Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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In P. del Plebiscito. €4, students €2. Open M-Tu 9am-8pm, Th-Su 9am-8pm.
CASTEL SANT’ELMO
V. Tito Angelini 20
CASTLE, MUSEUM
081 22 94 401 www.polomusealenapoli.beniculturali.it
Stop, gulp in some air, and step up to the wall and gaze out. You’ll need that oxygen, because this view—standing eye level with airplanes—truly takes the breath away. Once a defensive outpost, the ramparts of P. d’Armi atop this castle are one of Naples’s loveliest places. They’re also now part of a creative art installation by Giancarlo Neri which uses lighting to artificially “compete” with the moon in certain parts of the city. Napoli Novecento, an extensive modern art museum featuring canvases and sculpture from the last century of Neopolitan modern art, can be found in the old fortress as well.
In Vomero. From the funicular at P. Fuga, turn right up the steps and follow the signs along V. Morghen to the castle. €5, EU students ages 18-25 €2.50. Open M 8:30am-7:30pm, W-Su 8:30am-7:30pm. Guided tours of the museum offered hourly 9am-6pm.
BASILICA DI SAN FRANCESCO DI PAOLO
P. del Plebiscito 10
CHURCH
081 76 45 133
Designed to mimic the Pantheon in Rome, this towering domed church is no copycat. It’s interior is soaring—54m high and 34m in diameter—and bright like its Roman counterpart, but the basilica is not exactly like its pagan counterpart, as it features carved statues of saints surrounding the nave (though we could get into an interesting conversation about Catholicism’s use of sainthood as a way to appeal to pagan polytheism here if we really wanted to get deep). The building dominates P. del Plebiscito.
The building with the large dome. Modest dress required. Free. Open M-Sa 8am-noon and 3:30-7pm, Su 8:30am-1pm and 4-7pm.
MUSEO NAZIONALE DI CAPODIMONTE
V. Miano 2
MUSEUM
081 74 99 111 www.museo-capodimonte.it
Here is a true rarity among museums, especially in Italy: a collection that features classical works alongside contemporary art. Though it’s famous for its Farnese Collection, once owned by a family of the same name, the museum has much more going for it than that. Formerly a royal palace, the museo boasts many rooms that are precious artifacts in themselves, though unlike 2D paintings, these works of art can hold visitors inside them. In the second floor’s Neopolitan collection, works by Caravaggio and numerous 19th-century masters from the city are on display.
In the north of the city. Cavour, then bus C63 or R4. €7.50, EU students ages 18-25 €3.75. Open M-Tu 8:30am-7:30pm, Th-Su 8:30am-7:30pm.
CASTEL DELL’OVO (EGG CASTLE)
Borgo Marinari
CASTLE
081 24 00 055
All that fuss over an egg? Yes indeed, throughout the city’s history one measly egg has caused a string of panics. According to legend, the enchanted egg in question was placed in this castle’s foundation by Virgil. If its fragile shell were to break, the city of Naples would crumble. After the yellow-brick castle sustained significant damage when one of its arches collapsed, none other than the queen herself had to reassure the public that the egg was safe. Originally a monastery, the castle was later converted to be used for defensive purposes but is now mostly used for its beautiful views, especially at sunset.
Walk down V. Santa Lucia from south of P. del Plebiscito. Free. Open M-Sa 8:30am-7pm, Su 8:30am-2pm.
SPAGGIA ROTONDA DIAZ
V. Francesco Caracciolo
BEACH
Capri and Ischia, Sorrento and Amalfi—they’re all so far away. Spaggia Rotonda is right here in the heart of Naples, and it’s a Neopolitan beach at its finest. This is the perfect spot for working on the southern Italian tan you see on everyone around you.
Walk down V. Caracciolo along the waterfront from Mergellina or Chiaia. Free. Open daily sunrise to sunset.
FOOD
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Naples, eat pizza. If you ever doubted that Neopolitans invented the crusty, cheese-covered pie, the city’s pizzerias will take that doubt, beat it into a ball, throw it in the air, spin it on their collective finger, punch it down, cover it with sauce and mozzarella, and serve it alla margherita. Centro Storico is full of excellent choices, especially along Via Tribunali, the pizza corridor of the world.
