Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bellini, 70;
%
081-290720; www.intramoenia.it),
which also serves light snacks
and late-night munchies. Or head to the seaside along the Chiaia and Mergellina,
where the same places that gave you a morning cappuccino will serve you a glass
of wine by the water's edge.
LIVE MUSIC
For live jazz, which is oddly popular here in the land of the Neapolitan love
song, try
Bourbon Street
(Via Bellini, 2;
%
328-0687221; www.bourbonstreet
club.it).
Someone plays every night, but listen closely before you pay your cover
charge. The best disco is
Ex-ess
(Via Martucci, 28/30;
%
081-2461729),
but don't
underdress—a bouncer at the door won't let you in unless you fit in.
For classical events, check out the
San Carlo
(Via San Carlo, 101-103;
%
081-
7972111; www.teatrosancarlo.it; guided tour
€
2.50)
and the
Festival Musicale di
Villa Rufolo
(www.rcs.amalficoast.it)
down the coast in Ravello.
DAY TRIPS FROM NAPLES
There are some indispensable stops outside of Naples, and you won't forgive your-
self if you miss them.
MT. VESUVIUS
Mt. Vesuvius is a natural disaster waiting to happen. Over 3 million people live
on its flanks and down the crusty lava path to the Bay of Naples. It smolders con-
stantly, drawing warnings from volcanologists, who consider it one of the most
dangerous volcanoes in the world.
That really should not deter you from seeing it, however; the experts at the
Osservatorio Vesuviano
(
%
081-7777149; www.ov.ingv.it; free admission;
10am-1pm weekends)
monitor this giant so closely that even the slightest earth
tremor sets off a buzz of activity. The observatory has survived seven eruptions
and has an interesting museum with lots of models and movies.
Much like the Leaning Tower of Pisa before they shored it up, Vesuvius is def-
initely a “see it while you can” venue. It's a national park, a fertile agricultural
zone, and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The best way to visit is to take
Trasporti Vesuviani
(
%
081-5592582;
€
3 round-trip)
from Pompeii to the so-
called
1,000 Car Park.
From here, you can make a 30-minute hike (walking
sticks are around
55
2) to peer into the 200m (656 ft.) cone and its fumaroles,
which emit a thick steam. This is the only place from which you can truly get a
sense of the havoc Vesuvius caused to the towns below during its
A
.
D
. 79 erup-
tion. From this vantage point on top, you can easily make out the lava fields, over-
grown with lush vegetation. From here it's also easy to see how much of Pompeii,
Herculaneum, and other villages are still unexcavated.
POMPEII & HERCULANEUM
Down below,
Scavi di Pompeii
€
555
9
(Via Villa dei Misteri, 2;
%
081-
5365154; www.pompeiisites.org; integrated ticket for nearby sites
€
8.50,
€
14
with Herculaneum, see below; daily Apr-Oct 8:30am-7:30pm, last entrance 6pm,
rest of year until 5pm, last entrance 3:30pm)
is where most tourists go to see the
damage caused by Vesuvius when it erupted on August 24,
A
.
D
. 79. For 18 hours,
