From Bologna to Salerno - Arrival in Naples (5/9)

Napule

Harbour in Naples; in the background, Vesuvius

On the 5th July, after spending some days in the wonderful city of Florence, we set off for the chaotic city of Naples, or Napule as the Neapolitans say. To get from one place to another we caught two trains, the first would take us from Santa Maria Novella to Rifredi station, and the next would get us to Naples. The reason for taking these two trains and leaving from Rifredi station is because the direct trains from Santa Maria Novella were much more expensive: so, travelling to Naplesfrom Rifredi cost us €20. If we'd taken the direct train from Santa Maria Novella, the price of our tickets would've amounted to something more like €40 per person (all of it with the company Trenitalia).

The journey, with the transfer, was 5 hours, whereas from Santa Maria Novella one can get to Naples in around 3 hours. As for the journey between Santa Maria Novella and Rifredi, the trains pass by very frequently and takes around 5 minutes; it costs €1. 50.

I wasn't completely seduced by my first impression of the city of Naples. In fact, it seemed to be a distressing space, full of people, cars, motorbikes that thoughtlessly whiz by despite the traffic lights or the pedestrians. Although many of the streets are quite narrow and there are many alleys with little charm, I must admit that, as the days went on, I got used to it and even started to see the city in a more attractive light.

A forgotten alley in Naples

Before visiting this city I looked online for stories from other travellers who warned of the danger of some streets such as Via Toledo, but truthfully I thought this commercial street was one of the prettiest and most entertaining of the city; although it's also true that we didn't walk by there at night. In addition to this street, Via Duomo and Via Tribunali are also known. The latter, although it's not very pretty, has several establishments for eating or drinking something, like bakeries, shops and little souvenir stalls.

In Naples one can admire the different monuments and places of interest, like the various squares, castles and churches.

Starting with the squares, the Piazza Dante has a statue of Dante Alighieri and it's also the entry point to Via Toledo. Another very famous square is the Piazza del Plebiscito, which is surrounded by the Royal Palace, the Basilica of San Francisco de Paula, the Prefectura Palace and the Salerno Palace. In addition, the St Charles Theatre is the oldest opera theatre in Europe, and it's very close to this square.

Sculpture of Dante Alighieri

Piazza del Plebiscito

As for the castles, the Castel Nuovo, Castel dell’Ovo and Castel Sant’Elmo stand out. Castel Nuovo is a building located close to the port and in the entrance you can see the Arch of Triumph that commemorates the entry of Alfonso V de Aragón to Naples. On its part, the Castel dell'Ovo is located in the gulf and it's free to visit! There are some spectacular views from its terrace. On the other hand, Castel Sant'Elmo is found in one of the city's highest areas and it's Naples' biggest castle.

Castel Nuovo

Castel dell’Ovo

There are also religious buildings in Naples, as it couldn't be otherwise. To my understanding, the ones that stand out are the Duomo of Naples, the Gesù Nuovo and the Santa Clara churches, located practically opposite one another, as well as the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

The Gesù Nuovo church

The second day that we spent in Naples, we decided to dedicate it to getting to know the city with the help of a guide, for which we went to the meeting point for tours organised by Free Walking Tour. They offer three different tours and different times of the day and they're carried out in both English and Spanish. At 10:30 we went to Piazza Dante, in which there are various stalls selling old books at a very good price, to enjoy the tour "Old Town". However, the guide didn't turn up, us two and ten more tourists were abandoned.

In support of Free Walking Tour I'll say that, despite the bad taste it left in our mouths, we went to Castel Nuovo at 17:00 on the same day, where another tour would supposedly begin: Neapolis. Luckily, we found two guides there, and the travellers separated to listen to the guided visit in either English or Spanish. From there we toured other corners, galleries and streets of the city that were a big surprise.

That being said, if I had to praise something of Naples, without thinking twice I'd recommend that you visit the Archaeological Museum. It's a wonder! It has a very wide collection of original ancient works, such as the Tyrannicides, the Farnese Hercules or the Farnese Bull. There are also several rooms dedicated to Pompeii, where graffitied objects and murals are exhibited. The cost of entry for European young people betweem the ages of 18 and 24 years is more than cheap: the general entry ticket is reduced from €12 to €6.

The "Farnese Bull" sculpture in the Archaeological Museum of Naples

As for restaurants and ice-cream shops, I recommend the delicious pizzas in Vesi, where despite not having a cover charge, there's a 12% service fee. The pizzas cost around €8 (the margarita is only €4. 50) and I assure you it's worth it. In addition to this, there are several establishments, such as the one that is just after crossing the gallery and is in front of the Archaeological Museum, and another in Via Bellini. Concerning the ice-cream parlours, on Via Toledo there's one that was awarded in a competition with the "Golden Ice-Cream", and, without doubt, their ice-creams are amongst the best that I've ever tasted.

Authentic Neapolitan pizzas in the restaurant Vesi

Fantasia Gelateria, awarded the "Golden Ice-Cream"

Also I advise that you try the traditional Neapolitan cupcakes, that are bathed in rum. Also, if you dare going to Naples in the summer and, like me, you fear melting under the sun, relax: in many restaurants and bars there are little spots where you can drink something and cool down.

Sweets called “babà”

And now, let's go to Pompeii.

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