Seaside promenades lead around the bay on a Naples city break, and Mount Vesuvius hovers magically on the horizon. Book a Naples hotel overlooking the sea and feel the energetic pulse of this city of baroque churches and Neapolitan cuisine.Lovers of history make a beeline for Naples’ acclaimed Archaeological Museum, where the grandeur and everyday life of Imperial Rome come alive in glittering mosaics, painted frescoes, classical sculptures and household items retrieved from Pompeii. Norman castles with forbidding towers patrol the Bay of Naples, and history goes subterranean in Underground Naples to reveal a labyrinth of catacombs, caves and a long- forgotten Roman theatre.
Whether you choose opulent dining at Naples hotels or tightly knit tables in side-street trattorias, the flavours of Naples are simple, bold and fresh. Feast on enticing seafood dishes and tasty vegetable platters or bite into an authentic Neapolitan pizza. For waterfront dining, make your way to Santa Lucia and Chiaia for seafood freshly plucked from the sea. Round off the night at Scaturchio on Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, where orange-flavoured cream oozes from light sfogliatella pastries.
See the city up close on a Naples city break with a window-shopping stroll through the historic centre. Join in the lively street banter at local shops along Via Tribunali, and admire artfully carved miniature nativity scenes in nearby Via San Gregorio Armeno. Luscious chocolate shops, vintage print stalls and other specialty stores line Via Toledo, leading to the glass-roofed arcades and elegant boutiques and cameo shops of Galleria Umberto I. Follow the noise of artisan workshops lining the backstreets, or browse top-end fashion and pricey antiques by the waterfront in affluent Chiaia.
