26 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Naples - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Naples

Naples Underground

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.

Gabinetto Segreto

The once forbidden "secret cabinet" of erotic art from excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Fontanelle Cemetery Caves

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and World War II bombings are united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

The Anatomical Machines of Cappella Sansevero

These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.

Bourbon Tunnel

Dug as a secret royal escape route, the tunnel became a wartime bomb shelter and dumping ground for vintage cars.

Toledo Art Station

This shining multicolored metro station deep under Naples is said to be the most beautiful in Europe.

Catacombs of San Gennaro

An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas.

Gaiola Island

This magical-looking island is notorious for the misfortunes suffered by its various owners.

See All 26 Things to Do in Naples See All 26 Places

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Naples

Birthplace of the Pizza Margherita Plaque

A popular legend claims that the famous pizza was invented at a restaurant in this alley.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, and Secret Crypts

Join us as we go beneath Rome’s streets and behind its locked doors to explore hidden and overlooked places, witnessing a capital city that most tourists rarely experience—strange, magical, and filled with intrigue.

Community Forums / Southern Europe / Italy

Top Discussions in the Italy Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	1632	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	1023	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	1530	July 24, 2019
Drive Through Lazio Countryside	7 May 1, 2020	850	May 1, 2020
Montebore	3 December 3, 2019	1405	December 3, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Naples, Italy

Launch Map

Naples Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Naples Activity

nk wants to go to Birthplace of the Pizza Margherita Plaque

ewabona wants to go to Lipsanothecae of the Chapel of Saint Francesco de Geronimo

roblmoran has been to Catacombs of San Gennaro

roblmoran has been to Catacombs of Saint Gaudiosus

roblmoran has been to The Anatomical Machines of Cappella Sansevero

Stories About Naples

Kircher's map of the Earth's core and volcanoes, from <em>Mundus Subterraneus</em>, is richly detailed.

Stare Into the Belly of the Earth With 17th-Century Polymath Athanasius Kircher

How a visit to Vesuvius shaped his prescient vision of a hot core.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

A Neapolitan pizza maker.

The Traditional Pizza Making of Naples Now Has Heritage Status

Good news for Neapolitans, however you slice it.

by Natasha Frost

December 7, 2017

Poor Neapolitans rush to pillage this Cuccagna, built for the birth of Prince Phillip.

The Forgotten Italian Tradition of Building Monumental Food Palaces

Then destroying them in a literal hunger games.

October 27, 2017

King Ferdinand I of Aragon had colorectal cancer.

Italian Renaissance Aristocrats Were Susceptible to Cancer, Too

Mummified evidence that cancer might not be a disease of the modern world.

by Vittoria Traverso

October 4, 2017

Eating Spaghetti by the Fistful Was Once a Neapolitan Street Spectacle

Tourists flocked to see the "macaroni eaters" cram noodles into their mouths.

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.