art treasures of the kings of Naples, the Farnese collections from Rome and Parma, the collections from the palaces of Portici and Capodimonte and material from Pompeii, Herculaneum and Cumae.
Ascent of Vesuvius
For the ascent of Vesuvius, leave the Naples-Salerno motorway at the Ercolano exit and take the Strada del Vesuvio, which winds its way uphill between lava flows. In 7km/4.5mi it comes to the Albergo Eremo, where a short side road goes off to the Observatory, founded in 1845, with a museum.
In another 3km/2mi the road forks. To the left is a road running up the north side of Vesuvius to the Colle Margherita (3km/2mi), from which it is a 20 min climb on foot to the rim of the crater. The road continues straight ahead and in 1.5km/1mi comes to the lower station of a chair-lift (753m/2,485ft) which goes up to the upper station (1,158m/3,821ft); at present the chair-lift is not in operation. At the top there is a fascinating one-hour walk around the crater and magnificent views.
Another road (toll payable) runs from Torre Annunziata, a village to the southwest of the volcano. The route first leads northeast for 2km/1.25mi to Boscotrecase, then 10km/6mi northwest, past the Nuova Casa Bianca restaurant and up the southeast slopes of Vesuvius with numerous bends. Some time ago the area around the crater was designated a protected area.
Cumae
35km/22mi west of Naples are the remains of Cumae (Italian Cuma, Greek Kyme), the oldest Greek settlement in Italy, founded in the ninth or eighth century B.C. and destroyed by the Saracens in the A.D. ninth century. The site has been excavated since 1926. Beyond a short tunnel, to the right, is the so-called Roman Crypt, a tunnel of Augustan date, 180m/197yd long, which runs under the acropolis to the sea. Opposite this, to the left, is the entrance of the Cave of the Sibyl (Antro della Sibilla), described by Virgil (Aeneid VI, 43 ff.) as having a hundred entrances and a hundred issues, "from which resound as many voices, the oracles of the prophetess". This is a passage hewn from the rock,
131m/143yd long, 2.5m/2.75yd wide and 5m/17ft high, with numerous side passages opening on to the sea which provide light and air. At the far end is the actual cave of the oracle, a square chamber with three vaulted recesses. From the Cave of the Sibyl a ramp leads up to the acropolis. The road leads past a lookout terrace to the remains of the Temple of Apollo and beyond this, on the summit of the hill, the ruins of a Temple of Jupiter which was used as a church in early Christian times. From the top of the hill there are magnificent views of the sea, extending as far as Gaeta and the Isole Ponziane, and of the Phlegraean Fields to the east.
Capodimonte Park
Beyond the Madre del Buon Consiglio the Via Capodimonte curves up to the Porta Grande, the main entrance to the magnificent Capodimonte Park.
Information not available
January - February -> 6(°C) - Winter
July - August -> 29(°C) - Summer
Advertisement
Photo Gallery
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1285587054821.jpg"))
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1285587054226.jpg"))
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1285587055691.jpg"))
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1285587055816.jpg"))