Italy 3 - Five reasons why you will love Naples

Naples is said to be 'the city of damned' with mounds of waste and violence of organized mafia. It is quite often referred to be the 'shit hole' of Europe. Offensive as that may be, tourists have reasons for such extreme reactions to the city. (Read: Four reasons why people hate Naples)


But not all go unhappy and shocked. There are many pressing reasons why this place which was one of the great capitals of Europe in 18th century is so loved by a section of travelers. Chances are you may love it too.

Sfogliatelle napoletane - The many layered, shell shaped pastry "invented" in 18th century

1. Pizza - It is not a couple of great outlets that people line infront of, it is the whole city sitting by wood fired while specially milled flour, tomatoes and cheese of a particular specification are brought together in Neapolitan style for what is the most authentic and unarguably the best pizza in the world. This place is the birth city of Pizza and Neapolitans take their reputation with pizza very seriously. Neapolitan Pizza Association is an association of pizzerias representing those making the true Neapolitan pizza. Since 1984, the association has established International regulations for what is a true Neapolitan pizza made from ingredients sourced from a list of approved suppliers. I can name a few pizzerias - Friggitoria, De Matteo, Da Michele but I realized that the list is practically end less. No matter where you go and order pizza you will get off the table with a great meal that will be extremely kind to your pocket.

22. Archaeological Museum: Visit to Naples is incomplete without a visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. If you are fascinated by the Roman towns - Pompeii and Herculaneum that were devastated by volcanic eruption and preserved under its pyroclastic flows,  then before you head to the ruins, it is best to first visit the museum spending a couple of hours in its galleries looking at the variety of material that have been excavated from the sites. These include mosaics, glass and clay utensils, jewelry, coins, erotic artefacts amongst many other treasures of the past. 

33. Food culture - I had the most luscious coffee of my life in Naples. It came with the glass encrusted with cashew bits and a chocolate spoon for a Euro 2.5. Another cup of simple cappuccino tasted amazing and was a treat for the eyes. It took little before I realized that there is much more to Naples than its wonderful pizza. There are coffee, pastries and snack items to be bought as you walk around for 1 Euro. 

My handsome husband very happy when his coffee is served with a chocolate spoon :)

My cup of cappuccino

A chunk of rice covered in batter and fried, bought for 1 Euro

4. Cheap decor items - There are wonderful, cheap decor items with paintings with Amalfi views, Neapolitan bay, small miniatures of vespas, arty wall clocks and other cute and endearing items that you can buy for cheap and take back to decorate your own houses or to gift your friends.

An antiques shop in Naples

55. Proximity to Pompeii - You are within an easy reach of the Pompeii, Mt Vesuvius, Herculaneum. You can make easy day trips to these stops and return to a hot pizza in the evening.  

Most buildings in City Center of Naples have huge wooden doors leading to multi-storey buildings