CITY OF NAPLES
With a population of 1 million people, Naples is the capital of Campania. It is a lively, friendly city with a pleasant Mediterranean climate, hot in summer (June-August), not too cold in winter. The weather is usually dry and sunny.
Naples is indeed an open air museum. Everything evokes history. Founded in the time of Ancient Greece, Naples [Neapolis = New Town] has weathered many foreign dominations: Greek, Norman, French and Spanish, many of whom preferred Naples to their own more rigid regimes and climates, and merged into the local way of life.
Naples is a very cosmopolitan city and this is reflected in its architecture, food and culture. Because of its wealth of art treasures, monuments and buildings, Naples has been nominated a Protected Town by the United Nations. The town boasts the San Carlo Opera House, a number of museums including the National Museum that houses mosaics and other relics from Pompeii, and an intriguing mixture of architectural styles.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Getting around Naples is easy: the city is well connected by 2 metro lines, 4 funicolari and bus routes. The new metro line combines efficient travel with art. Naples Metro Art Stations are an underground public museum filled with contemporary art designed by renowned artists and architects.
LEISURE ACTIVITIES
With its theaters, cinemas, clubs, discos, Naples offers a wide variety of entertainment.
Who hasn't heard about Neapolitan pizza? Apart from an enormous number of reasonably-priced pizzerias, there is no lack of bars and restaurants. It is also now fairly easy to find ethnic restaurants.
The islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida are 40 minutes away by hydrofoil, and Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and Amalfi are just along the coast. Rome is just one hour by train.
USEFUL LINKS
Naples tourism - The official web site of the city tourism
Napoli Unplugged - An on-line guide to discover Naples
Campania tourism - The official web site of the Campania region tourism