n Naples, every emotion is a treasure that enriches.
Here, you can breathe in the beautiful things and come across them on the street in what is a mosaic of faces and stories. Naples is not a city to be crossed distractedly because its human heritage lies in the experiences and facets that it is able to give to those who explore it.
This is why ours will be a different guide.
We will reveal to you beyond the usual clichés the beauty of a city that has so much to offer to those who know how to listen, exploring what is an intense emotional journey, unrepeatable elsewhere.
So, are you ready?
Let's begin.
1. Coffee at the bar: much more than you think
2. The elderly at the “vasci”: the guardians of memory
3. The Spanish Quarters and Neapolitan street art
This part of Naples, the one marked by the rhythms of the people, by the clothes hanging out in the sun and by the voices is undoubtedly the most authentic. In this intertwining of colors and smells, each wall is a canvas that tells of struggle and hope. These alleys cry out “resistance” and with the urban redevelopment experienced in recent times they envelop you in emotions that are difficult to forget.
In Via Emanuele De Deo, the two murals present embody the souls of Partenope: the sacred and the profane. The Pibe de Oro stands alongside the goddess Isis in what in reality, more than a contrast, is a perfectly contextualized scenario. In Naples, faith takes different forms. The football belief is so powerful that it is untouchable and gives rise to collective works, such as the previously mentioned mural that started from a collection of the people in 1990 and by Mario Filardi and was then finished in 2017 by Bosoletti.
In these streets, street art is a living language.
There are the never forgotten faces of those who made Naples great (Lucio Dalla, Pino Daniele, Massimo Troisi, Luciano De Crescenzo, Totò).
Anxieties, dreams and visions animate hallways, walls and street signs of what is essentially a neighborhood full of meaning. There are 243 works created by Cyop&Kaf in this perspective, in an emotional development divided into categories and well-defined lines all to be experienced and discovered.
Together all these artists give life to a collective story.
Choosing us as a starting point will allow you to easily discover these and many other declarations of intent.
4. The magic of Neapolitan squares
Our squares speak and, above all, fascinate. The most impressive that needs no introduction is Piazza del Plebiscito, capable of making you feel small with the majesty that distinguishes it given on one side by breathtaking monumental details and on the other by the Basilica of San Francesco and Paola, which it embraces in a historical and intense way.
Piazza Bellini, on the other hand, is an intimate and more hidden refuge between historic buildings and lively nightlife. The remains of the Greek walls emerge as silent witnesses of a distant past, while all around you can breathe a modern liveliness made of culture and clubs. It is a place where ancient and contemporary coexist in perfect harmony, adapting to the different moods and moments of the city.
Continuing our experiences there is Piazza Vittoria which enchants with the Castel Dell’Ovo, Vesuvius and an expanse of blue that seems to call you in whispers and flattery. To learn more about the seafront promenade that Naples offers, read here.
Finally, to conclude, we tell you about Piazza Dante, the hub of Neapolitan daily life. Here the rhythm is incessant: students, passers-by and artists mingle under the watchful eye of the supreme poet who watches over a constantly bustling square.
Each of these squares has a different story but represents a Naples made of sounds and traditions. They are not simple spaces but places of the soul.
5. Monte Echia: a view that stays in your heart
It is very likely that your walk will continue following the fresh scent of the salt air. In this case, approaching the seafront and passing the main streets, you will arrive at Monte Echia. In a less traveled street a comfortable elevator will take you to the top of a hill and there, from up there, the entire city will unfold before your gaze. The sky mirrored in the sea will offer you a glimpse that you will want to freeze in time. So live the moment, savor it on one of the benches made available to travelers and then immortalize it all with the camera of your smartphone. Once you return home, we know it well, you will want to see this moment again and again because more than a panorama, what you have just discovered is a promise of peace and beauty.
6. The Thirteen Descents of Posillipo: a journey back in time
Now get ready to live an experience that speaks directly to the heart: the Thirteen Descents will take you on a journey out of time where every step will be a useful opportunity to leave the chaos of the city behind. Continuing along the path, you will feel the city transform. You will open up to a scenario full of colors and emotions capable of saying: you are part of something eternal. This is a place that deserves to be experienced more than seen and all you will need to do so is a free mind and a lot of breath. Your effort will be rewarded by the view, a breathtaking panorama that will give you the idea of being immersed in a painting, a corner halfway between the sky and the sea where you can serenely be yourself.
