Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NAPLES
POP 970,400
Italy's most misunderstood city is also one of its most intriguing - an exhilarating mess of
bombastic baroque churches, cocky baristas and electrifying street life. Contradiction is the
catchphrase here; a place where anarchy and pollution sidle up beside glorious churches,
tranquil cloisters and story-book seaside castles. Naples'
centro storico
(historic centre) is a
Unesco World Heritage Site, its museums lay claim to some of Europe's finest archaeology
and art, and its gilded royal palaces make Rome look positively provincial. But what about
the pickpockets? The Camorra? Certainly, Naples has its fair share of problems, yet the city
is far safer than many imagine, its streets packed with some of Italy's warmest, kindest
denizens. Expect to be caught in mafia gunfire and you'll be sorely disappointed. Expect a
city packed with history, humanity and flavour and you'll be thoroughly satisfied.
