With the reputation of on of the most dangerous places in Italy, how could I stay away? Crazy drivers, petty crime and organized crime are exactly the kinds of things I look for in a relaxing getaway. This coupled with the fact that the city is the home of pizza, i just couldn't stay away. One thing is for sure, Naples is a city unlike any other in Italy.Naples has attitude and lots of it. In Rome, a pedestrian seems to have this magical power to 
stop traffic by merely thinking about crossing the road. In Naples it's every man for themselves. In Florence the buildings are all polished and restored. In Naples it's almost impossible to find a patch of wall without graffiti on it. In Venice there are numerous tourist information booths with plenty of signage. In Naples, the map they give you is only in Italian. I went to a party while in Naples, and there seemed to be a common expression that "Naples is 20 years behind". And while the infrastructure, tourism and transportation may not be as fancy as the rest of Italy. I like to think that Naples is not 20 years behind, just taking a different path to get there.
stop traffic by merely thinking about crossing the road. In Naples it's every man for themselves. In Florence the buildings are all polished and restored. In Naples it's almost impossible to find a patch of wall without graffiti on it. In Venice there are numerous tourist information booths with plenty of signage. In Naples, the map they give you is only in Italian. I went to a party while in Naples, and there seemed to be a common expression that "Naples is 20 years behind". And while the infrastructure, tourism and transportation may not be as fancy as the rest of Italy. I like to think that Naples is not 20 years behind, just taking a different path to get there. Walking into tourist information and asking, "so what's interesting to see?" the response 
was "well, there's Church X and church Y. Oh and church Z is really nice...". While Naples might lack some of the big ticket attractions found in other Italian cities, it's not without it's sights. A good place to start is Palazzo Reale. The square around the old Royal Palace is huge and a great meeting place for locals and tourist alike. Towering over the piazza, is one of 3 castles in Naples. The "egg" castle is scenically located on the water, the "new" castle is very stereo-typically castle like, but it's the Saint Elmo castle on the hilltop that is the highlight. Spectacular views await anyone willing to hike up the stairs to the top (or more easily take the funicular).
was "well, there's Church X and church Y. Oh and church Z is really nice...". While Naples might lack some of the big ticket attractions found in other Italian cities, it's not without it's sights. A good place to start is Palazzo Reale. The square around the old Royal Palace is huge and a great meeting place for locals and tourist alike. Towering over the piazza, is one of 3 castles in Naples. The "egg" castle is scenically located on the water, the "new" castle is very stereo-typically castle like, but it's the Saint Elmo castle on the hilltop that is the highlight. Spectacular views await anyone willing to hike up the stairs to the top (or more easily take the funicular). In the historic old city is where you'll find the most bang for your buck though. With more 
churches than you can shake a stick at, I was all holy-ed out by noon. Luckily for me, being there around Christmas, i was in for a special treat. In the old centre, Via San Gregorio Armeno is quite famous around Italy. This tiny side street is lined with artisans who specialize in nativity scenes. There are all kinds of them to be seen, all crafted with the utmost skill. Each year, different characters are added to the scene. This year seemed to be the year of the new US president. His big smile graced every craftsman's shop. But with the fame of the street, comes the craziness. For an alleyway not wider than 10 feet across, it's amazing how many people you can fit in it. And on one of the days i was there, there was a light rain. Meaning the craziness was compounded by umbrellas. But whatever, the baroque architecture is "pretty" to look at, and strolling around is always a good way to spend the afternoon.
churches than you can shake a stick at, I was all holy-ed out by noon. Luckily for me, being there around Christmas, i was in for a special treat. In the old centre, Via San Gregorio Armeno is quite famous around Italy. This tiny side street is lined with artisans who specialize in nativity scenes. There are all kinds of them to be seen, all crafted with the utmost skill. Each year, different characters are added to the scene. This year seemed to be the year of the new US president. His big smile graced every craftsman's shop. But with the fame of the street, comes the craziness. For an alleyway not wider than 10 feet across, it's amazing how many people you can fit in it. And on one of the days i was there, there was a light rain. Meaning the craziness was compounded by umbrellas. But whatever, the baroque architecture is "pretty" to look at, and strolling around is always a good way to spend the afternoon.
But my favourite thing i found, besides the endless supply of pizza shops, was 
Napoli Sotterranea (Naples Underground). And labyrinth of tunnels under the streets of Naples, has quite a history. Some 2,000 years ago, the Greeks used the area as a quarry, the porous volcanic stone being excellent for earthquake proofing. And for a city in the shadows of Mt Vesuvius, it's important. But later, the hollowed out ground was transformed into an Aqueduct, which remained in use until a mid 1800's Cholera outbreak forced it's closure. But the tunnels were not finished their use yet. During the Second World War, the hundreds of tunnels, cisterns and cavities were used to shelter locals from the bombardment of Allied war planes. While I've seen systems like this before, this one seemed cooler. Some of the passageways are not more than 45 cm wide, meaning if you're afraid of tight spaces or a little... shall we say... "big boned" this might not be the place for you. The coolest part is part of the tour is done by candlelight. It's kind of pricey at nearly 10 Euro, and you have to go guided. Personally i thought the guide sucked, but how exciting can you make "and the water flowed from this room to this room."So, you feelin' lucky, punk? Does Naples deserve it's reputation for danger and crime? Maybe. Should that keep you from visiting the city when in Italy? Absolutely not! The edginess of the city is the way Italy used to be. With a raging alternative scene, including artists, photographers and tonnes of long-haired hippie types (excluding myself), Naples is one of a kind in Italy. And besides, something like 75% of visitors DON'T get stabbed while there, and i think those are pretty damn good odds.
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