GETTING THERE

It’s a well connected area, served by three funicular railways, funicolare Centrale, di Chiaia e di Montesanto, the subway linea 1, stops Vanvitelli, Medaglie d’oro, Collana and serveral buses.

WHAT TO SEE

There are several reasons to go there. One is definitely Castel Sant’Elmo, again the view from the terraces is breathtaking. It’s not free as Castel dell’Ovo, but it should be reasonably cheap. There might be some event going on there. Certosa di San Martino next to it is also another highlight, with a beautiful view. I only went there once long time ago. From piazza Vanvitelli, you have to go uphill. The closest funicular is Funicolare di Montesanto.

Another reason is that the area is very lively, as there is a big concentration of shops. It’s some sort of a gigantic shopping center, but slightly nicer. So I recommend it on a week day in the afternoon if you want to see people buzzing around. Villa Floridiana is a nice park that also offers a beautiful view on the gulf, and the entrance is free.

EATING

Right in piazza Vanvitelli you can have a good ice cream, the place is called Fantasia Gelati. I can recommend the flavor “Benevento”. A good pizzeria is 100m from there, in via Cimarosa between the station of the Funicolare di Chiaia and Funicolare Centrale. It’s called Acunzo (if I’m not wrong). A coffee that I really like is Bar Mexico, that is on via Scarlatti just 100m up from piazza Vanvitelli. Finally, the real reason why anyone should visit Vomero: Friggitoria Vomero. It’s been in piazza Fuga since the fifties at least, just opposite the Funicolare Centrale. All they serve is fried stuff that you take away. In the nineties one could easily be satisfied with something like “2000 lire di misto”, that would be mixed stuff for one euro. It was a lot.