Visit Via Krupp on Capri : tickets, prices, opening hours

Are you about to discover Naples and the famous island of Capri? Here is everything you need to know to visit the Gardens of Augustus and the Via Krupp

Via Krupp is one of the most beautiful paths in the world.
Located on the island of Capri, off the coast of Naples in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the paved path is laced in history. It connects La Certosa di San Giacomo and the Gardens of Augustus with Marina Piccola. Built between 1900 and 1902, the path climbs a vertical distance of about 330 feet by a series of hairpin bends, carved and fixed in the rock so close together that they almost seem to overlap. Via Krupp has been described as “a road that is in itself a work of art” for its elegant curves, arranged in harmony with the cliff, where each turn brings a different point of view, a new perspective, and a visual delight for the eyes.

Also read : The 10 best things to do on Capri

History of the Via Krupp and the Gardens of Augustus

Photo credit: Flickr – Pikakoko

The road was commissioned by the German industrialist and steel magnate Friedrich Alfred Krupp, who in the early 20th century asked the engineer Emilio Mayer to design and build it. Friedrich Alfred Krupp loved the Italian island of Capri, where he lived for several months each year from 1899 to 1902 at the Hotel Quisisana. He also established gardens that were renamed the Giardini da Augusto, which can still be visited today, and from which the path starts. He had two yachts here, Maya and Puritan, thanks to which he maintained and exercised his passion for oceanography. Krupp wanted the via to provide him with a connection between his luxury hotel and Marina Piccola, where his marine biology research ship had dropped anchor.

However, Krupp reportedly also used the route to secretly visit the Grotta di Fra’ Felice, a cave where sexual orgies with local men were said to have taken place. When the rumor was publicized, Krupp was asked to leave Italy in 1902. Homosexuality was no longer penalized at the time in Italy but not in Germany and a week later, Krupp killed himself, purportedly worried that he would suffer the fate of Oscar Wilde, also a patron of the Quisiana hotel, who was tried and imprisoned for his homosexuality just years prior an died in disgrace and misery.

What to see and do at the Via Krupp

Photo credit: Flickr – Pikakoko

Between 1976 and 2008, Via Krupp remained closed due to landslides. It was so popular that even when it was banned from the public, tourists would pass under the fences to see it and large doors had to be built to deter them. The Via Krupp has since then closed once again, but the view is as stunning as always. The Gardens themselves are small, you can walk through them in only a few minutes, what distinguishes them from other places is their rich history and the unique view from the Via Krupp. While at the gardens, we recommend you visit the nearby Certose de SAn Giacomo, which will have its own (larger) gardens and is a nice peaceful place to visit. From the Garden viewpoints, you can see or discern several famous villas, such as Villa Castiglione, built in 27 AD as an roman imperial residence.

How to get to the Via Kruppand the Gardens of Augustus?

– Today, you can reach the island of Capri from Naples by ferry in less than an hour. There are many different services that will all drop you off at the Capri Marina Grande. The marina will be a central spot as it is the main access point to the island and also the place from which boats leave for very popular tours of the island, the most iconic stop being the Blue Grotto.

– Once you’ve disembarked, head to the city of Capri and the Piazzeta. You will then want to head to La Certosa di San Giacomo and the Gardens of Augustus. They are a 10 minute walk away from the center of the city and the walk will take you through some of the nicer streets and areas of Capri so take your time!

– Soon enough, you’ll reach the entrance of the Gardens of Augustus and once inside you can walk in this little haven, unpretentious yet full of history, and head to the coast where you’ll have several nice viewpoints, the most spectacular will be from the top of the Via Krupp, just minutes to the West of the entrance.

Opening hours and rates for the Via Krupp and the Gardens of Augustus

Photo credit: Flickr – a rancid amoeba

OPENING HOURS

The Garden is open for visits from 9am to 7:30pm

PRICES

– Full price: 14€
– Children under 11: Free
– Gardens of Augustus + Certosa de San Giacomo: 3€