Pompeii, Naples

In the year 79 AD Mount Vesuvius' fiery temper erupted in volcanic lava, burying the Roman city of Pompeii. The most evocative testimony to its victims is the 'frozen people', plaster casts of the victims whose anguished contortions and facial expressions reveal the horror of their untimely deaths. The excavation of Pompeii, which started after its accidental rediscovery in 1749, is an ongoing process and every decade has brought to light new finds that provide insight into daily Roman life. A comprehensive tour of Pompeii's attractions will take approximately five hours. Guided tours are available but are pricier alternatives to doing it alone. There is an informative 'How to Visit Pompeii' guidebook for sale outside all the site entrances. Pompeii is Italy's most popular tourist attraction, seeing nearly 2.5 million visitors every year.

Getting There:
SITA bus to Piazza Esedra in Pompeii; or Circumvesuviana train line from Central Station to Pompeii Scavi station

Opening Times:
Open from 8.30am to 7.30pm (April to October), and from 8.30am to 5pm (November to March)

Admission:
EUR11 to visit Pompeii only. Access to five neighbouring sites is EUR20 (valid for 3 days). Concessions are available

Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte, Naples

This museum occupies a restored 18th-century palace perched on the city's hills, and its artworks are arranged by collections and not chronology. The Farnese and Bourbon rulers amassed impressive collections of Renaissance paintings and Flemish masterpieces that can be viewed along with other great works. Notable amongst these are Masaccio's Crucifixion, Filipino Lippi's Annunciation and Saints, Raphael's Leo X, Bellini's Transfiguration, Michelangelo's Three Soldiersand Breughel's The Allegory of the Blind.

Opening Times:
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30am to 7.30pm

Admission:
EUR7.50

Duomo San Gennaro, Naples

The Chapel of San Gennaro is accessed from the south aisle of the Cathedral of Naples. This 13th-century Gothic building is dedicated to the patron saint of the city. Tradition tells the story of how two phials of San Gennaro's congealed blood liquefied in the bishop's hand after his martyred body was transported to the church. Legend has it that disaster will strike if the blood fails to liquefy on specific festival days - the first Saturday in May, on September 19 and December 16. The liquefaction ceremony, known as the Miracle of the Blood, takes place during a special Mass in full view of the congregation. The first chapel on the right upon entry into the cathedral is dedicated to San Gennaro (also known as Saint Januarius) and holds the famous phials of blood and a silver reliquary containing his skull. Beneath the Duomo are the excavations of well-preserved Greek and Roman roads that stretch beneath the modern city. Special tours of the excavations can be arranged.

Opening Times:
Open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm, and 4.30pm to 7pm; Sundays from 8am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 7.30pm. The archeological area is open on weekdays from 9am to 12pm and 4.30pm to 7pm. On festivals and the days before festivals the site is open from 9am to 12.30pm.

Admission:
Cathedral: Free; Archaeological site: EUR3

Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples

This world-class museum houses the Farnese collection of antiquities from Lazio and Campania and the incredible treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Notable among these collections are the Farnese Hercules and the Farnese Bull, the largest known ancient sculpture. On the mezzanine level is the Alexander Mosaic and at the furthest end of the mezzanine floor is the Secret Room (Gabinetto Segreto). The fascinating collection contained here showcases erotic material found in the brothels, baths, houses and taverns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The top section of the museum houses the Campanian wall paintings, well-preserved creations attesting to a mysterious past world. These are supported by a range of artefacts, in the form of glass, silver, ceramics, rope and even foodstuffs surviving from the Campanian cities of yesteryear.

