How to get to Spaccanapoli

With metro Line 1

It’s the simplest way. Line 1 skirts the historic centre from one end to the other: Dante is at the western end, and you descend towards the decumanus passing under Port’Alba; Museo and Università are the middle stops; Duomo serves the eastern end, with exits on piazza Nicola Amore and corso Umberto I, and on via Duomo. From the Duomo station to the Cathedral is a five-to-ten-minute gentle uphill walk, and from there you enter the decumanus.

Which stop to get off at

It depends on where you want to start. I recommend Dante if you want to do the walk in the classic direction, from west to east: you exit, pass under the arch of Port’Alba, cross piazza Bellini or go down via Toledo, and in a few minutes you’re at piazza del Gesù Nuovo, which is also the meeting point for almost all guided tours. Duomo is better if you’re coming from the central station or want to start at the Cathedral and walk west. The difference between the two ends is explained in where it starts and where it ends.

From Napoli Centrale

Two reasonable options. The first: Line 1 to Duomo or Università, and you’re in the old town in a few minutes. The second: on foot, about twenty minutes along corso Umberto I, known to everyone as the Rettifilo, until you cross via Duomo and walk back up. The walk is flat and straight, and brings you in from the east side, so it makes sense if you then want to walk the decumanus towards Gesù Nuovo.

With Line 2 and the Cumana

Montesanto and Cavour are just a few minutes’ walk from the old town. Montesanto is convenient if you’re coming from the Phlegraean area with the Cumana and if you then want to go up to Vomero; Cavour leaves you near the northern side, close to the Museum. Neither puts you directly on the street, but both leave you with a short walk.

For the view from above

If you want to see the cut that gives the street its name, you have to go up, and the climb starts right from Montesanto: the funicular arrives at Morghen, and from there you can reach the Certosa di San Martino and the belvedere. It’s a half-day detour that makes sense before or after the walk, never in the middle. How to organise it is in seeing Spaccanapoli from above.

Getting your bearings once you get off

The old town is a grid, so there’s no need to memorise anything. The three parallel streets are the upper decumanus, in the area of via dell’Anticaglia, the main decumanus, which is via dei Tribunali, and the lower decumanus, which is Spaccanapoli. The side streets connect them from hill to valley. If you’re walking on a flat, straight street, you’re on a decumanus; if you’re going uphill, you’re on a side street. With just this rule, you can explore the neighbourhood without looking at your phone, and stop wondering if you’re still on the right street: where it begins and where it ends.

If you arrive with luggage

The basalt paving and wheeled suitcases don’t mix well, and during peak hours dragging a suitcase along the decumanus is an exercise in patience for you and others. If your accommodation is in the old town, the nearest stop among Dante, Museo, Università and Duomo will spare you the worst part. If you’ve just left your hotel and still want to do the tour, the private option includes pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, which solves a lot in a tight schedule.

Arriving at the meeting point for a tour

Almost all guided tour meeting points are a few minutes from a Line 1 stop. Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, where you meet in front of the tourist information office, is reachable from Dante or Toledo; piazza Bellini is a short walk from Dante and Museo; piazza Dante is the stop itself; piazza San Domenico Maggiore is in the middle of the decumanus. If you arrive from the station with luggage or little time, the private option includes pick-up and drop-off at your hotel: private tours. All meeting points are listed in all tours.

Once you arrive

You don’t need to look for an entrance, a gate or a ticket office: you’re already inside. The street is public, open at any time, and the section that interests most people is just over a kilometre long. From there, you just need to know what to look at: what to see.

Frequently asked questions