Stazione Centrale and Centro Storico
ANTICA PIZZA DA MICHELE
V. Cesare Sersale 1/3
PIZZERIA
081 55 39 204 www.damichele.net
All the people here must know something. They take numbers from the chef inside, then wait around in the hot midday sun, sometimes for 1hr. What they’re waiting for has been called, by some, the best pizza in the world. The options may be limited to margherita and marinara (€4.50), with the option of double cheese (€5.50), but once a pie is in front of you, you know it’s the real deal.
Walk down C. Umberto I and turn right. Open M-Sa 10am-11pm.
GINO SORBILLO
V. dei Tribunali 35
PIZZERIA
081 44 66 43 www.sorbillo.eu
Making pizza and children since 1935, Gino Sorbillo has created a dynasty: a family of 21 pizza-making children, several of whom own their own shops nearby. His eponymous shop also gave birth to the ripieno al forno (literally “fried in the oven”), a.k.a. the calzone.
Between V. Arti and Vico San Paolo. Pizza €3-8. Open Sept-July M-Sa noon-3:30pm and 7-11:30pm.
PIZZERIA DI MATTEO
V. dei Tribunali 94
PIZZERIA
081 45 52 62 www.pizzeriadimatteo.it
This place has its priorities straight: while diners at Pizzeria Di Matteo have to take the stairs, the pizza rides to the dining room in an elevator. The Neopolitans that fill the tables aren’t bothered by the unhurried service.
On V. dei Tribunali near V. Duomo. Pizza €2.50-6. Open M-Sa 9am-midnight.
ANTICA TRATTORIA DEL CARMINE
V. dei Tibunali 330
RISTORANTE, SEAFOOD
081 29 43 83
Recommended by locals as a great date spot or stop for some quality fish or pasta, this trattoria with a multi-level dining room under brick arches retains the rustic, ancient charm of Naples’s historic center.
Directly across from Napoli Sotteranea. Primi €4-13; secondi €7-10. Fish €7.50-13. Open Tu noon-4pm, W-Su noon-4pm and 7-11pm.
SORRISO INTEGRALE
Vico S. Pietro a Maiella 6
VEGETARIAN
081 45 50 26 www.sorriosointegrale.com
Naples making you feel like you’re becoming round and sprouting tomato sauce and mozzarella? At some point, take a break from pizza and pasta to try this small, hidden organic and vegan restaurant with a constantly changing menu.
Near P. Miraglia, on the small connecting street between Vico S. Pietro a Maiella and P. Bellini. Inside the gate on the right when heading to P. Bellini. Cover €2. Primi €4.50; secondi €5.50-7. 50. Open daily noon-4pm and 7-11pm.
Western Naples
This area has plenty of nice cafes and a little diversity for a break from pizza.
HOSTERIA TOLEDO
Vicolo Giardinetto 78/A
RISTORANTE
081 42 12 57 www.hosteriatoledo.it
Specializing in pasta and seafood, this homey spot has axed pizza from its menu in a dramatic, anti-establishment move largely unheard of in the Neopolitan culinary scene.
Take Vicolo Giardinetto off V. Toledo. Primi €6.50-8; secondi €7-14. Open M 1-4pm and 7pm-midnight, Tu 1-4pm, Th-Su 1-4pm and 7pm-midnight.
TRATTORIA NENNELLA
Vicolo Lungo Teatro Nuovo 105
RISTORANTE
081 41 43 38
From construction workers to bankers, Neopolitans gather here for long and leisurely lunches at unbelieveably low fixed prices from a menu consisting of a primo, secondo, contorno, fruit, and wine.
Walk up Vicolo Teatro Nuovo and look for the signs near Vicolo Lungo Teatro Nuovo Prix-fixe menu €10. Open M
-Sa noon-3pm and 7-10:30pm. Closed in Aug.
