By Killian Duvivier

Naples might not be the first place one would want to go to when considering a trip
to Italy. Indeed, it is far from “La dolce vita” that any annoying advert would want to
sell you before you watch your YouTube video. Naples is possibly one of the loudest
places I have ever been. However, it is also one of the most charming places you
could visit. Here are a few reasons why:
The first hours in Naples are quite overwhelming. There’s a lot of noise coming from
everywhere – the people, the shops, but most of all the cars. Cars form the big
symphony of the busy Naples. Horns, horns and horns again. It is not rudeness as
we might think, staying there for a week made me realise it is just a habit in a
Neapolitan life, and that it is just a testimony to this city’s charisma.
Random fact: Naples is the birthplace of what is probably the most common food in
the world – pizza! Therefore, as you are here already, I would recommend that you
go to Gino Sorbillo’s pizzeria. You will have to queue for up to one hour, but trust me,
the wait will be worth it. There is no artifice in this restaurant, only the taste of a real
pizza at an affordable price. Sorbillo’s pizzeria is a cosy but busy place, a victim of its
own success.
Being a vast place, Naples needs to be covered in several days, as the city will not
reveal itself immediately. From the ‘Spanish Quarters’ to ‘Chiaia’, passing through
‘Rione Sanità’, there is a strong feeling of going from one city to another. Rione
Sanità is the most emblematic, if not the fanciest, area of Naples. It is a highly dense
quarter, reserving surprises at each corner. There is a whole atmosphere that is
impossible to describe in one word. The scent from the local pizzeria, the noise of
the youths driving on their scooters after school, the beeping of the symbolic Fiat, the
paved ground, altars of the virgin Maria in every street corner. This is just a glimpse
of the charismatic Rione Sanità.
However, the surrounding area is just as fascinating as Naples itself. Take the train
to Pompei and you will be able to visit the ancient roman city, whose people were
once decimated by the eruption of Vesuvius, that still remains active to this day.
Vesuvius itself is also worth a visit, especially if you have never seen a volcano that
close before. Considering its tragic past, the place is surprisingly peaceful. Arriving at
the top of this sleeping giant you will be able to see the inside of it – a mix of several
shades of red and brown rocks. Some smoking spots here and there remind you that
this colossus could erupt at any time.
Additionally, it would be a shame not to have a look at the Amalfi coast, in the south
of Naples. A trip on a bus on the steep roads of Campania will help you to discover
some of the best landscapes of Mediterranean Europe. Stop at Positano and have a
look at this city built on the abrupt hills of Italy. The best advice I can give would be
to wander through the place eating an Italian gelato. Now you can enjoy ‘La dolce
vita’.