Centro Storico
Naples, Italy
The UNESCO-listed ancient core, a dense grid of Greco-Roman streets, Baroque churches and the pizza-and-street-food heart around Spaccanapoli. The soul of…
Places in Centro Storico
- L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele The most famous pizzeria in the world, serving just Margherita and Marinara from a spartan tiled room since 1870. A pilgrimage — expect a wait.
- Tandem A small room devoted to the Neapolitan ragù — slow-cooked meat sauce over pasta or mopped with bread. Deeply comforting and local.
- Scaturchio A historic pasticceria famed for its sfogliatella and babà. The classic sweet stop in the old city.
- Piazza Bellini bars The buzzing square that is the heart of the city's nightlife, its bars and terraces packed among Greek ruins. Where Naples drinks.
Practical notes for Naples
- Best time to visit
- April to June and September to October for warm, comfortable weather and thinner crowds. Summer is hot and busy; the coast and islands are at their best. Winter is mild and atmospheric.
- Getting around
- The centre is best walked (and best not driven — the traffic is legendary). The Metro, funiculars and buses cover the hills; the Circumvesuviana train reaches Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sorrento. Ferries serve Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- Italian. English is common in tourism.
- Timezone
- CET (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer)
- Current trends
- A pizza scene reaching new heights beyond the famous names; a revival of Neapolitan fine dining and Chiaia's smart tables; a growing aperitivo-and-cocktail culture around Piazza Bellini; and the city's grit increasingly drawing culture-seeking travellers.
Other neighborhoods in Naples
- Quartieri Spagnoli — The tight, vertical Spanish Quarter of washing-strung lanes, street shrines and the giant Maradona mural, intensely local. Naples at its most authentic.
- Chiaia — The elegant seafront district of smart shops, aperitivo bars and refined restaurants. The city's polished, upmarket side.
- Vomero — A leafy hilltop district reached by funicular, with the Castel Sant'Elmo, gardens and sweeping bay views. A calmer, residential escape.
- Santa Lucia & Borgo Marinari — The waterfront quarter beneath the Castel dell'Ovo, of seafood restaurants and grand hotels facing the bay. Beautiful and serene.
Read the full Naples guide