FRIGGITORIA VOMERO
V. Domenico Cimarosa 44
BAKERY
081 57 83 130
Super-quick, super-cheap, and about as Neopolitan as a place can be, this no-frills fast-food joint fills its flour-dusted display cases with fried dough creations.
In Vomero. Head away from the funicular at P. Fuga and look across the square. Fried foods €0.20-2. Panini €2.50 Open M-Sa 9:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-8:30pm.
PIZZERIA GORIZIA
V. Bernini 29-31
PIZZERIA
081 57 82 248
From late lunch through late at night, this place is packed with local diners. They’re rewarded with a delicious pizza crudaiola (€8), a piping-hot and pie with mozzarella di bufala, tomato, prosciutto, oregano, and olive oil.
In Vomero. From the funicular at P. Fuga, take V. Cimarosa to the left and turn right onto V. Bernini. Cover €1. Pizza €5-8. Primi €6-13; secondi €8-15. Open Tu-Su 12:30-4pm and 6:30pm-midnight.
HAPPY MAX KEBAB
P. Giulio Rodino 35
KEBAB
Try what locals call the best kebab in Naples—just don’t look for any seating or superfluities.
In Chiaia. Take V. Chiaia from V. Toledo and turn right onto the small piazza and V. Filangieri before P. dei Martiri. Sandwiches €3.50. Open daily 11:30am-midnight.
NIGHTLIFE
The discos in Naples may be few and far between—literally—but the city is not without after-hours activity. Its centro and fashionable outer neighborhoods bustle with bars and students in piazze drinking cheap beer from—where else?—local pizza joints. Just avoid the area around Stazione Centrale; it’s extremely sketchy at night.
Stazione Centrale and Centro Storico
TROPICANA
V. San Giuseppe dei Ruffi 14
CLUB, LATIN
338 23 08 288
Whether they come from Buenos Aires or Bolivia, Brazil or Bogota, they’re welcome here. Those who don’t speak a Latin language are warmly welcomed too, but their nation’s flag won’t be on the wall at this salsa and Latin music club, one of Naples’s most hopping hidden spots. A packed, small dance floor moves into a frenzy when the DJ starts spinning.
Just off V. Duomo. 1st drink €5, €3.50 per drink thereafter. Open daily midnight-6am.
LEMME LEMME BY INTERNET BAR
P. Bellini 74
BAR
081 29 52 37
Sway to the beat, check your email, grab a drink, or check the score—the free internet at this popular bar is great for everything except your social life. Stay away from the screen and mingle with the locals who gather on this pretty piazza. You can friend them all on Facebook later.
Dante. Walk through Porta Alba and turn left onto V. Santa Maria di Constantinopoli; the piazza is immediately to the right. Beer €3-5.50. Open M-Sa 9am-3am, Su 5pm-3am.
ARTS CAFE
V. San Giuseppe dei Nudi 9
CLUB
081 21 88 467 www.artscafe.eu
An older crowd gathers for an old-school spectacle nightly at this club featuring everything from jazz quartets to Vaudeville-esque shows in its simple venue near the Museo Nazionale.
From V. Santa Teresa degli Scalzi (V. Roma) across from the museum, take the zigzagging street upward to the cafe. Drinks €5, with dinner €20. Open daily 6pm-1am.
CAFFÉ LETTERARIO INTRA MOENIA
P. Bellini 70
BAR
081 29 07 20 www.intramoenia.it
A more relaxed, literary crowd gathers here in an attempt to escape the nightly beat on the bar-filled piazza. This place’s interior might appeal to those with an insatiable desire to drink in a library—it’s filled with shelves, wood paneling, and an interesting collection of old clocks.
Dante. Walk through Porta Alba and turn left onto V. Santa Maria di Constantinopoli; the piazza is immediately to the right. Beer €4-5. Cocktails €7-8. Open daily 10am-1am.
Western Naples
GOODFELLAS
V. Morghen 34
BAR
340 92 25 475 www.goodfellasclub.com
This is a good old sports bar—except there’s hardly any sports on TV. Screens show MTV along with the occasional soccer match, while cover bands take to the stage three nights weekly at 11pm. There are some sports around—the Chicago Bulls jerseys and baseball posters on the wall ensure that.
