1 The Best of Campania & the Amalfi Coast Campania—the region that encompasses Naples and the Amalfi Coast—is, for many tourists, terra incognita. A land of myth and legends, coveted since antiquity for the fertility of its countryside and the beauty of its coasts. In this chapter, we’ll help you discover the best of Campania by pointing you toward its major treasures. 1 THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES • Walking through Naples’s Historic landmarks annoyingly out of view, glid- District: Maybe it is a bit defiant, given ing into the Bay, with a sea breeze all the negative press about garbage and behind you and the city spread out mafia here, but we find it exhilarating to ahead of you, can be magnificent. The be able to enjoy Naples’s stunning art majestic and somewhat ominous pres- after it was literally hidden in grime for ence of Mount Vesuvius looming over decades. Its collection of exquisite fres- the Bay makes it that much more dra- coes, paintings, and sculptures are now matic. You can arrive by regular ferry available to visitors at its numerous mon- from one of the islands or even from asteries, palaces, churches, and muse- one of the other harbors in Campania, ums. Kings and noble families have such as Salerno or Sorrento. We highly lavished art on the city as nowhere else in recommend arriving during the very Italy except Rome, making Naples a early morning or in the evening, when competitor with Florence and Venice. A the sun is sinking below the horizon, key stop for art lovers during the Grand bathing the city in gold and orange; this Tour, Naples was later forgotten due to is when the view is most magical. Upon the complete abandonment of its monu- soaking in the sight, you’ll instantly ments. But thanks to sustained efforts understand the motivation behind the over the past 15 years, Naples is again old saying, “See Naples and die.” See experiencing a tourism boom. See “Getting There,” in chapter 5. “Exploring Naples,” in chapter 5. • Hiking the Ancient Paths of the • Exploring Capri: This renowned island Amalfi Coast: Taking a stroll on one of remains COPYRIGHTEDa magical destination, in spite the AmalfiMATERIAL Coast’s footpaths—once the of the crowds of tourists that flock to its only means of communication between shores. Of course, for the best experi- the region’s towns—is the best way to ence, come early in the season and plan soak in the intensity of this amazing to stay overnight. seascape. No matter your level of fitness, • Arriving in Naples by Boat: You don’t you’ll find a stretch of path that’s right have to book a transatlantic cruise to for you. The region’s main road—the have this marvelous experience. While famed Amalfi Drive—was built in 1840 arriving in Naples by car can be nerve- and made the area more accessible, per- racking, confusing, and hot, with most haps too much so. The old trails, on the 004_497340-ch01.indd4_497340-ch01.indd 1 33/1/10/1/10 66:21:21 PPMM 2 other hand, are unique, and lead you found at this trendy resort, which through the Amalfi Coast missed by so stocks treasure troves of unique, hand- many tourists. Trails come in all levels of made clothes and shoes. You can still difficulty, from flat stretches (such as the find tailors and cobblers who will make footpath from Amalfi to Atrani) to you garments or sandals on the spot, downhill ones (such as the footpath from while you wait—or, even better, while Ravello to Minori) to more demanding you go for a swim. See chapter 8 for ones (such as the Sentiero degli Dei and addresses. the Via degli Incanti from Positano). See • Wandering Through Ancient Roman chapter 8. Lanes in Pompeii: Walking among • Exploring Greek Ruins in Paestum: ancient ruins is romantic and sad, and The first colony the Greeks established even a little creepy at times. Campania in Italy was Cuma, near Pozzuoli. From affords you many opportunities to live there, they expanded south to the rest this unique experience. Of all the sites of the Campanian coast. The heritage in the region, Pompeii and Hercula- they left in Campania is immense— neum are justly famous: Walking their rivaled in Italy only by Sicily—and in a streets gives you a particularly eerie feel- state of conservation seen only in ing. At the center of the lanes’ mesmeric Greece itself. This is Magna Grecia, attraction is the knowledge that their THE BEST OF CAMPANIA & THE AMALFI COAST AMALFI THE & CAMPANIA OF BEST THE where ancient Greece first spread its violent destruction and miraculous 1 influence into Italy, setting the stage for preservation both happened on one ter- what we call Western culture. In these rible day nearly 2,000 years ago. And temples and towns, you literally get the somehow it feels as if it is always that chance to walk in the footsteps of Plato day here. Imagination easily bridges the and Aristotle’s contemporaries. See gap to the time when these rooms chapters 6 and 10. resounded with talk and laughter (or, • Eating the Best Pizza: Pizza was for more morbid minds, screams and invented here, in the narrow lanes of