On the morning of 24 August (or perhaps October) 79 AD, Vesuvius erased Pompeii and in the same act handed it to eternity: beneath six metres of lapilli, a complete Roman city survived like nowhere else on earth — streets, shops, baths, brothels, frescoes and the casts of inhabitants caught by the burning cloud. It is Europe's most visited archaeological site and an experience no museum can replicate.
What to see
The Forum with Vesuvius behind, the casts in the Garden of the Fugitives, the Villa of the Mysteries with its great Dionysiac frieze, the House of the Faun and of the Vettii, the Lupanar, the amphitheatre — the oldest known — and the great theatre. The streets themselves, with cart ruts and stepping stones, are the most eloquent exhibit.
Visiting
The site is vast: 44 excavated hectares. The "essential" circuit takes a good three hours; a full day is the right measure. Timed online tickets; water, a hat and comfortable shoes are not optional — shade is rare. The houses open in rotation: the map at the entrance lists the day's openings.
Getting there
Circumvesuviana railway Naples-Sorrento, "Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri" stop: the Porta Marina entrance is a hundred metres away. By car, Pompei Ovest exit of the A3; private car parks abound.
Our editors' tip
Enter at opening through Porta Marina and head STRAIGHT to the Villa of the Mysteries at the far end: you'll see it alone, then tour the rest against the flow of the groups. Sunset from the Forum, during summer evening openings, is Pompeii at its peak.