de-DEen-US
de-DEen-US

Naples

Naples is often frowned upon as a loud and dirty city. But this facade is deceptive. If you take a closer look, you will discover the beauty of the city. We experienced this in our very first minute in Naples: When we arrived at our accommodation, we saw its façade and were a little shocked. Inside, however, a beautiful room was waiting for us. That's why it's always worth paying attention to the “inner values” in Naples and taking a look into one of the countless backyards from time to time!

30/09/2018

dear(travel)diary,

when we arrived in Naples, we were a little overwhelmed by this loud and wild city. The traffic in particular was overwhelming for us - who were traveling in a rental car. Fortunately, we quickly found a parking space near our accommodation so that we didn't have to drive around Naples much. Unfortunately, it was still very noisy in our room. This meant we couldn't relax on our small balcony in particular. It overlooked a main road, so we could hear loud honking and engine noises all the time.

After the initial shock, we decided to take a walk around the area and look for a pizzeria for dinner. Unfortunately, this didn't necessarily improve our impression of Naples. Again and again we were almost hit by children on scooters, a Smart car with 5 occupants roared past us and we had constant honking in our ears. We knew beforehand that Naples was supposed to be very loud and dirty, but it was more exhausting than we thought. This was not how we had imagined our first evening of the vacation...

But that was only our first impression! Once we had digested it over a Neapolitan pizza, we gradually realized the charm of Naples. Our exploration tour of Naples the next day took us through areas that were neither dirty nor noisy. And the many backyards we kept looking for were like oases of peace in the hectic city. After a day in Naples, we became more and more familiar with the city. Because as soon as you block out the hustle and bustle and the noise in the city center, you realize what an interesting city Naples actually is. And to be honest, it's worth coming to Naples for the good food alone!

xx Chiara

Overview:


What to see & Discover

  1. Courtyard of the Museo di Palentologia
  2. The Chiaia district
  3. Umberto I Gallery
  4. Piazza del Plebiscito with Palazzo Reale and Basilica San Francesco di Paola
  5. Piazza del Gesù Nuovo and the Basilica of Santa Chiara in the Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara
  6. Going out in Piazza Bellini
  7. Castel Sant'Elmo and the surrounding district
  8. Napoli Sotterranea and Galleria Borbonica
  9. Phlegraean Fields
  10. Pompeii & Vesuvius
  11. Lungomare promenade
  12. Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta
  13. Baroque church Cappella Sansevero
  14. Caffè Gambrinus (Naples' oldest café)
  15. Teatro San Carlo
  16. Ruins of Celanapoli
  17. Porta San Gennaro
  18. Naples museums: Museo Archeologico Nazionale, the Mueso di Capodimonte, Certosa e Museo di San Martino, Gallerie d'Italia and the Catacombe di San Gennaro


Where to Eat

Shortly before we flew to Naples, I heard that an acquaintance was in Naples. So I asked him directly for tips. Luckily for me, Moritz really knew his way around! He had “been through almost all the pizzerias in Naples by now”. So he was a real expert! Moritz told me that the best-known pizzerias in Naples are Da Michele and Sorbillo. However, he thinks the pizzerias are a bit overrated and you have to queue for a seat (often not just for a short time)! Moritz therefore recommended the Manfredi and Donna Sofia pizzerias. We opted for Donna Sofia (Via dei Tribunali 89) and Moritz didn't promise too much: The pizza was so good and very cheap at the same time!

For Bene, as a coffee lover, we naturally had to have an Italian coffee in Italy. In the city center, Bene first had a coffee at Caffè Bistrot Toledo, which didn't really convince him. Fortunately for Bene, we drove up to Castel Sant'Elmo and walked around a bit. Here we discovered the Toffee Coffee Shop, a nice café with good drinks in a quiet little square. The coffee even made Bene happy!


Where to sleep

The first night we stayed at the B&B Art Suite Príncipe Umberto. The bed & breakfast is not located in the most beautiful part of Naples, but it is quite central. We were able to walk into the city and to the famous Via dei Tribunali. From the outside, the building looked a bit dirty and run-down, but the inside was all the nicer. The rooms are all cutely furnished. We slept in the “Capri” room, so it was decorated in the style of the beautiful island. Unfortunately, the breakfast was not to our taste as it was just too sweet for us. However, the biggest drawback of the B&B was the noise level, as it was very loud due to the adjacent main road. For one or two nights, the noise level is fine. For a week's vacation, however, it would take away some of my relaxation. But maybe earplugs will help!

We spent our last night at the Napoli Milionaria B&B. The accommodation was great! Again, it was nicer inside than outside. Everything was top renovated. We felt like we were in a small student dormitory in our room. There was a small kitchenette and a smart bathroom. The bed was on a gallery, which we could reach via a staircase, so there was even room for a small sofa and a seating area for eating. So we had our own little apartment. Breakfast is served in a separate room that is open to all guests. Unfortunately, because our flight left so early in the morning, we were unable to try the breakfast. But we slept well because it was very quiet. The location was also great. The accommodation is right next to the botanical garden.


Costs

For us, the stay in Naples was cheap, as we hardly had to pay admission anywhere and the food (or rather the pizzas) was very cheap. The most expensive thing was the accommodation:



I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.


From the community for the community

Tips from the community

"View over Naples from Castel Sant'Elmo."

vivienlara


Do you have a tip for Naples? Or a suggestion for the blog? Or would you like more information about the city?

Then write me!