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As spring blooms, sunny sojourns begin to occupy the mind. In this edition of T e Travel Guide, we share an insider’s guide to the Amalfi Coast, as well as an exploration of summer in the Austrian Alps. Buy the latest issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) in stores and discover exclusive subscription off ers at
nationalgeographic.com/ travel
Anna Evdokimou Editor
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T e Travel Guide Coastal coves
From a clif top walking trail to a subterranean Roman villa, via a Martini worthy of a fi lm star, here’s how to make the most of your time on Italy’s famous Amalfi Coast. Words: Orla Thomas
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AMALFI COAST, ITALY/GETTY
cliff s, this strip of Southern Italy is justly famed for its beauty. Long a source of inspiration for writers and artists — from 19th-century composer Richard Wagner to Patricia Highsmith, who set her novel T e Talented Mr Ripley here — the entire area is a designated Unesco World Heritage Site. Ravello, Amalfi and Positano are its most celebrated towns, and stretching between the latter two is the 30-mile strada statale 163 Amalfi tana (SS163), which curves precipitously past a seemingly endless series of captivating vistas.
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1. Wander clif top gardens in Ravello Sitting high on the hillside, with no port or beach, Ravello is the least visited of the Amalfi Coast’s triumvirate of famous towns — and all the nicer for it. Villa Rufolo hosts an annual classical music festival, but is worth visiting year-round. Spend time admiring the property’s hand-painted tiles and Murano glass chandeliers before climbing the 13th-century tower for sweeping views over its cascade of ornamental fl owerbeds. T e gardens of Villa Cimbrone, a 10-minute walk away along steep, cobbled lanes, are even more impressive. With pockets of lush planting, tree-lined avenues and wisteria-laden pergolas spread across
landscape of extreme verticality, where gelato- hued houses and terraced gardens cling to sea-facing
14.8 acres, their beauty reaches a pinnacle at the ethereal Infi nity Terrace, where classical statues peer out over the Mediterranean.
2. Explore by boat Some of the area’s best views are to be found out on the water — and travelling the Amalfi Coast using its extensive ferry network is often the quickest option, too, allowing you to circumvent congestion on its one coastal road. T e towns of Amalfi and Positano have frequent boat services, as do Sorrento and Salerno, but there are also myriad connections between smaller destinations — use Ferryhopper to check timetables and pre-book tickets. T e comparatively under-the-radar town of Cetara is well worth exploring, as is Maiori, home to the region’s longest beach.
3. Find peace in Amalfi ’s cathedral T e architecture in Amalfi town is a striking reminder of its past glory — between the ninth and 12th centuries, this was the heart of a maritime republic to rival Venice. Today, its narrow streets throng with visitors from April to October — but pay a small fee for a ticket to enter the Cattedrale di Sant’Andrea, and you’ll discover an altogether quieter atmosphere. Begin at the aptly named Paradise Cloister, where pointed archways surround a courtyard garden fi lled with lofty palms, before descending to gaze at the ornately patterned columns and muralled
ceilings of the crypt. Pick up a paper cone of deep-fried calamari or courgette fl owers from street food outlet Cuoppo d’Amalfi .
4. Walk the Path of the Gods Surely one of Italy’s most scenic day hikes, Il Sentiero degli dei unfolds 630 metres above sea level, off ering the kind of views Icarus must have enjoyed right before the sun melted his wings. Begin in Positano and it’s a 1,700-step climb to Nocelle and your fi rst reward: a lemon granita, accompanied by the sight of awesome tufo stone bluff s descending to the sparkling waters of the Tyrrhenian. T e path — around four miles long — then meanders through shady woodlands and sunny lemon orchards before reaching the village of Agerola, where a ceramic plaque records D H Lawrence’s poetic precis of the route. Completing it takes between three and fi ve hours.
5. Discover an underground archaeological site T e classic postcard image of Positano features the colourfully tiled dome of Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta but few realise that, beneath the church, lies a hidden Roman villa. Buried in volcanic matter during the 79 CE eruption of Vesuvius that also submerged Pompeii, this grand private residence was rediscovered two millennia later and fi nally opened to the public in 2018. Access is via a small group tour; book onto
the last slot of the day and you may have its extraordinary frescoes largely to yourself. Also eerily fascinating is an adjacent 18th- century burial chamber, once used for the mummifi cation of members of the local social elite.
6. Shop and sunbathe in Sorrento Although strictly speaking not on the Amalfi Coast but the Sorrentine Peninsula, the latter’s namesake resort makes for a delightful day trip. Begin with a stroll along Corso Italia, a tree-lined shopping street, before settling in for a lunch of gnocchi alla sorrentina at L’Abate, a restaurant well placed for people-watching on Piazza Sant’Antonino. You’ll need a lie-down after this, so pay €1.20 (£1) to board the elevator down to the strip of sand at Marina Grande.
T is article fi rst appeared online at
nationalgeographic.com/travel
HOW TO DO IT
The Amalfi Coast is served by two airports — Salerno’s is closest, but a wider range of carriers fl y from the UK to Naples. From here, it’s a 1h40m bus ride to the gateway town of Sorrento. Travel onwards by ferry to Positano (40m) or Amalfi (1h30m). Stay at Villa Treville, from €747 (£636), room only.
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