Attractions

For those willing to see beyond the noise and urban grit, Naples reveals itself as a city of fun, surprise, and wonder that is particularly loved by art lovers and history buffs.

We suggest purchasing an Artecard before starting your exploration of the region. The City Sightseeing hop-on-and-off tour is another good idea, particularly if your time is limited.

Campania Artecard

The Artecard (tel. 800-600601 or 06-39967650; www.campaniartecard.it) gives you discounted admission to a great number of attractions, free access to public transportation, and discounts to a number of participating businesses. The pass now comes in 11 different versions (12€-30€). All grant admission to the first two or three attractions you visit from the list below and a 50% discount on all the rest, plus a 10% to 25% discount on several other museums and attractions, and free access to all public transportation -- including regional trains and special buses -- during the validity of the card. A youth card is offered but only to citizens of the European Union and other countries with reciprocity rights. There is also a version that is valid for a year.

The sites that qualify for free or 50% admission (depending on the type of card you choose) are:

• Naples's Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Certosa and Museo Di San Martino, Castel Sant'Elmo, Museo Civico di Castelnuovo, Museo Duca di Martina (Villa Floridiana), Museo Pignatelli Cortes, Museo Diocesano, Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro, MADRE, Palazzo Reale, and Città Della Scienza; Campi Flegrei's Flavian Amphitheatre, Serapeum, archaeological areas of Baia, Museo Archeologico di Baia, Cuma, and Rione Terra; Mount Vesuvius's archaeological areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Stabia, Velia, Oplontis, and Boscoreale; Capua's Mitreo, Anfiteatro Campano, Museo dei Gladiatori, and Museo Archeologico dell'Antica Capua; Caserta's Belvedere di San Leucio and Reggia; Cilento's Certosa di Padula and Museo del Santuario di Hera Argiva; and Sorrento's Museo.

The list of sites and businesses offering discounts between 10% and 25% is too long to print here, but we have noted them throughout the guide. The card is for sale online, as well as at all participating sites and museums, at the Campania Artecard stands at Capodichino Airport and the Napoli Cantrale train station, and some major hotels.

Kid Zone

The CitySightseeing open-top bus tours, and the fascinating Napoli Sotterranea and the University of Naples museums (tel. 081-2537587; www.musei.unina.it), are great for the younger set. The university's Museo di Paleontologia (Paleonthology Museum), Largo San Marcellino 10 (tel. 081-2537516), contains a large fossil collection, with splendid fish fossils from local digs, and even a carnivorous dinosaur. For some cool rocks and minerals from around the globe, the Museo di Mineralogia (Mineralogy Museum), Via Mezzocannone 8 (tel. 081-2535163), has a unique section on Vesuvian minerals as well as a real gold nugget, a diamond from South Africa, meteorites, and beautiful crystals. Animal lovers will enjoy the Museo di Zoologia (Zoology Museum), Via Mezzocannone 8 (tel. 081-2535164). Admission is 2.50€ for one museum (1.50€ kids), 3.50€ for two museums (2€ kids), or 4.50€ for all of them (3€ kids; Tues-Wed and Fri 9am-1:30pm, Mon and Thurs 9am-1:30pm and 3-5pm, Sat-Sun and holidays 9am-1pm; bus R2 to Corso Umberto-Mezzocannone).