Campania

Campania is the Italy of your wildest dreams: a rich, intense, hypnotic ragù of Arabesque street life, decadent palaces, pastel-hued villages and aria-inspiring vistas.

History & Art

Few corners of Europe can match Campania's cultural conundrums. Should you spend the morning waltzing through chandeliered Bourbon bedrooms or the frescoed villa of a Roman emperor's wife? And which of Caravaggio's canvases should you see first: the multiscene masterpiece inside Naples' Pio Monte della Misericordia, the violent showstopper inside the hilltop Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte, or the artist's swansong inside the belle-époque Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano? Campania's blockbuster heritage will set your imagination alight with its chariot grooves, frescoes and heart-stirring sculptures.

Natural Highs

Mother Nature let loose in Italy's south, creating an adventure playground of rugged mountains, steaming fumaroles and ethereal coastal grottoes. Crank up the pulse rate cave-diving off the Capri coast or go mountain-bike riding and grotto roaming in the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni. Need to bring it down a notch? Go horseback riding on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius, sail the Amalfi Coast or simply soak at a thermal beach on Ischia. The options may be many, but there's one constant: a landscape that is beautiful, diverse and undisputedly ethereal.

Culinary Riches

Campania is a never-ending feast; bubbling, wood-fired pizza in Naples, long lunches at Cilento agriturismi (farm-stay accommodation) and lavish pastries at celebrity-status Amalfi Coast pasticcerie (pastry shops). Should you tuck into coniglio all'Ischitana (Ischian-style rabbit) at an island trattoria? Pick up some famous colatura di alici (anchovy essence) in Cetara? Or just kick back with a crisp Falanghina and debate who has the creamier buffalo mozzarella – Caserta or Paestum?

Southern Lifestyle

Campanians have a way of making other Italians seem just a little uptight. Despite the demands of modern life, there is always time for an impromptu espresso at the local bar or a bite of juicy gossip on a sun-bleached piazza. One minute you're choosing produce at a street market, the next you're in the middle of a feverish discussion of the weather, the in-laws or Napoli's on-field performance. No one is a stranger for long, and a casual chiacchiera (chat) could easily land you at the bountiful table of your new best friend.

Explore Campania

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Campania.

  • Museum

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    Naples' National Archaeological Museum serves up one of the world’s finest collections of Graeco-Roman artefacts. Originally a cavalry barracks and later…

  • Archaeological Site

    Paestum's Temples

    Very different to Pompeii, Paestum’s ruins are smaller, older, more Greek and – crucially – a lot less overrun. Consequently, it is possible to steal some…

  • Museum

    Museo di Capodimonte

    Originally designed as a hunting lodge for Charles VII of Bourbon, the monumental Palazzo di Capodimonte was begun in 1738 and took more than a century to…

  • Chapel

    Cappella Sansevero

    It's in this Masonic-inspired baroque chapel that you'll find Giuseppe Sanmartino's incredible sculpture, Cristo velato (Veiled Christ), its marble veil…

  • Archaeological Site

    Ruins of Herculaneum

    Herculaneum harbours a wealth of archaeological finds, from ancient advertisements and stylish mosaics to carbonised furniture and terror-struck skeletons…

  • Archaeological Site

    Ruins of Pompeii

    The ghostly ruins of ancient Pompeii (Pompei in Italian) make for one of the world's most engrossing archaeological experiences. Much of the site's value…

  • Monastery

    Certosa e Museo di San Martino

    The high point (quite literally) of the Neapolitan baroque, this charterhouse-turned-museum was built as a Carthusian monastery between 1325 and 1368…

  • Catacomb

    Catacombe di San Gennaro

    Naples' oldest and most sacred catacombs became a Christian pilgrimage site when San Gennaro's body was interred here in the 5th century. The carefully…

  • Palace

    Palazzo Reale

    Envisaged as a 16th-century monument to Spanish glory (Naples was under Spanish rule at the time), the magnificent Palazzo Reale is home to the Museo del…

  • Castle

    Castello Aragonese

    There are castles and then there’s Ischia’s Castello Aragonese, a veritable fort-city set on its own craggy islet, looking like a cross between Harry…

  • Palace

    Reggia di Caserta

    Italy's swansong to the baroque, the colossal Reggia di Caserta began life in 1752 after Charles VII ordered a palace to rival Versailles. Not one to…

  • Cathedral

    Duomo

    Whether you go for Giovanni Lanfranco's fresco in the Cappella di San Gennaro (Chapel of St Janarius), the 4th-century mosaics in the baptistry, or the…

  • Basilica

    Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara

    Vast, Gothic and cleverly deceptive, the mighty Basilica di Santa Chiara stands at the heart of this tranquil monastery complex. The church was severely…

  • Cathedral

    Duomo

    One of Campania's strangely under-the-radar sights, Salerno’s impressive cathedral is considered by aficionados to be the most beautiful medieval church…

  • Church

    Pio Monte della Misericordia

    The 1st-floor gallery of this octagonal, 17th-century church delivers a satisfying, digestible collection of Renaissance and baroque art, including works…

  • Cathedral

    Cattedrale di Sant’Andrea

    A melange of architectural styles, Amalfi's cathedral is a bricks-and-mortar reflection of the town's past as an 11th-century maritime superpower. It…

  • Gardens

    Villa Rufolo

    To the south of Ravello’s cathedral, a 14th-century tower marks the entrance to this villa, famed for its beautiful cascading gardens. Created by a…

  • Historic Building

    Villa Lysis

    This beautifully melancholic art-nouveau villa is set on a clifftop on Capri’s northeast tip and was the one-time retreat of French poet Jacques d…

  • Ruins

    Villa Jovis

    Villa Jovis was the largest and most sumptuous of 12 Roman villas commissioned by Roman Emperor Tiberius (AD14–37) on Capri, and his main island residence…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Campania.