Off the Beaten Track in Salerno

Nestled among its smaller and more touristy cousins of Positano and Sorrento, Salerno in its own right is a larger city that serves as the ideal springboard for the Amalfi Coast’s hidden gems. Lying just over 50 km from Naples, and served by Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport, Salerno is a small city in its own right. Yes, you have Pompei and Vesuvius, which are both worth a visit, but here we shall delve into the hidden gems that lie easily within Salerno’s reach with outstanding rail, road, and ferry connections. I’m not saying it’s completely impossible to escape the tourist hordes, but this piece will certainly increase your chances.

The Salerno Province itself offers a heady mixture of stunning clifftops and forests on one side and the “Tyrrhenian Sea,” on the other, a stretch of the Mediterranean which stretches from Corsica to the north to Sardina to the south and the Gulf of Salerno to the east.

A world away from Venice, Rome, and Milan, you will also find vineyards, lemon groves, and swathes of chestnut and oak forests, which can all be discovered on foot as well as some of the finest architectural, cultural, and culinary offerings available in Italy today.

Salerno

Salerno is a city often overlooked by the tourist hordes. It’s historically significant and much of this is credited to the city forming Europe’s first medical school, the “Schola Medica Salernitana.” Hugely successful in the 11th and 12th centuries, it attracted students from Europe, Asia, and northern Africa and is still open today!

It is also a city tinged with influences from the Roman, Moorish and Norman eras, and is home to Duomo di Salerno (the Cathedral of Saint Matthew). This is still of religious significance, and it serves as a grand reminder of a city with a celebrated cultural and religious history. Salerno also features a stunning old town with narrow streets that could rival Prague or Barcelona’s Barri Gothic. To this writer, Salerno may have the edge on both as it is resplendent in colour and is all delivered with an unmistakable Italian flair. In Salerno, they speak “Salernitano,” an ancient dialect which can still be heard in the city’s oldest neighbourhoods and remains unintelligible even to Italian speakers.

All of this can be enjoyed against the backdrop of Salerno’s treelined seafront, with delightful cafes and a harbour bristling with sailboats, motorboats, and a host of regular ferry services with 70 departures daily serving diverse destinations, including Sicily, Tunisia, and towns and islands across the Amalfi Coast.

Should you want a bit of peace and tranquillity, then there’s no better place than Salerno’s “Giardino della Minerva,” one of Europe’s oldest botanical gardens dating back to the 14th Century. Painstakingly restored, it formed a key part of the Schola Medica Salernitana, when it served as a teaching garden which grew medicinal plants for study and medicinal application. It also features charming terraces on a hillside, where one can enjoy glorious views of Salerno and its stunning coastline.

The Region’s Hidden Gems

Yes, I could recommend a trip to Sorrento, Positano and a boat day trip to Capri, but let’s take a look at what else the Salerno Province has to offer.

Amalfi

Hosting local culture and traditions that still thrive today, Amalfi is a small town located in the Gulf of Salerno, which still manages to retain a local feel. Often overlooked, it hosts the Festival of St Andrew and a regatta that celebrates its history as a 9th Century Maritime Republic. It also gives the visitor access to the Valle delle Ferriere, where one can hike through its luxuriant forests and view its stunning waterfalls.

Cetara

Famous for its Tuna and Anchovy fishing tradition and part of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi, Cetara hosts the “Sagra del Tonno,” an annual tuna festival held in July, which includes tuna tastings and various events with traditional music. You can also try "colatura di alici," a traditional anchovy sauce and a delicacy in Cetera. You can also visit the 10th Century “Church of San Pietro Apostolo,” featuring many artworks as well as the 16th Century “Torre di Cetara,” built to defend against pirate invasions. Then there’s Cetera’s beach and marina, both places of tranquillity.

Tramonti

Tramonti, home to approximately 5,000 residents, offers travellers a tranquil alternative to the coastal towns of the region. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in Tramonti’s rich cultural heritage amidst its stunning natural beauty. Take a drive on the winding roads through the Lattari Mountains, and upon arrival in Tramonti you will find a town famous for its wine production. Consider a “farm stay,” where you can fully immerse yourself in Tramonti’s local culture and cuisine.

Minori

About five kilometres from Amalfi town and overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, Minori is situated in a valley with green hillsides. Hosting a population of only 2,500, it’s a town famous for its ancient fishing and boatbuilding traditions. It also hosts a 1st AD Villa Romana, featuring intricate frescoes and mosaic flooring, offering visitors a glimpse of life the Roman “well-to-do.”

One can also visit the “Duomo di Minori,” a 9th-century cathedral dedicated to Saint Trofimena. There’s also a small but stunningly appointed beach, where one can relax or just enjoy its azure-blue water.

Minori stages several local festivals, including the “Feast of Saint Trofimena” in July, which has religious processions, and traditional music, and offers local delicacies. Minori also offers some of the best “scialatielli,” a handmade pasta (a kind of flat spaghetti originating from the Almafi region, specifically Vietri sul Mare) as well as “sfogliatella,” a pastry also from the region.

In Minori, you really stand a good chance of escaping the tourist hordes. So, maybe take a drive or the ferry from Amalfi.

Palinuro

A two-hour drive from Salerno and you’ll be in Palinuro. This town is famous for “Grotte Marine di Capo Palinuro,” which is a series of caves and lagoons. Here, you will find “La Grotta Azzurra” (The Blue Grotto), given the name due to a 20-metre-deep siphon which allows sunlight to reflect, giving it its distinctive azure colour. You could also visit the “Grotta delle Ossa o Preistorica,” (The Cave of Bones), where you’ll find prehistoric fossils. Moving on, you could visit “Grotta dei Monaci,” (the Cave of Monks), where you’ll discover stalagmites, which invoke images of monks praying. This brings us to the superbly named “Grotta del Sangue” (The Cave of Blood) which gets its name from its red walls which in turn give the sea a sinister red hue. Just to give it a further air of menace, it has a fossil formation that resembles the head of a crocodile. Bond villains, take note.

You will also find fortresses, churches, and sites of archaeological interest. These include Molpa Castle, Villa Stanziola, the Ruins of San Giuliano Church of 1100, San Nicola di Mira church and the Palinuro archaeological site with many findings from the Palaeolithic and Neolithic age through to the Hellenistic Age as well as the Santa Maria degli Angeli Church.

Authentic Dining Experiences

The Province of Salerno and the wider Campania region have their own culinary and winemaking identities that can easily match any of those to be found in Veneto, Tuscany, and Genoa. Salerno’s culinary heritage is very much deep-rooted in tradition and very much reflects its history. And what better way to experience this than taking a cookery class with a local!

Cersarine (cersarine.com) is a well-known company which offers thousands of authentic culinary dining experiences with local home cooks all over Italy. Cersarine Salerno offers a dining experience at a local's home kitchen. Here, you’ll experience private show cooking and a private 4-course dinner or lunch, including local wines, water, and coffee. They also offer private cooking classes as well as Food & Wine Tours where you can discover historical Italian markets and wineries.

Salerno’s hidden gems offer the worldly-wise traveller a unique experience that combines the sea, with lush forests, rural charm, archaeological interest, and more recent history with spectacular towns hidden in deep valleys or built into the very coastal rock itself. With famously friendly locals, the Salerno Province is colourful and oozes historical charm along with cultural vibrancy coupled with a curiously understated sophistication. As for Salerno itself, it offers everything the traveller could want as well as the perfect springboard to explore this fascinating region. If you want a rich tapestry of cuisine, history, culture, and architecture, Salerno offers the ideal opportunity to explore this region’s delights.