Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in Salerno, Italy

21.05.2024 - 17:47 / cntraveler.com

For millennia, Salerno, Italy has been overshadowed by the nearby Amalfi Coast and big sister Naples—home to world-famous pizza, sea views, and art. Because the two cities enjoy the same tempered climate and rich traditions, Salerno is often affectionately referred to as “little Naples.” The main difference is that, despite recently becoming a tourist attraction once again, Salerno is blessed with less traffic.

The lesser-known Italian gem also happens to have a brand-new airport opening to commercial flights this July. Built to be one of the most eco-friendly airports in Europe thanks to its high energy efficiency and reduced emissions standards, Aeroporto Salerno-Costa d’Amalfi will be located just south of Salerno, making it the perfect gateway to the south end of the Amalfi Coast. Once open, it will make the city and wider region much more accessible to international travelers.

Today, Salerno is the second most populated city in the region of Campania, but the alleyways of the historical center and the kindness of the locals make it feel more like a small town. The city has long been a melting pot, its port exchanging goods and ideas with everywhere in the Mediterranean (and beyond). Walking the streets of Salerno, the local art and architecture signals how various cultures have come together here, including the Romans, Normans, Longobards, and Moors. The city is perhaps best known for its Schola Medica Salernitana, the most ancient medical school in Europe, established in the ninth century AD.

Starting from July 12, Aeroporto Salerno-Costa d’Amalfi will be welcoming its first direct flights from Switzerland, France, Germany, the UK, and other Italian cities. The airport is only 13 miles away from the city center (a 20 minute drive). As of right now, the best way to reach Salerno from the airport is to hop into a taxi.

Almost everything there is to see in Salerno is reachable on foot. If you have a car, the ideal spot to park it is a massive underground lot by the docks, in Piazza della Libertà. There, let the sea breeze welcome you to Salerno as you promenade Lungomare Trieste, like the locals do on the weekends, enjoying a gelato or a Spritz at one of the kiosks or chalets. In the summer months, many establishments rent sun beds and umbrellas to take advantage of the sandy beach for half the price you would pay on the nearby Amalfi Coast. Even during winter, you can opt to sit on a bench to the music playing by the street artists and look out at the two coasts expanding from either side of Salerno: to the north that of Amalfi and of Cilento to the south.

Visit the library and a tea bar at the Giardino della Minerva, a terraced botanical garden dating back to the 12th century.

Traverse the Villa