Best Things to Do in Salerno

From impressive Byzantine monuments where the art and the perfect architecture of that generation of creators stand out, to incredible beaches drawn by nature, the varied landscape of Salerno offers you an endless number of things to do.

On your trip to Salerno you can't miss the Neapolitan gastronomy, that's why in this list of things to see and do in this city, I also recommend you some culinary activities to experience whether you are traveling with your family, on business or as a couple.

One of the main sights you have to see if you go to Salerno is undoubtedly its Cathedral, which is located just around Via dei Mercanti. It is one of the oldest buildings. You will surely love to admire the palaces and churches, which go from the Arechi Arch to the east.

Before visiting this place, I recommend you to read information about the Cathedral entrance tickets, opening hours and everything you need to plan your visit. Being one of the most important places to visit in this place, it is logical that it can be quite crowded almost all year round.

Inside the facilities of this ancient building you will find medieval and baroque works of art, which adds even more value to your visit, since you will not only be admiring the architecture of the place, but also its artistic exhibition. When visiting the place you should keep silent and dress appropriately for a religious precinct.

Towards the south side of the Cathedral of Salerno you will see the bell tower, whose existence dates back to the twelfth century. In its structure it is easy to see how this bell tower is inspired by Arab architecture.

Interesting details

• Price: The entrance to the Crypt and the Basilica is free. But if you want to visit only the Crypt, you will have to pay a price of about one euro.
• Hours: It is open from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm. While the Crypt opens from 9:00 and closes equally at 20:00.
• Location: The Cathedral of Salerno is specifically located in Piazza Alfano I in Salerno.

As soon as you arrive in the city, one of the first things you should do is sign up for one of the best Salerno tours, taking you around the historic center. If there is one thing you will love about the city center, it is that it is filled with many multi-purpose buildings, especially the religious structures and narrow streets.

Walking around the Rione Duomo district will give you a taste of local life in this city. At the same time it will help you get an idea of the rich culture of the southwest side of Naples.

Among the most important and interesting buildings to be found in Rione Duomo are the Villa Comunale, the Duomo and the Provincial Archaeological Museum. Each of these spaces can be visited on a city tour, or you can visit them separately.

Piazza della Libertá is another of the must-see sites in the itinerary of a visit to the historic center. Here you could not only stay to take some pictures, but it is also a good place to sit down and relax a bit before continuing with your urban tour. Most of its narrow streets are ideal for fun photos.

Interesting details

• Price: You can walk around the historic center on your own, or you can take a tour for around 30 euros per person.
• Time: I recommend you to visit in the morning hours, although at night you will also find a good atmosphere in the city center.
• Location: The historic center of Salerno is located in the northwest of the city.

Among the most special places to see in the city, the Provincial Art Gallery of Salerno undoubtedly occupies one of the first places. From the outset you will be delighted to appreciate the place where this gallery is located, which is nothing less than Palazzo Pinto, a building dating back to the 17th century. The gallery is on the second floor.

This building was once owned by one of the most important families of Salerno in noble times. Inside the Provincial Art Gallery of Salerno you will find art exhibits by different artists, so it will be a quite complete tour through the creation of Francesco Solimena and an exclusive section where you will see the work of foreign artists.

There are also a couple of sections that are divided chronologically, which you will enjoy as well: one of them shows you art from the 15th to the 18th century, and another section offers you a quite complete exhibition of Salernitani and Costaioli. It is one of the first places you should think about visiting as soon as you transfer from the airport to Salerno.

Details of interest

• Price: Admission is free.
• Hours: The Pinacoteca is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 19:45. It is closed on Mondays.
• Location: The Provincial Art Gallery of Salerno is specifically located in Via Mercanti, 63 in the city.

Of the best places you have to visit in Salerno if you want to breathe some fresh air, without a doubt is the Lungomare Trieste promenade. It is a promenade of almost two kilometers of coastline, where you can also appreciate an endless number of palm trees, not only to take nice pictures, but also to enjoy the contrast between sun and shade.

From the promenade of Lungomare Trieste you will be able to see the boats leaving from the port, and maybe you can get excited to take one of the best boat trips in Salerno, to see the Lungomare from the sea, or to go to other places of the Amalfi Coast.

It is one of the best places to walk both during the day and at night. You will love it also because it has a large number of places where you can have a drink or an aperitif. It is the perfect place to have lunch or dinner, while contemplating the sea and the landscape.

Interesting details

• Price: It is free to walk along the Lungomare Trieste, but if you want to eat something, you will have to pay the consumption that may vary according to the menu of each restaurant.
• Hours: It is open all day long, although I recommend you to visit the place towards sunset to see the sunsets.
• Location: This promenade is located on the north side of the city.

Salerno is about 50 km from Naples, which is known worldwide for its pizza, so there is no better place to taste this dish than this city. Besides, being in such a touristic place, you can also sign up for one of the best excursions from Salerno to another touristic place in Naples.

But, although Salerno is one of the best places to try pizza, the truth is that the difference between Neapolitan pizza and Salerno pizza is very big. In fact, the pizza in Salerno is a bit thinner and has a higher cornice.

Some of the places where you can enjoy the best pizzas are Carminuccio a Mariconda and Pizzeria La Smorfia. The first of these places is a pizza institution in the city, and the pizzas here have a more than unique taste. Since 1982 this pizza place started operating with a wood-fired oven. Since then it has become an important part of the culinary culture of Salerno.

The second of these places is located in the historic center of Salerno, and although it is not a very big place, this place has well distributed tables and a wood oven located, a place where you can eat some of the best pizza flavors.

