Amalfi

Amalfi is the town that gave its name to the Amalfi Coast, set at the mouth of a steep valley on the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula. In the Middle Ages it was the capital of one of Italy's powerful maritime republics, trading across the Mediterranean, and its maritime code, the Tavole Amalfitane, governed seafaring for centuries.

The Cathedral of Sant'Andrea rises at the top of a wide staircase above the main square, with a striped facade, a bronze door cast in Constantinople and the crypt with the relics of the apostle Andrew. Next to it, the Cloister of Paradise, with its interlaced Arab style arches, was once a burial place for noble families. The Arsenal of the old republic and the Paper Museum, recalling Amalfi's long tradition of handmade paper, show the town's history. Show more

Behind the town, the Valle delle Ferriere is a green gorge with waterfalls, ferns and the ruins of old paper mills, crossed by a popular hiking path. Atrani, a tiny neighbouring village, is a short walk away, and the Grotta dello Smeraldo, a sea cave lit with green light, lies along the coast. Amalfi lemons, the sfusato amalfitano, are used for limoncello and delizia al limone, and handmade paper is sold in local shops.

Amalfi is reached by bus from Sorrento and Salerno and by ferry from Salerno, Positano and Capri, and it is the hub of the coast's bus and boat connections. Several days suit a stay. Spring and autumn are ideal, summer is the busiest season, and the regatta of the maritime republics is held here in some years.