Salerno (Neapolitan: Salièrno) is a city in Campania, Italy. It is a lively port town, with a relaxing and open Mediterranean atmosphere. Worth a visit also is the Historical Old Town, which is a well-preserved historical town centre, full of tiny little passageways and hidden corners. 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.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Salerno is the principal town of the province with the same name, and has around 128,000 inhabitants (2021). 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. Salerno was the birthplace of the "Schola Medica Salernitana" in the 9th 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. The port area is not particularly attractive, but once you get onto the promenade things get better.
Salerno has three kinds of public transportation: buses, trains, and light metro. The main bus stop is at the Salerno train station. Busitalia buses serve Salerno and other towns in the province. It is absolutely necessary to buy the ticket before getting on the bus. The buses leave from the station to the surrounding areas almost every 20 minutes. CSTP lines 4 and 9 connect the Salerno Maritime Terminal with the Train Station or Ferry Terminal. SITA buses leave from the train station and serve the region. One COSTIERASITA ticket (€10 in 2024) is valid 24 hours from the first validation and allows an unlimited number of journeys on public transport SITASUD along the Amalfi coast.
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. 1 Garden of Minerva (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, info@giardinodellaminerva.it. hours change monthly, consult website. Closed on Monday. A beautiful botanical and herbal gardens on multiple terraces.
Football: Salernitana were relegated in 2024 and again in 2025, so they now play soccer in Serie C, the third tier. Their home ground Stadio Arechi (capacity 37,800) is 5 km south along the coast with its own railway station.
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 restaurants in Salerno. It's 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.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €175 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Jul, Salerno typically sees ~30°C daytime highs and 5 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-27. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy