Naples - Funicular and City Views

Vesuvius looms over metropolitan Naples. 

To get to the Castel Sant’Elmo and the Certosa de San Martino we took the funicular railway from the station just west of the Via Toledo.

It was quite an experience. The dog was strange; there was a dog that no one seemed to be paying attention to sitting in the middle of one of the cars. It was still there when we came back down.

The station and the cars are delightful. Lots of 19th century detail (thankfully not in the cars).

Upon arriving on top of the Vomero I felt as if we were in a very different world than the Naples of the Centro Historico. The first thing we noticed was that it was so clean. It lacked the gritty graffiti of the lower city. Oh there was graffiti  it just seemed cleaner.  Even the supermarket we stopped at was cleaner. The clerk was from Newcastle, which made me laugh.

It also lacked that soiled mattress smell that gave so much character to the old city.

An even more amazing thing is the well placed signage that clearly pointed the way to the Castel Sant’Elmo and the Certosa di San Martino.

Below, Dallas! No, actually the Centro Direzionale from the Certosa San Martino.  A number of landmarks can be seen in this picture.  It gives you an impression of how dense the historical center really is.  These were taken from the forecourt of the San Martino Monastery (certosa di San Martino) where a number of people had gathered for the sunset to drink wine and be merry. Really awesome place.  

From mid left: Santa Maria Maggiore, just below that the Piazza Dante, the Duomo, San Lorenzo Maggiore (and Tower),  San Domenico Maggiore and the San Domenico Plague Column. 

Looking north towards the Palace of Capodimonte in the distance.