Getting There:
Metro line 1 to the Museum stop; or line 2 to Cavour Square

Opening Times:
Open on Mondays, and Wednesdays to Sundays from 9am to 7.30pm. Closed on Tuesdays and on New Year's Day, 1 May and Christmas Day

Admission:
EUR6.50. Concessions are available

Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), Naples

An emblematic tourist attraction, the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is reason enough for any visitor to Naples to make the short trip across to the island of Capri. A world-famous sea cave, the Blue Grotto is perpetually filled with brilliant emerald light, caused by sunlight entering through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater from beneath. The cave also contains a smaller opening right at the level of the water-line, through which bright sunshine pours, and through which tourists are admitted by row-boat. Gaze in wonder at the spectral water, more light-filled than the air in the cave, and be sure to dip your hands and watch them glow an eerie silver-blue. Since row-boats entering the cave can only take a maximum of three passengers, you are ensured of a private and truly unforgettable experience in the Blue Grotto, one which you will treasure for the rest of your life.

Sassi de Matera, Naples

For anyone with even the smallest interest in human history, the Sassi de Matera - located in the region of Basilicata, about 156 miles (250km) east of Naples - are a stone-cold must-see tourist attraction. The unbelievable cave-dwellings of Matera were inscribed in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1993, and have been astonishing visitors to the region ever since. Dug into the tuff rock of the region (rock comprised of consolidated volcanic ash), the 'houses' are often little more than caverns, and remain as testament to a troglodyte population believed to be the first human settlement in Italy. Some of the streets of present-day Matera double as rooftops to the underground dwellings, and beneath the surface, a network of labyrinths and caverns once traversed by the prehistoric civilisation can still be observed. As has been noted, the inhabitants of Matera's Sassi are the only people who can claim to live in the same houses as their ancestors did 9,000 years ago - making these amazing structures compulsory viewing for all tourists to Italy who are keen on historical sightseeing.

Capri, Naples

Capri's beauty captured the imagination of the Roman Emperor Augustus in 29 BC, and continues to draw admiring crowds to its picturesque banks. Ferries and hydrofoils transport travellers from Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Naples to its embarkation point at Marina Grande. From here, a funicular runs to the town's Piazza Umberto. The island's main attraction is the Blue Grotto. This sea-cave is illuminated a fantastic neon blue, caused by the interplay of light and water. The ruins of Villa Tiberiocan be explored following a 45-minute trek up the nearby hill. Legend has it that Tiberius tossed those unfortunate enough to anger him off the precipice; though, luckily, walking down is an option nowadays. On the descent along the path one can take a short detour to the Arco Naturale. This weathered stone arch on the island's eastern cliffs provides the perfect perspective from which to contemplate the vista that stretches to Paestum. Another interesting villa to explore is the Villa San Michele(in Anacapri), the magnum opus of Swedish author and physician Axel Munthe. Henry James described it as 'the most fantastic beauty, poetry, and inutility that I have ever seen clustered together.' It is open in summer between 9am and 6pm, and in winter from 10am to 3pm. Still in Anacapri, take the 12-minute chairlift to the summit of Monte Solaroto experience the breathtaking views stretching to the distant Apennines and Calabria mountains.

Getting There:
Ferries (80 minutes) and hydrofoils (40 minutes) depart from the port of Mergellina or Molo Beverello; Molo Beverello has more frequent departures

Paestum, Naples

The well-preserved Greek temples of Paestum are arguably the best of their kind in the world, easily rivalling those of Sicily and Athens. The city was founded by its Greek colonists in the 7th Century BC, and later fell under Roman rule (until it was no longer commercially successful and its inhabitants fled for greener pastures). The north-south axis of the city is marked by the paved Via Sacra and most guided tours begin at its southern end. A guide to the excavations and Archaeological Museum can be bought at any of the roadside shops. Notable amongst the remains are three Doric temples, the best-preserved of their kind in the world. Built without the use of cement or mortar, these remarkable structures comprise the Basilica, the Temple of Poseidon and the Temple of Ceres. Heading north along Via Sacra will take one to the Roman Forum gymnasium and amphitheatre. Finally, Paestum's Museum contains a fascinating collection of pottery and paintings found in the tombs of the area.

Getting There:
Train from Naples, 40km south of Salerno.

Opening Times:
Museum daily 9am to 7pm (closed first and third Monday each month)

Admission:
Museum EUR4 (EUR6.50 including the site)