7. San Martino and Vomero: the breath of the city from above
Naples is not just wide horizons, it is a circular journey. Continuing to talk about heights and proceeding in a crescendo of experiences, some areas such as Vomero will give you moments of quiet in corners where the air becomes light and elegance winks at the most distinguished neighborhood of the city.
From the terrace of San Martino, one of the best places to look out over the splendor of the city, you will find joy and wonder reflected in the faces of visitors. The Certosa and Castel Sant’Elmo that stand nearby, accompany with ancient stories and hundreds of visits organized daily. The first, with its cloisters and art treasures, is a place of peace and reflection; the second, with its imposing architecture, offers a privileged point of view that will make you feel small but important.
An ideal opportunity to visit these places and other cultural wonders of Naples is the first Sunday of the month, when admission is free thanks to an initiative of the municipality. We are talking about a unique way to immerse yourself in our artistic heritage waiting to be discovered.
Continuing on your path instead, you will find the Pedamentina; a downhill path that winds from Vomero to the historic center. It is a path that tells the story of the various social classes and offers glimpses of breathtaking beauty.
8. Sunset at Molo Beverello: a caress of light
Recently acquired, we want to tell you about another panoramic walk overlooking the sea. At Molo Beverello, when the sun begins to set, Naples is transformed. The sky turns orange and pink, reflecting in the waves below and here, if you stop to breathe, on this walkway that extends for 2,400 square meters where innovation and history meet, it will seem like everything is in the right place. What you will rest on will be none other than the roof of the new maritime station, a work still in progress that aims very high.
9. The nativity scenes of San Gregorio Armeno
Before the day comes to an end, there is still time to immerse yourself in tradition by visiting San Gregorio Armeno. Among artisan workshops and tiny figurines, you will meet master nativity scene makers intent on passing down in small workshops an art that surpasses time and generations. It doesn’t matter what time of year you decide to visit: in this place, Christmas lives all year round. Don’t be discouraged by the crowds, the many restaurants present, the nativity figures and current figures from the entertainment or political world who dominate tall, narrow stalls. San Gregorio Armeno and the entire area in which it is present is a kaleidoscope of creativity. Continue beyond the chaos, enter secondary streets until you discover small caves and spaces where you can find pieces of inestimable value and beauty. Let yourself be amazed by unique details and scenes recreated with inexplicable care. Go beyond the classic tourist walk, experience everything as a Neapolitan: with wonder, lightness and respect.
10. The Metro: travel and do it big
However, we know only one way to travel, to do it in the best way. In Naples, even taking the subway means having a parallel experience where art and design transform simple daily movements into wonder. The famous blue vault of the Toledo stop on Line 1 envelops visitors with a dive into the depths of the sea. Each station, at the same time, invites you to daydream, dwelling on the beauty that can be everywhere. The recently inaugurated Line 6 is a small art gallery where installations play with light and space. Mosaics, statues and interactive works created by internationally renowned artists and architects such as Hans Kollhoff, Rebecca Horn and Peter Kogler follow one another on a railway line where the monotony of routine dissolves into dialogue and involvement. After all, in Naples, traveling means living.
In Conclusion
In Naples, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from: here you will always find someone ready to welcome you with a coffee or a kind word. Ours is a city that opens its heart without asking for anything in return. Kindness is an unwritten law, a gift that is given to you without expectations, capable of making you feel like an important part of a large and warm family.
By staying at the Santa Chiara Boutique Hotel, you will be in the exact center of all this. Here, between elegance and comfort, you will live an experience capable of combining the authentic charm of Naples with a superior level of hospitality. Every detail is designed to immerse you in the Neapolitan soul, the one that goes beyond the clichés and that knows how to surprise you with sincere beauty that is unique in its kind.
What we offer you is much more than a stay. It is an invitation to discover the deepest side of Naples with the certainty of being able to return to an oasis capable of providing you with all the necessary comforts.
Discover everything we can guarantee you and book your next trip now: Naples is ready to give you the best, the one you don’t expect.
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Live your adventure in Naples, choose the perfect room to discover the city and everything it has to offer. We will be happy to welcome you.
