5 Things Not to Miss in Naples

The magic of first impressions

Naples is a city that overwhelms you before you even realize it. The moment you step out of the station, your senses are flooded with a mix of coffee aromas, market spices, and sea salt. The noise is constant - horns, voices, scooters - yet there's an underlying musicality you won't find anywhere else.

Just a few kilometres from Casa Petito, Naples is the beating heart of Campania. Reaching it by train or car takes about twenty minutes - just enough to feel catapulted into another dimension.

The UNESCO World Heritage historic centre

The cobbled streets of Spaccanapoli - the lower decumanus of ancient Neapolis - cut through the historic centre in a straight line, a two-kilometre axis that crosses centuries of history without interruption. Baroque churches alternate with artisan workshops, Neapolitan nativity scenes with antique bookshops.

Don't miss the Cappella Sansevero and the famous Veiled Christ: one of the most technically extraordinary sculptures ever created. The queue grows quickly - arrive early or book online.

Pizza: a sacred ritual

No trip to Naples is complete without stopping at a historic pizzeria. True Neapolitan pizza DOC calls for a soft, well-hydrated dough, baked in just minutes in a wood-fired oven reaching 450°C. The result is a puffy, leopard-spotted crust, sauce fragrant with San Marzano tomatoes, and mozzarella that stretches like nothing else.

Among the classics: Pizzeria Brandi (allegedly the birthplace of the Margherita), Da Michele for the essential version, and L'Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba, Italy's oldest. Each has its devoted following.

Pizza is not a dish. It's an act of love performed three times: when you make it, when you carry it, when you eat it.

Castel dell'Ovo and the waterfront

Perched on a small island in the Gulf of Naples, Castel dell'Ovo is the city's oldest castle. Legend has it that Virgil hid a magical egg beneath its foundations: as long as the egg remains intact, Naples stands. Entry is free and the view across the gulf at sunset is simply beyond words.

The Via Caracciolo waterfront, walkable or bikeable, is the perfect place to end the day with a gelato by the sea, with Vesuvius as a natural backdrop.

The National Archaeological Museum

One of the most important museums of the ancient world. The Farnese collection, the treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the extraordinary mosaics: here, Greco-Roman history comes alive in breathtaking fashion. Allow at least three hours - ideally in the morning, before tour groups fill the halls.

If you've already visited Pompeii, finding the everyday objects of its very inhabitants here will give you an entirely different perspective on that tragedy. If it's your first time, this museum is the best way to understand what awaits you at the excavations.