Naples: Beauty out of chaos

As "fascinating as it is contradictory, ravishingly beautiful yet dilapidated and chaotic", Naples makes a brilliant destination for a weekend break, The Guardian says.

Southern Italy's biggest city lies in the shadow of Vesuvius and provides the ideal staging post for Pompeii, the Sorrentine peninsula, Capri and the Amalfi coast.

It is also home to some of the best food in Italy, world-class monuments and a thriving contemporary art scene. Le Stazioni dell'Arte - "art stations" - have been installed throughout the underground as part of an ambitious plan for radical public art.

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For the best views of the city and Vesuvius, head to the Capodimonte Park, where you will also find the Capodimonte Royal Palace, home to the Museo Nazionale Capodimonte, "one of the most important art museums in Italy", says the Daily Telegraph.

The city is "a great place to explore on foot", says the Daily Express - and for "an insider's take on one of Naples' most evocative neighbourhoods", says The Guardian, take a Miglio Sacro (Holy Mile) walking tour of the earthy, densely populated Sanita district.

But for many, the real draw is the extensive Roman ruins at Pompeii, a unique and moving site. The lesser-known Herculaneum (pictured above) is just a 30-minute train ride from Naples city centre.

Flights from London to Naples on easyJet start from £152 return