Salerno (Neapolitan: Salièrno) is a city in Campania, Italy.
Salerno is the principal town of the province with the same name, and today numbers around 145,000 inhabitants. For a brief period (February to August 1944) Salerno was the capital city of Italy, during the liberation after the allied landings before the fall of Monte Cassino to the allies and the subsequent liberation of Rome.
Today it is a lively port town, that is rapidly re-acquiring a relaxing and open Mediterranean atmosphere. The port area itself is not particularly attractive, but once you get onto the promenade things get better. Worth a visit also is the Historical Old Town, which has in recent years recovered from being a virtual no-go area to being one of the best preserved historical town centers, full of tiny little passageways and hidden corners.
Salerno was the birthplace of the "Schola Medica Salernitana" in the ninth century, which was the most important source of medical information in Europe at the time, and provided an important impulse to medical learning in Europe.
Salerno is an ideal stopping off point on the way to Paestum, Pompeii or Positano, or the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, which is a lesser known UNESCO World Heritage site. Placed as it is at one end of the Amalfi Coastline, it is an important passing point for the local tourism scene.
Also worth a visit if you happen to be in the area are Vietri sul Mare, for the traditional ceramics, Cava de' Tirreni for the important Abbey at La Badia and one of the few remaining Portici in Campania.
At night, you can take a walk along the Lungomare, a boulevard with palmtrees and a nice view at the sea and the surrounding hills.
The Villa Comunale is an oasis of green at the centre of the city. Big plants, giant flowers, lots of spaces to sit. If you're quiet enough, you will hear the music boxes sing their beautiful song.
- Il Giardino della Minerva, Via Ferrante Sanseverino, 1 (You can walk from the old town, or take the handy communal elevator, +39 089 252 423. hours change monthly, consult website. Closed on Monday. Beautiful botanical and herbal gardens on multiple terraces. The plants are well labeled with their scientific names as well as the locations where they are native. You can enjoy the sights and smells of the plants, the ingenuity of the irrigation system and a wonderful view of the town and seashore below, all while learning about the plants and the hundreds of years of history of the gardens. €3.
- Cathedral, Piazza Alfano I, +39 089 231 387. Imposing church built in the 11th century with a mixture of Romanesque, Norman, Arab and Byzantine architectural elements.
Il Giardino della Minerva, Via Ferrante Sanseverino, 1 (You can walk from the old town, or take the handy communal elevator, +39 089 252 423. hours change monthly, consult website. Closed on Monday. Beautiful botanical and herbal gardens on multiple terraces. The plants are well labeled with their scientific names as well as the locations where they are native. You can enjoy the sights and smells of the plants, the ingenuity of the irrigation system and a wonderful view of the town and seashore below, all while learning about the plants and the hundreds of years of history of the gardens. €3.
Cathedral, Piazza Alfano I, +39 089 231 387. Imposing church built in the 11th century with a mixture of Romanesque, Norman, Arab and Byzantine architectural elements.
There are several good restaurants in Salerno and nearby, offering a wide range of food. In the center of the town, if you're looking for pizza you can go to:
- Il Vicolo della Neve one of the oldest restaurant in Salerno, located in the historic center. Pizza is served here, but they are also famous for their "pasta e fagioli" (pasta with beans).
- Donna Margherita a very good pizzeria, serving also fish dishes. Not very expensive, with high quality.
- Il Brigante serves mainly vegetable-based dishes. If you want to try local food, try the polpo! The food is basic but good and prices are low.
Il Vicolo della Neve one of the oldest restaurant in Salerno, located in the historic center. Pizza is served here, but they are also famous for their "pasta e fagioli" (pasta with beans).
Donna Margherita a very good pizzeria, serving also fish dishes. Not very expensive, with high quality.
Il Brigante serves mainly vegetable-based dishes. If you want to try local food, try the polpo! The food is basic but good and prices are low.
- Amalfi Coast - Venture out of Salerno towards Vietri sul Mare and head on one the most dramatic and breathtaking drives in the world, the Amalfi Coast Drive, passing trough:
* Cetara, an enchanting fisherman's village, famous for anchovies and tuna fish,
* Maiori, the only real beach along the Amalfi Coast, Minori, the old pasta factory of the Amalfi Coast
* Atrani, tiny little village, once here the Doge's of the Amalfi Sea Republic were crowned here
* Amalfi, the crown jewel and center of the Amalfi Coast
* Conca dei Marini
* Furore, with a unique fiord,
* Praiano
and finally,
* Positano