Naples off the beaten track: these 7 things you should definitely do

Drinks à la Napoli

Naples is loud, chaotic, overwhelming - and that is precisely why it is one of the most exciting cities in Europe.

Who only Pizza and tick off the Archaeological Museum is missing the real soul of this city. Naples is not a city to be visited. Naples is a city to be experienced. Ideally with an empty stomach, comfortable shoes - and the willingness to be taken by surprise. Here are seven experiences that you won't find in any travel guide - but that everyone who loves Naples knows.

1. simply turn off at Quartieri Spagnoli - without Google Maps

Yes, it's a cliché. And no, it's still not a normal walk. In the Spanish quarters, the laundry hangs between the houses like colourful prayer flags, Vespas shoot past you with centimetre precision and somewhere, someone is screaming for their child from the third floor. Here, Naples still ticks to its original rhythm. Put your mobile phone away, turn into any alley - and let yourself be surprised. The best stories in this city are written by the unplanned.

Rome and eternity

2. sit in a Basso - enjoy a coffee

The bassi are Naples' famous ground floor flats - tiny rooms with doors that open directly onto the street. In some neighbourhoods, especially in Sanità or the Quartieri Spagnoli, the boundary between private home and public space is completely blurred. The door is open, the TV is on, the nonno is sitting at the kitchen table in his vest - and if you say hello in a friendly manner, you may be invited in for a coffee. Neapolitan hospitality in its purest form.

3. drink a caffè sospeso

A tradition that only exists in Naples: the caffè sospeso, the „postponed coffee“. You order two espressos, drink one yourself - and leave the second one paid for at the bar. For someone who can't afford one. Just ask at the bar: „C'è un caffè sospeso?“ Some bars keep tally sheets. Neapolitan humanity distilled into a cup Espresso.

Rimini, the diva on the Adriatic

4. eat a pizza a portafoglio - standing up, on the street

Forget queuing for hours at Sorbillo or Da Michele. The Neapolitans themselves often eat their pizza a portafoglio - Folded up like a wallet, on the move, out of your hand. Order a slice of margherita at one of the countless street stalls around the Via dei Tribunali, fold it twice - and understand why this city doesn't tie its food to a table. Tastes like freedom.

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5. try a coccia aperta - and hold on tight

This drink is not for the faint-hearted. Coccia aperta is an intensely sour lemon drink that you can get at small stalls and in traditional bars - and which literally makes your legs jump up at the first sip. It's like someone squeezing a lemon directly into your nervous system: The acidity kicks in, your body twitches, your eyes go wide - and then comes this incredible feeling of freshness. A pleasure at the height of summer.

6. go to a friggitoria - and order everything

Frying is not a cooking technique in Naples, but an art form. In the Friggitories of the city - small snack shops that only sell fried food - you can get cuoppoA paper bag full of golden delicacies. Courgette flowers, rice balls (arancini), potato croquettes (crocchè), deep-fried seaweed, pizza dough balls. Simply order un cuoppo misto and eat your way through the crispiest best-of that this city has to offer.

Florence, you beauty

7. sit on the Lungomare in the evening - and just do nothing

The waterfront promenade in Naples is one of the most magical places in the city at night. The Castel dell'Ovo glows in the floodlights, Mount Vesuvius lies as a dark silhouette over the bay, and families, couples, young people with boxes sit on the walls by the water. In a world that constantly demands activity, this is almost a revolutionary act. Join in.

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