Between the temples and the sea, the Paestum plain is the capital of PDO Campania buffalo mozzarella: estate dairies open their doors in the morning while the curd is still warm, and tasting among the buffaloes is a rite worth as much as the ruins.
The other flag is the PGI Paestum artichoke, the springtime "round" that fills menus from March to May. Mozzarella for breakfast, temples at noon: few Italian pairings work this well.
The specialities to try here, and their stories.
Hand-stretched dough, tomato, mozzarella and basil, baked in under a minute in a wood-fired oven: Neapolitan pizza is an art recognised by Unesco.
Read more →Sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil, the three colours of the flag: caprese takes its name from Capri, but no document fixes its date of birth.
Read more →What is grown, raised and aged here: PDO, PGI and traditional products.
A large, round artichoke head, the Romanesco type: Carciofo di Paestum, grown in the Sele plain since the 1920s, has held IGP status since 2004.
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Temples of Paestum · Paestum · Museo archeologico nazionale di Paestum and 3 more
24 places to stay · top rated: Si Sofia country house 9.8 · Kalos Paestum Hotel 9.7
Next up: Feast of Saint Vitus, Tuesday 15 June
Nearest airport: Napoli Capodichino, 85 km away
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
