Naples is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is a beautiful and historic city to explore. It’s the third largest city in Italy and one of the oldest, so it’s deep with culture, history AND delicious food. It’s pretty easy to explore the city by foot. If you have the chance, I would recommend trying a pasta or pizza making class, or go on a food tour to try all the delicious options to eat and drink. You can also take a day trip to Pompeii, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Here are some highlights of what to see in the city, and maybe some things you can avoid if they don’t interest you.
Be sure to check official websites for operating hours and ticket prices for the different places you want to go. Don’t trust Google hours, they are not always accurate.
Piazza del Plebiscito is the largest square in Naples and is located in the heart of the city. The square houses two important buildings: Royal Palace of Naples (Palazzo Reale) which was built in the 17th century as the royal residence and center of the government, and San Francesco di Paola which is a prominent church reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome. This area is worth checking out, even if you don’t pay to go inside the Royal Palace.
Piazza Trieste e Trento is worth passing by, maybe stopping at one of the cafes to grab some coffee or a snack. But you definitely want to stop and gaze at the beautiful architecture of Galleria Umberto I, one of the most popular shopping arcades that is directly across from San Carlo Theatre, which is the world’s oldest opera house. There are guided tours for the theater, but check the website for ticket prices and times for the tours because specific times are based on the language spoken on the tour.
We always love going to local markets because it gives us an inside perspective of the culture as we walk around the city. We went to La Pignasecca, which is Naples’ oldest local market. Maybe we went too early in the day, or during the wrong season, but there was not much to see. There were some local fruit/vegetable markets and meat markets, but that was it. It was not really worth making a special trip, but if you’re walking by, be sure to browse like the locals. We also walked through the streets of Spaccanapoli where we were told we could find some souvenirs. Either we were in the wrong area, or we didn’t walk down the right streets, but we didn’t find any souvenirs until we got to Christmas Alley, which was a bit of a walk to get to. We were just walking along the streets with locals, which was still pretty cool to take it all in. And of course, we picked up street food and treats along the way.
Warning on Christmas Alley – I was expecting American-style Christmas decorations and lights. Blog posts made it seem like it was always decorated for Christmas and it was my own fault of my cultural expectations, but it was simply beautiful shops with nativity sets, and other carvings celebrating Jesus. There were so many beautiful shops and worth buying something to remember Naples, but it was NOT what I was expecting.
Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo (the ‘New Jesus’) is named the most beautiful church in Naples which is very accurate. While the exterior is nothing spectacular, stepping inside may take your breath away. It was originally built in the 15th century as a palace, famous for the beauty of its interior and a leading example for the Neapolitan Renaissance and Baroque. It changed hands throughout the centuries, and it was drastically damaged in WWII bombings, but it was fully restored in the 1970s. It is free to enter, but it is closed 12:30-5pm daily, so plan accordingly.
The National Archaeological Museum has the most amount of Roman remains from the Pompeii and Herculaneum digs, so it’s worth checking out if you can’t make it to Pompeii. Chapel of Sansevero, has the statue of The Veiled Christ carved by the artist Giuseppe Sanmartino.
Castel Nuovo (New Castle) is a medieval castle near the city center that was built in 1279 as the royal residence for the kings of Naples. It has a maximum capacity, so you want to buy tickets sooner rather than later. Castel dell’Ovo (Egg Castle) was closed due to renovations, but it is the oldest standing fort and said to have the most beautiful views.
Be sure to read about the history of the legendary Argentine footballer, Diego Armando Maradona who played for Naples in the 1980s, because Naples loves him. Even if you don’t care about football, it’s an important part of Naples culture.
If you have time, there are plenty of other places you can see, depending on your own personal interests, so have fun and enjoy exploring. Sfogliatelle which is a pastry filled with cream, baba which is cake soaked in syrup, and Neapolitan pizza which is very simply dough sauce and maybe a little mozzarella cheese, are all a must to try while there. And be sure to try other street foods, pasta, wine, gelato while you’re there.
Traveling Tribe 