Naples is an enormous, sprawling city, and although some of the population lives in the historic center – where most visitors spend their time – most live in neighborhoods surrounding the city center. One of the prettiest and wealthiest neighborhoods in Naples is Posillipo, located on the northern side of the Gulf of Naples atop a hill that overlooks the water.

From the port in Naples you’ll wind your way north through the city center and then along the coast to Posillipo Hill, where you’ll see some of the city’s most beautiful houses.

In some cases, these villas have been broken up more recently into apartments – but many of them are still private homes for elite Neapolitan families.

Without a car, you can take the funicular from the Mergellina neighborhood below up to the top of Posillipo Hill.

Because the neighborhood on Posillipo Hill is primarily residential, there aren’t many attractions on the hill that you’ll have on your itinerary. It’s an excellent spot for a picturesque stroll, particularly when the weather is clear and you can see across the Gulf of Naples to Mt. Vesuvius looming to the south. There are good restaurants in Posillipo, too, which are less apt to cater to tourists – something you might be craving if you’re an adventurous foodie.

Posillipo Hill does have a couple of sights worth checking out.

The ruin of an ancient Roman villa is at the bottom of the hill on the water, including the remains of an amphitheater built into the hill. Access to the ruin is via the Grotta di Seiano, a cave underneath the hill.

Shopaholics will also appreciate the outdoor Posillipo Market, in which you’ll find everything from housewares to designer duds (it’s only open on Thursdays).

The ancient Roman poet Virgil wished to be buried in Naples, and the spot that is said to have been his tomb is at the base of Posillipo Hill (never mind that no remains are there – it’s still a pilgrimage location). There are also two parks dedicated to Virgil in Posillipo – one at the top of the hill, and one at the bottom. Both can be a welcome respite from the bustle that is Naples.

It is a monastery complex, now a museum with a stunning city view all around.

Castel Sant’Elmo is located beside it, this is the most visible landmark of the city. It was dedicated to St. Martin of Tours.

A pictorial history of Naples is told in Immagini e Memorie di Napoli (Images and Memories of Naples). Here you’ll find portraits of historic characters; antique maps, including a 35-panel copper map of 18th-century Naples in Room 45; and rooms dedicated to major historical events such as the Revolt of the Masaniello (Room 36) and the plague (Room 37). Room 32 boasts the beautiful Tavola Strozzi (Strozzi Table); its fabled depiction of 15th-century maritime Naples is one of the city’s most celebrated historical records.

You will need to book in advance to access the Certosa’s imposing Sotterranei Gotici (Gothic basement), open to the public on Saturday and Sunday at 11.30am (with guided tour in Italian) and 4.30pm (without guided tour). The austere vaulted space is home to about 150 marble sculptures and epigraphs, including a statue of St Francis of Assisi by 18th-century master sculptor Giuseppe Sanmartino

The museum is located in the Capodimonte Palace, a grand palazzo which used to belong to the House of Bourbon, a European royal house of French origin back in the 18th century.

The palace was built by King Charles VII of Naples and Sicily (who would later on become Charles III of Spain) as he needed somewhere to house the tremendous Farnese art collection which he had inherited from his mother, the last descendant of an important Italian sovereign ducal family.

Often regarded as being one of the most important museums in Italy, the Capodimonte Museum is the leading depository to everything related to Neapolitan paintings and decorative arts.

It also hosts several important works from other Italian schools of painting, as well as some important ancient Roman sculptures.

It is famous all over the world for its estimated porcelain manufacturing.

The first and second floors are entirely dedicated to the 100+ Neapolitan School paintings (which date back from anywhere between the 13th and the 18th centuries), while the other rooms of the palace are dedicated to antique 18th-century furniture and the porcelain and majolica collections.