Things to do in Pompei

Pompei is two places at once. A modern town sits beside the buried one, and the ruin is what made it famous. The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE sealed the Roman city under ash and pumice.

The buried city

About forty-four of the site's sixty-six hectares lie uncovered. Shade is scarce across almost all of it. The Forum, the amphitheatre and the Villa of the Mysteries carry the best-known frescoes and mosaics.

• The plaster casts. Voids left by decomposed bodies, filled with plaster since the 1860s to show final positions.
• The amphitheatre. One of the oldest surviving Roman amphitheatres, older than the Colosseum by more than a century.
• The Sanctuary of the Rosary. The modern town's own landmark, a pilgrimage basilica built beside, not inside, the ruins.

Beyond the site

Herculaneum sits a short rail ride away. It's smaller than Pompei, and better preserved by the way it was buried. Vesuvius itself is climbable, on a marked path up to the crater rim above the tree line.

Wine grows on the volcano's slopes. That's the same soil that once destroyed the city below. Tastings are sold alongside the hike.

Practical

• Weather. Summer runs hot, often above 30C at midday with almost no shade on site; winter stays mild, near 12C by day.
• Time needed. A serious visit takes most of a day; the highlights alone still need three or four hours.
• Vesuvius. The summit trail can close on short notice when weather turns, and strong wind shuts the crater rim.
• Tickets. Entry lines build fast after opening; an early start or a skip-the-line ticket saves the wait.
• Getting here. A local rail line links Naples and Sorrento, running often but packed at peak hours.