Why visit Naples? How come a city so often misunderstood and hit by stereotypes, has almost suddenly become so popular, especially among American tourists? Actually, this new Neapolitan renaissance is not even so surprising. Naples, with its two thousand five hundred years of life just completed, offers an incredible historical and artistic heritage, both for the importance and for the number of its sites, but it is able to fascinate above all thanks to its authenticity that makes it different.
The vitality that you breathe in its streets is unique and, in particular with the post-covid tourist boom, the local cultural scene, equally lively, has done the rest. Today visitors from overseas are starting to know the true face of a city and its thousand stories to tell.
Naples beyond the headlines
In the past and for many years, the beauty of Naples has often been overshadowed by sensational, if not clickbait, headlines that have contributed greatly to perpetuating negative stereotypes related to the city.
This does not mean, of course, that Naples has not had, and sometimes still has, its problems and contradictions, but there is certainly also much more to discover in the squares or in the alleys of a city with a wonderful face and a big heart.
Appearances are often deceiving, and so tourists who visit Naples can discover magnificent art treasures behind slightly shabby facades, enjoy
a city way safer than its chaotic streets (and its fame) might lead you to believe, and appreciate the avant-garde that coexists with folklore. In Naples, culture manages to be popular and elite at the same time, making the city more
human-sized than other equally important destinations.
Food as a driving force
For those who visit Naples, food is one of the major attractions. Pizza rules local tables thanks to an unique taste but also because sometimes it has appeared in cinema and literature. An example above all is the novel, later turned into a movie, Eat, Pray, Love, which has made one of the local pizzerias, Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, a true pilgrimage destination for American visitors. The Neapolitan cuisine as a awhole is among the most famous in the world anyway, and tourists appreciate it for the genuineness of the ingredients and the quality of the Mediterranean diet.
The charm of Neapolitan cuisine is also and perhaps above all in the link with tradition. Whether it is
street food, another great protagonist of the local gastronomic scene, or the classic
grandma's recipes, every dish tastes of home, family and ancient flavors. But Naples, being Naples, is creative in everything and therefore it will not be difficult to find originality even in the kitchen.
As with other art forms, Neapolitan cuisine is capable of looking to the future too, while respecting traditions, and since in Naples sharing is caring, the cooking classes for turists are very popular.
Raw authenticity vs over-tourism
Italy is full of wonderful destinations and all are definitely worth a visit, but while some of the most famous, such as Florence and Amalfi, are so perfect that they seem sometimes unreal, Naples stands out for its authenticity. The city, with its imperfection and its harshness, feels unfailingly real.
American tourists traveling to Naples love it more and more because they are less and less looking for contrived or overly commercial travel experiences. In Naples, connecting with the local culture is easy. It takes very little to get a taste of real life, to interact with the residents, to feel part of a community ready to share and proud to tell its stories.
Naples is also worth visiting because although the city is often stormed by tourists, its historic center is among the largest in Europe and therefore, while not being perfect as a postcard, offers a myriad of picturesque views, hidden gems, and quiet corners where you can breathe a more authentic atmosphere.
There are also several neighborhoods where the rough spontaneity of Naples comes out in all its wonderful, unapologetical vitality. The
Spanish Quarters, Vomero, Rione Sanità and so on, are places where you can breathe the true essence of Naples in all its forms, away from the large crowds of the major tourist hotspots.
Cultural Renaissance
Artists of all ages, musicians of all genres, artisans carrying an ancient craft and then theater and a lot of cinema. Naples loves to express its own identity in different ways. The city has been experiencing its renaissance for a few years now, with the ancient coexisting with the contemporary in a very special mix.
It is not just the spaces that make the difference, in Naples art is made both in museums and on street corners, but also the desire to tell the story of a city that has a very long history, a thousand faces and an irrepressible energy.
Visitors can go from the great historical sites such as the
National Archaeological Museum and
Castel dell'Ovo, to contemporary art in the
Jago museum, the first in Italy, or in the famous subway
art stations. In the old town, the nativity scene
artisans continue to carry on a centuries-old tradition, but alongside the classic nativity scene characters they also enjoy representing pop icons, such as athletes, singers, or even politicians.
Those who love music and theater will not be disappointed. The Teatro San Carlo is a true temple of theopera, and preserves all its sacredness, but if Naples is said to be a theatrical city, it is not just a figure of speech: its inhabitants bring life to the stage every day, while street artists tell stories from all over the world to an audience that loves listening.
Naples is also a famous film set. World-famous TV series such as My Brilliant Friend are set and filmed here and after the glories of the De Sica and De Filippo era, even famous contemporary directors have remembered the magical atmospheres of this city. One above all is the Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino, who was also born in Naples.
Strategic location for day trips
American visitors in Naples often enjoy the city's connections to other iconic destinations. Among the many reasons why visiting Naples, indeed, there is alo the central posizion.
In half an hour on the Circumvesuviana, the local train, you can reach the famous excavations of
Pompeii or
Herculaneum, two truly unmissable sites for those visiting Naples. The journey to the enchanting
Sorrento and its coast is only slightly longer.
From the port of Naples, instead, ferries and hydrofoils depart frequently for the three islands of the Gulf, reachable in an hour or less: Ischia, Procida and Capri.
And if the glamour of
Positano, Amalfi or the other wonderful destinations of the
Amalfi Coast risks being beyond everyone's reach, given the higher costs of the hotels, Naples provides a strategic but more affordable base to visit them all.
By sea or by land, by train, car or bus, you can enjoy the beauty already during the journey, full of wonderful views.
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