Napels, Italy

Executive summary by darmansjah

NAPLES is an exhilarating mess of UNESCO-listed historic buildings, citrus tree-filled cloisters and electrifying street life. Once the heart of Roman Neapolis, the historic centre is a warren of narrow streets, which open up to an imperial 18^th-century seaside promenade with romantic views of Vesuvius.

With the warm weather a Maggio dei Monument cultural festival in full swing. May and June are great months to visit. alternatively, visit in September or October and catch the infamous pizza-making competition, Pizzafest.

Air France, KLM and British Airways fly from Singapore to Naples, while Air France and KLM also offer flights from K.L. an ANM airport shuttle serves the centre of town, and taxis are also readily available. A taxi costs $23-$28

 Get lost in the corridors of the catacombe di  San Gennaro

The oldest and most famous of Naples’ catacombs, the Catacombe di San Gennaro date drom the 2^nd century. Decorated with early Christian frescoes, they contain tombs, corridors and vestibules (00 390 81 741 1071; Via di Capodimonte 13; tours every hour 9am-3pm tue-sat, 9am-12pm Sun; $7).

The Mercato di Porta Nolana is a heady street market where bellowing fishmongers and greengrocers jostle with delis, bakeries and contraband cigarette stalls (Via Carmignano; 8am-6pm Mon-Sat; 8am-2pm Sun).

The Cappella Sansevero’s simple exterior belies the sumptuous sculpture inside. Giuseppe Sanmartino’s exquisite figure of Jesus is covered by a stone veil so realistic, it’s tempting to try and lift it (00 390 81 551 8470; museosansevero.it; Via Francesco de Sanctis 19; 10am-5.40pm Mon and Wed-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun; US$9).

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale houses one of the World’s finest collections of Greco-roman artefacts including treasures from Pompei (00 390 81 4422 149; museoarcheologiconazionale.campaniabenicultural.it; Piazza Museo Nazionale 19; 9am-7.30pm Wed-Mon; Us$9).

Making the eastern end of the lungomare (seafront), Castel dell’Ovo is Naples’ oldest castle, dating from the 12^th century. To the west, Piazza Vittoria marks the beginning of the Riviera di Chiaia, a long boulevard that offers the best sunset views of Vesuvius.

Da Michele is Naple’s most famous pizzeria. It serves only two types of pizza: margherita with tomato, basil and mozzarella, and marinara with tomatoes, garlic and oregano. But, boy, are they good (000 390 81 553 9204; damichele net; Via Cesare Sersale 1-3; lunch and dinner Mon-Sat; pizzas from US$5.60).

Everyone from students to professsors squeeze around the communal tables of Trattoria Mangia e Vevi. They come for home-cooking at rock-bottom prices. Enjoy the likes of juicy pork sausage and peperoncino-spiced local broccoli (00 390 81 552 92546; Via Sedile di Porto 92; lunch Mon-Fri; mains from US$5.60).

Almost  150 years old, La Scialuppa is ideal for romantic harbourside dining. Seafood is the star, from the fritto misto (mixed fried seafood) to the wine-infused seafood risotto (00 390 81 764 5333; lascialupppa.it, in Italian; Borgo Marinaro 4; lunch and dinner Tue-Sun; mains from US$13).

Dora is one of Naples’ fiest seafood restaurants. Dive into chargrilled prawns as the owner breaks into song. Reservations are essential (00 390 81 680519; Via Palasciano 30; lunch Tue-Sun, dinner Mon-Sat; mains from US$22).

La Stanza del Gusto has a cheese bar for grazing, and an upstairs dining room serving inventive dishes such as chicken liver flan with strawberry salsa (00 390 81 401578; lastanzadelgusto.com; Via Costantinopoli100; lunch and dinner Tue-Sat, dinner Mon, lunch Sun; set lunch US$24, dinner mains from US$60).

NAPLES has three metro lines and three funicular up and down the city’s steep hills. The Unico Napoli ticket is valid on all public transport (24-hour ticket US$4; unicocampania.it). Taxis are available at most big squares (city-centre journey US$8-US$13).

Four rooms with vintage cotto (fired clay) floor tiles and meticulous artisan décor create a stylish scene at b&b Diletto a Napoli. Set in a 15^th-century palazzo, the communal lounge comes with a kitchenette and dinning table (00 390 81 033 0977; dilettoanapoli.it; Vicolo Sedil Capuano 16; from US$79).

Located in a 17^th-century building, Belle Arti Resort is a modern boutique hotel with arty, period features. Four of the seven rooms, some almost like suites, have ceiling frescoes and all have marble bathrooms and artfully painted headboards (00 390 81 557 1062; belleartiresort.com; Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli 27; from US$118).

On a historic street lined with bookshop, Portalba Relais stays faithful to the literary theme with an impressive library. The rooms are furnished in muted tones and have mosaic showers. Most look out over Piazza Dante, a favourite hub for students and Neapolitan literati (00 390 81 564 5171; portalbarelais.com; Via Portalba 33; from US$177).

The Decumani Hotel de Charme is fresh, elegant and in the former palazzo of Cardinal Sisto Riario Sforza, the las bishop of the Bourbon Kingdom of Naples. Rooms have 19^th-century-style furniture (00 390 81 551 8188; decumani.it; Via San Giovanni Maggiore Pignatelli 15; from US$ 181).

Housed in a 16^th-century former monasatery, the Hotel San Francesco al Monte is  Naples’ most historic hotel. Cells have been converted into cosy rooms, while the cloiser houses an open-air bar . There’s a swimming pool on the seventh floor (00 390 81 423 9111; hotelsanfrancesco.it; Corso Vittorio Emanuele 328; from US$237).

HIDDEN GEM La Trattoria 7 Soldi can be found in a little street off the Via Toledo (also called Via Roma). It has a small eating area and a busy pizza takeaway. The food is good, basic Neapolitan, served up with the local wine – the purple frizzante Gragnano. There is a complete absence of non-Italian customers, so a few phrases of the language would be handy. The staff are polite and helpful and the food is reasonably priced (00 390 81 418 727; Vico Tre Re a Toledo 6, Quartieri Spagnoli).

PERFECT PIZZA Naples has faultless pizza, but nowhere does it better than Pizzeria Sorbillo: doughy, chewy crusts, and enormous depth of flavor yet still as light as a feather. The margherita is heaven on a plate, with a delicate tomato sauce and silky cheese that melts in the mouth. I would happily fly to Naples for the day for the pizza at Sorbillo (00 390 81 446 643; Via dei Tribunali 32).

Star Attraction,  Travel forum users rate Palazzo Reale in Caserta, 14 miles north of Naples. The colossal palace with its 1,200 rooms is dubbed the Italian Versailles, and is one of the greatest examples of Italian baroque architecture. It is also where Tom Cruise shot scenes for Mission Impossible III and where George Lucas filmed interior shorts for Star Wars (reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it; closed Tue; US$16).

 Find out more the Amalfi Coast has comprehensive coverage of the city. You can also download the Naples chapter at TravelerGuide.Blogspot.com (free). Enjoy the electric Neapolitan street life in Dan Hofstadter’s evocative love story Falling Palace: A Romance of Naples (US$6). For more information, check out inaples.it and for listings, see Napoli.com