The capital of the Campania region and the largest city in Southern Italy, Naples has always put on a show, with its beautiful setting and expressive people. Once, critics spoke of its dark side, now it is cleaning up its act. Spend a long weekend discovering the historical city's rich artistic heritage or simply wandering its streets and soaking up the atmosphere.

CAPPELLA VECCHIA 11
Vicolo Santa Maria a Cappella Vecchia 11 (00 39 081 240 5117; fax: 245 5338; www.cappellavecchia11.it). A bright, cheerful six-bedroom budget option located just off piazza dei Martiri, the social hub of the well-heeled western quarter of Chiaia. £

COSTANTINOPOLI 104
Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli 104 (00 39 081 557 1035; fax: 557 1051 www.costantinopoli104.it). A late-19th-century villa in the centre of Naples with stained-glass windows has been turned into a 19-room boutique hotel. It's a comfortable townhouse refuge, with soft, modern-classic bedrooms and a small, palm-shaded swimming pool. Book a first-floor room in the main villa rather than one of the rather dark garden suites. ££

GRAND HOTEL SANTA LUCIA
Via Partenope 46 (00 39 081 764 0666; fax: 764 8580; www.santalucia.it). A pastel-hued jewel box with impeccable service and great views. ££

GRAND HOTEL VESUVIO
Via Partenope 45 (00 39 081 764 0044; fax: 764 4483; www.vesuvio.it). This 19th-century hotel overlooking the bay has welcomed a host of celebrity guests from Alfred Hitchcock to Giorgio Armani. A recent renovation modernised its belle époque marble and chandelier opulence with candy-bright stripes. ££

HOTEL EXCELSIOR
Via Partenope 48 (00 39 081 764 0111; www.starwoodhotels.com). The best situated of the hotels, with its Dolce Vita ambience and terrace bar with views across the bay to Sorrento and Vesuvius. ££

PORT'ALBA 33
Via Port'Alba 33 (00 39 081 549 3251; www.portalba33.it). This funky designer B&B is entered via a narrow bookseller's alley, but the breakfast room and the largest of the three bedrooms overlook lively piazza Dante. There's a tiny fitness area, and shiatsu massages can be arranged. £

ANTICA PIZZERIA PORT'ALBA
Via Port'Alba 18 (00 39 081 459 713). A great choice for lunch.

CIRO AL BORGO MARINARI DAL 1936
Via Luculliana 29-30 (00 39 081 764 6006; fax: 764 6989; www.ristoranteciro.it). Another good pizza restaurant, situated on the island of Megaride in front of the one-time fishermen's houses.

DA MICHELE
Via Cesare Sersale 1-3 (00 39 081 553 9204; www.damichele.net). A true keeper of the traditional-pizza flame which offers only two varieties: margherita and marinara (tomato and oregano).

DI MATTEO
Via dei Tribunali 94 (00 39 081 455 262; www.pizzeriadimatteo.it). The sausage and friarielli (mild green chilli) version is well worth trying.

LA STANZA DEL GUSTO
Vicoletto Sant'Arpino 21 (00 39 081 401 578). Tucked away up a stepped lane, this is one of those intense foodie restaurants where what you eat on any given evening depends very much on the latest whims and passions of the host-chef. Mario Avallone is an authority on the cuisine of Campania, the region around Naples, but he likes to give the tradition a creative twist in dishes such as pasta fresca alla genovese di finocchio in which a fennel sauce replaces the orthodox onion version, and squid and octopus baked in aubergine sauce.

L'EUROPEO DI MATTOZZI
Via Campodisola 4-8 (00 39 081 552 1323; www.pizzeriadimatteo.it). A temple of Neapolitan tradition, just off central piazza Bovio, L'Europeo serves up classics like a filling pasta patate e provola (with potatoes and smoky cheese) and pesce stocco alla pizzaiola (wind-dried fish in tomato sauce). Finish off with a baba (sponge soaked in rum) or a pastiera (a pie made with buckwheat, ricotta and orange-flower water). The pizzas are excellent, too. Open Mon-Sat lunch, Thurs-Sat dinner.

The best way to soak up the street-theatre atmosphere of Neapolitan life is to start by walking down Spaccanapoli (literally 'split Naples'), the popular name for the long straight street that cuts through the heart of the centro storico.

CAPPELLA SANSEVERO
Via Francesco de Sanctis 17-21 (00 39 081 551 8470; www.museosansevero.it). The Neapolitan taste for theatrical decoration is taken to wall-to-wall extremes in this private chapel, commissioned by eccentric prince Raimondo di Sangro in the 18th century. Open Wed-Fri, 10am-5.40pm, Sat-Sun, 10am-1.10pm.

MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO NAZIONALE DI NAPOLI
Piazza Museo 19 (00 39 081 442 2149; fax: 440 013; www.archeona.arti.beniculturali.it). Offers a monumental array of antique art, mixing the Farnese classical sculpture collection with finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae. Don't miss the Gabinetto Segreto, a one-room display of ancient porn. Open Wed-Mon 9am-7.30pm.

MUSEO NAZIONALE DI CAPODIMONTE
Via Miano 1 (00 39 081 749 9111; www.museo-capodimonte.it). Another Farnese art-fest, this time of paintings and decorative art, Capodimonte is worth a visit not only for its exquisite Titians and Caravaggios, but also for the setting: a sumptuous villa in a leafy park, high above the chaotic centro storico. Open Thurs-Tues, 8.30am to 7.30pm.

SAN DOMENICO MAGGIORE
Piazza San Domenico Maggiore (00 39 081 459 298/188). If you visit only one church in Naples, make it this dark, Gothic palimpsest, parts of which date from the 14th century. Seek out the austerely beautiful frescoes by Pietro Cavallini, a contemporary of Giotto, and the sacristy with its array of Aragon coffins. Open Mon-Sat, 8.30am-noon and 4pm-7pm, Sun, 9am-1pm and 4.30-7pm.

OUTSIDE THE CITY

POMPEII
(00 39 081 857 5347; www.pompeiisites.org). Less than an hour by train from downtown (take Circumvesuviana Naples-Sorrento train line and alight at Pompeii Scavi.), Pompeii is the one entirely umissable archaeological site in Italy. Go out of season and wander away from the main streets and villas to plug into the intimate, domestic side of life in this provincial Roman town, which came to an abrupt end one day in AD79. Open daily April-Oct, 8.30am-7.30pm (last admission 6pm), Nov-March, 8.30am-5pm (last admission 3.30pm).

AIRPORT
Located 7km from the city, the Naples international airport (www.portal.gesac.it) has good transport links to the centre.

AIRLINES FROM THE UK
British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com)
bmi (0870 607 0555; www.flybmi.com)
easyJet (0871 244 2366; www.easyjet.com)

If you're in the city for at least three days, it pays to invest in an Arte Card, which comes in a bewildering variety of formats and prices. A three-day pass, for example, allows free or half-price entrance to museums and other sights, and unlimited travel on the local network. For details see www.napoliartecard.com.

The city has mild winters and long, dry summers which often break with thunderstorms in autumn. Go in high summer to experience open-air Naples at its best.

Visit www.inaples.it