cries of terror). Yet the best sites in the Naples’s historic district, and for region might be some of the lesser Neapolitans, their pizza is the only known, such as the magnificent Villa di “real” one, thick crusted and fragrant. Poppea, in Oplontis, with its wonderful Whether you prefer a simple pizza joint frescoes; the Villa Arianna and the Villa or an elaborate restaurant, you’ll share di San Marco, in Castellammare di the pride Neapolitans feel for their Stabia; and the Villa Romana of Minori. THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES TRAVEL BEST THE invention, now taken over by the whole See chapters 6, 7, and 8. planet. The decor may be simple and • Listening to a Concert in a Medieval traditional (sometimes nonexistent), Cloister: The unique blend of cultures and, in the most authentic restaurants, operating in Campania gave birth to you’ll have a modest choice of top- some of the most splendid medieval pings—only two at Da Michele, cloisters ever built. Intertwined arches reputed to make the best pizza in of Sicilian-Norman architecture are Naples. Yet whichever place you choose, used here to support the loggias of the outcome will be tasty, satisfying, delightful inner gardens, where the sun, and distinctive, because in Naples, no more often than not, is shining on two pizzas are alike. See “Where to fruit-laden citrus trees and ancient Dine,” in chapter 5. stone and tile work. During the sum- • Shopping in Positano: The best exclu- mer, music festivals are held in most sive shopping in the region can be coastal towns to take advantage of these 004_497340-ch01.indd4_497340-ch01.indd 2 33/1/10/1/10 66:21:21 PPMM Regions of Italy 3 FRANCEFRANCE S COAST AMALFI THE & CAMPANIA OF BEST THE L P SWITZERLANDSWITZERLAND CourmayeurCourmayeur A LakeLake MaggioreMaggiore A AAostaosta MeranoMerano TRENTINO–TRENTINO– L AUSTRIAAUSTRIA VVALLEALLE LLakeake ALTOALTO AADIGEDIGE P NNovaraovara ComoComo S D’AOSTAD’AOSTA BolzanoBolzano S E LOMBARDYLOMBARDY T CCortinaortina dd’Ampezzo’Ampezzo CComoomo TrentTrent I TurinTurin VVercelliercelli BergamoBergamo LakeLake M BBellunoelluno AstiAsti O BresciaBrescia GGardaarda L FRIULI–VENEZIAFRIULI–VENEZIA MMilanilan O VicenzaVicenza PPIEDMONTIEDMONT D GIULIAGIULIA CremonaCremona VENETOVENETO ParmaParma VeronaVerona UUdinedine CCuneouneo TTrevisoreviso MantuaMantua PPaduaadua SLOVENIASLOVENIA SSavonaavona GGenoaenoa N VeniceVenice O FerraraFerrara R TriesteTrieste LIGURIALIGURIA T ModenaModena Gulf of H EMILIA-EMILIA- SanSan RRemoemo GulfG u l f ooff RRapalloapallo E Venice GenoaG e n o a R ROMAGNAROMAGNA N CCROATIAROATIA LLaa SSpeziapezia BolognaBologna RavennaRavenna LuccaLucca A Ligurian P PPisaisa P SANSAN Sea FlorenceFlorence E RiminiRimini N MARINOMARINO LivornoLivorno N PPesaroesaro TUSCANYTUSCANY I N BOSNIABOSNIA GubbioGubbio ElbaElba SienaSiena E AnconaAncona S CorsicaCorsica PerugiaPerugia AAssisissisi THETHE 45 N. (France)(France) OrvietoOrvieto MARCHESMARCHES ViterboViterbo UMBRIAUMBRIA SSpoletopoleto A 1 CivitavecchiaCivitavecchia TTeranoerano D TerniTerni EXPERIENCES TRAVEL BEST THE LL’Aquila’Aquila PPescaraescara RROMEOME R VATICANVATICAN I CITYCITY CChietihieti A ÓlbiaÓlbia LATIUMLATIUM ABRUZZIABRUZZI T SassariSassari CCampobassoampobasso I C MOLIZEMOLIZE NuoroNuoro CasertaCaserta 41 N. GGulfu l f ofo f BBeneventoenevento FFoggiaoggia S S E GGaetaa e t a O SARDINIASARDINIA NaplesNaples Mt.Mt. VVesuviusesuvius A IIschiaschia U APULIAAPULIA T PompeiiPompeii SorrentoSorrento H BBariari CapriCapri E CagliariCagliari SSalernoalerno AAmalfimalfi R TYRRHENIAN PaestumPaestum PotenzaPotenza N 9 E. SEA CAMPANIACAMPANIA BBrindisirindisi BASILICATABASIL ICATA A A TTarantoaranto P P P 10 E. P Gulf of LLecceecce E E Taranto N Ustica CosenzaCosenza N N N I I CALABRIACALABRIA N TrapaniTrapani AeolianAeolian IIslandsslands N E Stromboli E CCatanzaroatanzaro S Egadi Is. S MarsalaMarsala PalermoPalermo Lipari 40 N. SelinunteSelinunte MessinaMessina RReggioeggio ddii EnnaEnna TaorminaTaormina CCalabriaalabria AgrigentoAgrigento Mt.Mt. EEtnatna Pantelleria SICILYSICILY IONIAN CataniaCatania SEA MEDITERRANEAN RagusaRagusa SyracuseSyracuse SEA 0 100 Mi 0 100 Km 15 E. 004_497340-ch01.indd4_497340-ch01.indd 3 33/1/10/1/10 66:21:21 PPMM 4 magical spaces. The best of these medi- in Ravello, and the cloister of San Fran- eval marvels are the Chiostro del Parad- cesco in Sorrento. See chapters 7 and 8. iso in Amalfi, the Villa Rufolo cloister 2 THE BEST RUINS • The Temples of Paestum: This site’s located in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, complete set of walls and three temples which occupies the grounds of Roman are simply the best Greek ruins in exis- Capua, the city that Cicero considered tence outside Greece. One of the three second only to Rome in the entire temples—the grandiose Temple of ancient world. The area is rich in other Neptune, whose restoration was fin- noteworthy ruins, such as the splendid ished in 2004—is actually the best- Mitreo (Temple to the Persian god preserved Greek temple in the world, Mithras), and museum collections.