Interesting details

• Price: To visit these places you will not have to pay an entrance fee, but you do have to pay for the different pizzas you want to try. Prices depend on the menu of each restaurant.
• Hours: These pizzerias have different opening hours, although the best time to visit these places is at night.
• Location: Both pizzerias are located in the center of Salerno, northwest of the city.

You can visit a real garden within the city of Salerno, and that place is none other than the Villa Comunale. Its history dates back to the year 1874, since it was built. And since then it has been nothing less than a place of rest, which over the years has become a favorite place to breathe fresh air for locals and tourists.

Inside the park you will find a large fountain where you have to take a couple of pictures before continuing touring the place. You will also see a lot of statues and for sure you will love to see the Mediterranean vegetation inside this area.

The Villa Comunale is one of the most famous in Salerno, since in winter it becomes the venue of one of the most charming events of the season, the Luci d'Arista. Here various luminous works of art are exhibited.

But summer is also a good season to go and enjoy the various events that are organized in the villa, where you can see the various exhibitions of handicrafts and rare flowers and plants.

Details of interest

• Price: Visiting the Municipal Village is priceless, unless you want to go to one of the festivals, in that case, you will have to buy a ticket, whose prices can vary between 100 and 200 euros per person.
• Hours: Every day the Villa is open from 8:00 until 00:00.
• Location: The Municipal Villa of Salerno is located on Via Roma in the city.

Italian gastronomy is very rich and multiform, and Salerno is no different. That's why on your trip to this place you can't miss the opportunity to become a pizza maker for a day. And one of the best ways to do it is to participate in a cooking class where you can learn how to cook pizza and tiramisu.

One of the best features of this type of gastronomy class is that you will be able to cook under the guidance of a Cesarino chef who will open the doors of his home to you. The Cesarino will teach you everything you need to know about the dishes you are preparing, and at the same time he will accompany you during the whole process.

You can choose to do this activity privately, where you will share with the Cesarino and his family, and learn the secrets of Italian cooking. At the end of the class you will always be able to enjoy the pizza and tiramisu you have prepared, with the company of the rest of the guests and a selection of local wines.

After the activity, you will have the opportunity to take home all the recipes and knowledge you have learned, just so you can surprise your friends and family with your new culinary skills. The best thing about this experience is that you can bring children of all ages.

Details of interest

• Price: You can get these experiences for prices starting at 100 euros per person. The value varies according to the type of experience you want, either shared or private.
• Schedule: You will coordinate the schedule with the Cesarino chef, but generally you can live this experience in the evening or during lunch.
• Location: The location of the cooking class will be determined by the chef. But Vietri sul Mare is further west of the historic center of Salerno.

If there is a good Salerno restaurant, and one you can't miss during your trip, it is the Cicirinella. It is a place with a wide fame, thanks to the quality of its preparations and also for its pleasant atmosphere.

This place is strategically located in the historic center of the city, specifically in Via Antonio Genovesi, very close to the Cathedral and the Provincial Museum, so it is a good place to visit if you plan to visit any of these places.

Not for nothing is it one of the best restaurants in town, in fact, this title has been given to it by the locals, who guarantee that this place serves not only a wide variety of Italian food, but also manages to concentrate the true flavors of home, far from the elegance of haute cuisine.

Details of interest

• Price: The price range of this restaurant is between 20 and 40 euros per plate of food. Prices may vary according to the size of the portion and also the type of dish you want to order.
• Hours: It is a night restaurant, so it is open between 20:00 and 23:00 on weekdays. On weekends it is open from 13:00 to 15:00 and from 20:00 to 23:00.
• Location: The restaurant is located at number 28 Via Antonio Genovesi in the Historic Center of Salerno.

Although Salerno does not have an active nightlife nor a great variety of bars, you do have a good option to enjoy an evening at nightfall, and that is the Black Roses Irish Pub.

It is one of the best known nightclubs and has a very good atmosphere. Here you can enjoy some good beers, taste some wines and any other liquor you want to choose. If there is something you will like about this place is its cozy decoration, as well as its friendly staff.

If you want to have dinner, you can also do it here, because they have a wide range of Irish food, excellent to take a break from Italian food. Among all the things, the Black Roses Bar is a good place to visit if you go with friends to order a round of drinks at night.

Details of interest

• Price: Prices may vary according to the menu, the variety and the type of dish you order.
• Hours: The venue opens in the evenings until late, so it closes around midnight.
• Location: It is located in Via Leonino Vinciprova, number 38 northeast of the city.

The coast of Salerno is famous for the large number of beaches you can find. If there is something to highlight about the beaches in Salerno is that you can always find a place of relaxation for you and your family or friends.

These places are really appreciated by both locals and visitors thanks to the tranquility they offer. However, not everything is idyllic, because one of the notable disadvantages of the landscape is the lack of natural shade, but it is not a problem if you bring a good umbrella.

Although, this disadvantage is certainly not a problem when you realize that the beaches are far away from the busy city, so visiting the coast in Salerno is always a good option if you want to escape from everyone. In addition to the beautiful scenery, you can do water sports on these beaches and meet the marine fauna.

Among the beaches that I recommend you to visit are Playa Grande and Marina di Praia Beach, not only for their beautiful scenery, but also for their pleasant atmosphere.

Details of interest

• Price: Visiting the beaches of the coast of Salerno is free, although sometimes you may have to pay to visit private beaches.
• Hours: You can go at any time of the day or night.
• Location: Salerno's beaches are north of the city, so you will have to get there by cab or bus.