In Vomero. Up the stairs from the funicular in P. Fuga and to the left. 0.5L wine €3.50. Beer €5. Cocktails €7. Open Tu-Su 8pm-2am.
S’MOVE
Vico dei Sospiri 10/A
BAR
081 76 45 813 www.smove-lab.net
This bar is the closest one can come to getting groovy in summertime Naples, as a DJ spins house, funk, or rap most nights to create the feeling of being at a disco, without most of the dancing.
In Chiaia. From P. dei Martiri, take V. Alabardieri, then make the 2nd left. Beer €5. Cocktails €7-8. Open daily 7pm-4am. Aperitivo 7-9pm.
LES BELLES CHOSES
V. Cesario Console 15/16
IRISH PUB
081 24 51 166
Les Belles Choses is a little like a pug: not so beautiful, but oh-so-friendly. The beers are cool and the staff and patrons are warm.
Just south of P. del Plebiscito. Beer €3-4. Cocktails €6.50. Open M-Tu 6:30pm-1:30am, W-Sa 6:30pm-4am, Su 6:30pm-1:30am. Sometimes open later depending on crowds.
VINTAGE
V. Bernini 37/A
ENOTECA
081 22 95 473 www.vintageweb.it
Vomero’s first wine bar makes quite an impression. On nights when a DJ plays inside, the sound bursts onto the street and draws in a line of young people who would otherwise stay at the tables outdoors. Then the dance floor gets hot and sweaty in an almost anti-enoteca way. (This is not your mother’s wine bar.)
In Vomero. From the funicular at P. Fuga, take V. Bernini past P. Vanvitelli. Wine €5. Cocktails €7. Open M-Th 7pm-1am, F-Sa 7pm-3am. Happy hour 7-9:30pm. Closed 2 weeks in Aug.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES: EPT offers booking services, free maps, and the indispensible guide Qui Napoli, which includes abundant hotel and restaurant listings. (P. dei Martiri 58 081 41 07 211 www.eptnapoli.info Open M-F 9am-2pm.)
• INTERNET: Internet points are clustered around V. Mezzocannone and P. Bellini. Lemme Lemme by Internet Bar offers computer terminals and free Wi-Fi. (P. Bellini 74 081 29 52 37 Computers €0.05 per min. Open M-Sa 9am-3am, Su 5pm-3am.)
Emergency!
• POLICE: Polizia Municipale (081 75 13 177). Polizia del Stato can be found at V. Medina, near P. Matteoti, or at P. Garibaldi 22, directly across the piazza from the station.
• HOSPITALS/MEDICAL SERVICES: Incurabili is more helpful than its name might suggest. (P. Cavour 081 25 49 422 Cavour (Museo). The emergency ward is directly up V. Maria Longo.)
Getting There
By Plane
Aeroporto Capodichino (NAP) (Vle. Ruffo Fulco di Calabria 081 84 88 87 73 or 081 75 15 471 www.gesac.it Open daily 5:30am-11:30pm.) is located in the northeast of the city and is a great point of access to the whole Bay of Naples area. The red and white Alibus shuttle travels from the airport arrivals terminal to the seaport near P. Municio and to P. Garibaldi. ( €3.10. 15-20min.)
By Train
Stazione Centrale is in the crazy part of Naples, by P. Garibaldi. Trains come from Rome. ( From €12. 1-3hr., every 30min. 5:40am-10:10pm.) Eurostar trains operated by Trenitalia arrive from Milan via Bologna, Florence, and Rome. ( €98. 5hr., every hr. 6:30am-5:15pm.)
Getting Around
The UnicoNapoliticket (081 55 13 109 www.napolipass.it) is valid for all modes of tranportation in the city. Tickets come in three varieties: 90min. (€1.10), full-day (€3.10), and weekend (€2.60) and can be bought at newsstands and tabaccherie. All regional buses and trains are included in the UnicoCampania system (www.unicocampania.it).
By
Bus
Public bus lines crisscross the city; most accommodations and tourist offices provide maps. Most buses run from 6:30am to just before midnight.