Naples & Southern Italy

The birthplace of pizza, a treasure-trove of museums, art galleries, and Roman ruins, Naples is the centerpiece of the "National Geographic Traveler: Naples and Southern Italy". Esteemed travel writer Tim Jepson helps you explore the best of this region's long-standing capital, then heads to Pompeii and Herculaneium, the sublime Amalfi Coast, and exquisite offshore islands, the most fabled being Capri. The Abruzzo, high on exceptional mountain scenery; Puglia, filled with the unusual trulli; Basilicata; Campania; and Calabria are also part of the tour, with excursions including Sicily and Sardinia, two fascinating islands whose rich art, culture, language, and history are fiercely separate from those of mainland Italy. As in the entire "Traveler" series, popular features include mapped walking and driving tours (a drive through Romanesque Puglia, for example); insightful two-page descriptions of specific aspects of history and culture (trulli, the Mafia); exquisite three-dimensional drawings (including a beautiful layout of Pompeii); an extensive introduction to the region's history and culture; as well as a robust section on practical information, including how to travel around southern Italy, the author's pick of hotels and restaurants in a variety of price ranges, and a compendium of entertainment, shopping, and activities