Naples is the city that spoils all others — its UNESCO-listed historic centre is a stack of Greek, Roman, Norman, Aragonese and Bourbon layers compressed into streets of impossible vitality, presided over by Vesuvius across the bay. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele has been making the world's most debated margherita since 1870, and the debate is entirely justified. The National Archaeological Museum holds the most important collection of Greco-Roman antiquity outside Greece itself, including treasures evacuated from Pompeii and Herculaneum — day trips to both sites are unmissable. The Spaccanapoli, a dead-straight Roman road that literally splits the city in two, is one of Europe's great street experiences: chaotic, aromatic and alive in a way that no other Italian city quite manages.
- Suggested duration: 3–4 days
- Best time to visit: April to June and September to October for manageable heat and crowds; winter is mild and the city is authentically Neapolitan without tourists.