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Italy : Naples - January 2010

Country Code: Dial for Italy

A city that loves to live outdoors, winter can still be an invigorating experience in Naples, with a hint of sun regularly peeping through the clouds. Back indoors, you can witness the Neapolitans showing off their arty side, for example at the Barock exhibition in the Museo Madre, featuring reinterpretations of baroque works by contemporary artists. Matt Barker gets some culture, between bites of pizza

Getting around

Naples International Airport at Capodichino.

Bus: The Alibus runs directly from the airport to Stazione Centrale every 20 minutes. Tickets cost €3. The orange bus (the 3S) runs every 25 minutes. Tickets are from €1.
Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the centre costs around €13. An Artecard (costs from €13) is a good option giving you free travel plus some museum entry. You can buy it at the airport when you arrive (www.campaniartecard.it)
Tourist information: Go to the TEPT Office at Stazione Centrale, Piazza Garibaldi, www.eptnapoli.info)

PIAZZA CAVOUR

In the heart of the centro storico and a great spot to reorientate yourself in this most labyrinthine of cities.

Culture vultures – The Museo Madre (79 Via Luigi Settembrini, museomadre. it) is a new contemporary art space with a permanent collection that includes such international big hitters as Rebecca Horn and Anish Kapoor. Nearby, Un’Opera Gallery is a recently opened space at the Accademia di Belle Arti (107a Via Constantinopoli) and is devoted to young local artists.

Must eat – The family-run Osteria da Carmela (11-12 Via Conte di Ruvo, ) dishes up classic Neapolitan comfort food in a wonderfully homely atmosphere. The pappardelle with clams and mushrooms is one of many house specialities.

Must drink – Perditempo (8 Via San Pietro a Maiella) is a hip hangout with its own bookshop, regular DJ sets and well-stocked bar.

CHIAIA

Tucked between the back of the Palazzo Reale and the waterfront, this is a wellheeled quarter, perfect for an early evening passeggiata (stroll).

Sleep soundly – The Hotel Crispi (104 Via F Crispi, tel. , hotelcrispi.it, rooms from €90) is a decent budget option (try to get one of the doubles away from the street), while the Hotel Palazzo Alabardieri (38 Via Alabardieri, tel. , palazzoalabardieri.it, rooms from €140) is a swanky grande dame with hushed, elegant interiors. Go for the Junior Suite with its Jacuzzi.

Must drink – The area has some excellent enoteche wine bars. For a bit of posh, try L’Ebrezza di Noè (9 Vico Vetriera). Or nearby there’s the more relaxed but equally good Vinarium (7 Vico Cappella Vecchia).

Shop til you drop – One of the city’s best areas for shopping, Chiaia is dotted with top-end label stores and small, independent designers. For shoes, try Fratelli Ferrante (20 Via Calabritto) for men and Ernesto Esposito (20 Via Santa Caterina a Chiaia) for women.

BAGNOLI AND FUORIGROTTA

Once a run-down industrial zone, this quarter is now popular with local students.

Culture vultures – The Citta’ della Scienza (104 Via Coroglio, cittadellascienza.it) is a great interactive educational centre, aimed at children in particular; there are plenty of high-tech gizmos to play around with. January sees a month-long exhibition dedicated to Charles Darwin. For culture of a rather different sort, visit the San Paolo stadium (Via Jacopo de Gennaro, Fuorigrotta). Local football club, Napoli, have struggled to re-establish themselves in Serie A recently, but games against Sampdoria (10 January) and Genoa (31 January) should see a passionate crowd of banner-waving tifosi (fans) in full flight.

Dance the night away – The Casa della Musicale (115 Via Barbagallo) is a great live music venue. It’s big with the alternative crowd, and has a regular calendar of events.

FLORIDIANA

The area surrounding the Villa Floridiana and leading to Vomero offers great panoramic views of the city.

Culture vultures – The neoclassical Villa Floridiana (77 Cimarosa) was built in the early 1800s and is home to a ceramics museum and a huge number of objects from the collection of Placido de Sangro, Duke of Martina.

Must eat – A popular pizzeria, Gorizia (31 Via Bernini sticks to the classics; try the marinara. Napoli Centrale (34 Via Vincenzo Gemito) is an historical paninoteca, where you can merrily gorge yourself on delicious Neapolitan takes on focaccia and crostini.

Must drink – Flicking through a book, while sipping on a cocktail, is a very Neapolitan habit (see Perditempo, above), with Fonoteca (31c Via Morghen) a great spot to booze and browse. Don’t get caught out and ‘read’ the book upside down.

Compiled by Matt Barker