Capital of South of Italy he largest city of Campania, capital of the province and the region, Naples is the third most populated city in Italy (after Rome and Milan), with over a million inhabitants, and is the most important industrial center and trading port for the South. A point of embarkation for emigrants in the past, Naples now has a large traffic of merchandise (petroleum, carbon, cereals) and passengers.

It is the largest Italian port, with a noteworthy nexus of railway and highways and a large international airport. In the vast urban area one can distinguish many different neighborhoods: the old center, characterized by buildings closely crowded together, is bordered on the west by the new administrative district and on the east by the business district, into which flows almost all the road and rail traffic. Other neighborhoods, with narrow climbing streets, rise around the base of the San Martino and Capodimonte hills. These neighborhoods have experienced intense development, typically of the simpler kind, in contrast to that of the residential neighborhoods that stretch out comfortably along the Vomero and Posillipo hills.

The most naturally Neapolitan dishes are vermicelli with clams, mussels, smaller shellfish, ziti (a type of pasta) with ragù (meat sauce), Italian style fritters, fritters of squid and mullet, steamed polyps, oven-baked kid (lamb), eggplant Parmesan, and buffalo mozzarella. Without question, pizza is the symbol of Naples. Naples is known worldwide for this genuine and economical dish. However, in Naples the pizza is different and no one can equal the Parthenopeaen pizza-makers.

Whether because of the delicious odor in the air, in the oil, in the flavor of the water, or for the simplicity with which it is made, it is certain that in Naples "pizza" has a special flavor. Whether because of its colors or the luminosity of the landscape or its intriguing byways, Naples certainly will remain in the eyes and hearts of its visitors. Shopping in Naples is a tourist experience worth discovering, alongside of traditional shopping. It draws visitors through the piazzas, streets and byways of the Parthenopeaen capital in search of something "real."

The characteristic Neapolitan craftsman, who possesses an incomparable stock of tradition, has been able to conserve throughout the ages his secrets of hard work and human care, passing them down from father to son.

Measuring 4 mls from E to W and N to S with a population over 1 million, Italy's third largest city is an important industrial centre and major seaport which nevertheless has something to offer visitors unruffled by its exuberant energy, noise, grime and anarchic, chaotic traffic. It boasts a bewildering array of sights from monumental historical buildings, vast squares, parks, churches, splendid museums and palaces to art galleries, bustling shopping streets and animated open-air markets. The historic heart of Naples is the Spaccanapoli with its lava paving, cathedral, host of Renaissance and baroque churches, and ubiquitous, tooting, weaving scooters; the area is currently undergoing much-needed restoration after neglect dating back to World War II and earthquake damage in 1980. More rundown areas include the extensive, seedy Piazza Garibaldi by the main station and the poorer residential Quartiere Spagnoli, with its rank warrens of narrow streets and alleys, hanging washing and pock-marked tenements. To the SW of the old town lies cosmopolitan Piazza Municipio, a convenient starting point for exploring the handsome public buildings and hectic shopping streets in the vicinity. Also nearby is Naples' diverting seafront esplanade, where you can watch boats leaving for the islands and beyond. To the W lie the smart sloping suburbs of Chiaia and Mergellina whose villas and gardens provide comparative respite from the tumult and heat of the centre, offering fine views of the bay, irregular city skyline and magnificent, moody Vesuvius.

Streetwise or adventurous middlemarket singles and couples interested in Italian culture generally and antiquities. Not for families, the naive or those with walking difficulties. As with many destinations, it is prudent to avoid strolling the streets with expensive cameras or jewellery on show and keep a close eye on handbags and wallets.

Reasonable choice of middlemarket hotels in both respectable and dubious quarters. Cheaper pensions in the historic old town where parking a car is well-nigh impossible.

None. Large, flat rocks form a sea barrier and stretch the length of the "riviera" and promenade (2 mls).

Via Toledo is the most popular shopping thoroughfare; Via Chiaia boasts famous Italian fashion labels. Forcella market, with its din and good-natured haggling, has a broad range of goods including counterfeit perfume, leather goods, alcohol and gaudy local paraphernalia. Animated fish market at Santa Lucia.

Daytime: city tours taking in the 14th-century cathedral (Duomo) and numerous churches in Spaccanapoli; world-renowned archaeological museum with treasures from nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum; National Gallery in the 18th-century palace of Capodimonte, overlooking the city; 17th-century Royal Palace and adjacent 13th-century Castel Nuovo castle; San Carlo opera house; 13th-century port of Santa Lucia with its castle; Catacombs of San Gennaro and San Severo, some dating to the 2nd century; hilltop Carthusian monastery of San Martino (founded in the 13th century) and the neighbouring fortress of Sant'Elmo. Nightlife: plenty of nightclubs, cocktail bars and lively cafes; high-standard opera at San Carlo. Annual open-air music festival in July in Capodimonte Park.

Abundance of restaurants, pizzerias and even fast-food joints (friggitorie). Plenty of quality seafood (particularly at the waterfront restaurants of Santa Lucia), gargantuan inexpensive pizzas (invented here in the 18th century) and ingenious pasta dishes. Mozzarella cheese from buffalo milk is a local speciality and the wine of the region respectable. Prices compare favourably with the UK.

Services comprise regular bone-shaking buses following complicated routes, a tram system across town, a limited Metro and 4 funiculars; economical day-tickets can be purchased at newspaper kiosks. The Circumvesuviana train is a speedy way to Pompeii, Herculaneum or Sorrento. Ferries and hydrofoils to the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida. Taxis are expensive.

Half day: city tours. Full day: Greek ruins at Cumae and Paestum; Roman remains of evocative Pompeii and Herculaneum; steaming crater of Vesuvius; Sorrento and the Amalfi coast; 18th-century royal palace at Caserta; boat trips to islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida.

On the W coast of Italy, in the lower half of the "boot", facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. 138 mls SE of Rome. 306 mls SE of Florence. Capodichino airport 3 mls NE of centre.

On low-lying terrain and foothills surrounding the picturesque Bay of Naples with the Sorrento Peninsula and islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida to the S and W; the active volcano Mt Vesuvius forms a backdrop to the E.

Website: www.enit.it

Airport : Capodichino
Airport Code: NAP
Flight time from ther U.K.: 2 hrs. 30 mins