Pompeii, Naples

Introduction

Whilst on my honeymoon, (a cruise around the Med) we had a stop off for a couple of days in Naples. As my wife loves to plan trips she arranged for us to visit Pompeii. I must admit I was delighted, as strange as it may seem Volcano's, Earthquakes and natures natural events fascinate me. Pompeii its myths and legends have fascinated me since my childhood this was the perfect day trip for me!

Below are our thoughts on our day wonderful trip to Pomeii:

Please look at our photo's they give you a better insight than my words!

Background

Pompeii is situated the Italian region of Campania, near Naples. Pompeii is the famous city that was destroyed by a the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Herculaneum, Pompeii's lesser famous sister city was also destroyed in the erruption. Pompeii is by far the more famous of the two cities, and generally people are only aware of the destruction of Pompeii.

History

To appreciate a visit to Pompeii I feel that a brief insight into its history is very important. This will allow you to guage the true catastrophy that befell Pompeii and it inhabitants.

The city was founded around the 7th-6th century BC it was an important port and was used primarily to forward goods to Rome or Southern Italy. This led to Pompeii's wealth, also its strategic importance in the area for these reasons Pompeii has been fought over and changed hands for many centuries. Eventually Pompeii was conquered by Rome in around 80 BC it remained under Roman control until the erruption.

The erruption lasted for 2 days, the city of Pompeii was completely buried under around 20 meters of pumice and ash.

Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748 by chance. From the subsequent excavations of Pompeii its clear that it was a prosperous city. Large parts of Pompeii are still buried so there is still more to learn about Pompeii, its history and its people.

Pompeii is located about 8 km (5 miles) away from Mount Vesuvius.

Our Visit

Transport

We docked in the the port of Naples, recently is more famous for La Cosa Nostra, The Mafia! So after having sent the wife to check the coast was clear I decided to disembark the cruise ship, her leading from the front of course!! Forward as one!!!

Naples is horrendous for traffic. Its possibly the worst place I have ever seen apart from Kabul! we literally walked for the best part of a mile to find a place to cross the main road which runs parallel to the port.

We decided to take the train to Pompeii. From the exit of the port to the train station is around a 30 min walk, you can get a taxi or a bus, but the weather was fine so off we went. Pompeii is on the Circumvesuviana line running from Naples to Sorrento. The train is of course crowded as most people on the train are tourist and heading for Pompeii. Ticket prices are very reasonable a return is around €5 per person and the journey time is around thirty mins.

The station at Pompeii itself is very small but its very hard to miss your stop. The entrance to Pompeii is only a couple of minutes walk away from the train station however, in that couple of minutes you are bombarded by locals trying to sell you lots of tat to be honest. The only thing you should buy is the frozen bottled water. Temperatures in the summer regulary top 30 degrees. The water is a god send after a few hours walking. If you do decide to buy anything haggle! They make their prices up so haggle and get the best deal you can.

***There are facilities at the station to leave items that you do not wish to carry around Pompeii, this is advisable as you will spend all your time walking, but the main reason is to keep your valuable safe from pickpockets and thieves***

Inside Pompeii

After braving the locals trying to sell me enough tat for a car boot sale we entered Pompeii through the city gate called "Porta Marina". The entrance as you would expect can be quite busy but generally the waiting time is short. The cost of admission was €10 for EU citizens. For €20 you can get a ticket which allows access to 5 sites in total, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Villa Poppaea and Oplontis. We just had the standard ticket for Pompeii.

Tour guides near the entrance will try and get you to hire them. I personally would advise against this. I believe that you will get more out of your trip by exploring Pompeii yourselves.

Get a map, Free maps and info booklets are given away at the entrance

Be prepared for a lot of walking. There is no sort of mechanical modes of transport in Pompeii so to get around Pompeii you have to use Shank's Pony (walking basically). The roads are difficult to say the least, they are un-even and basically cobblestones. Good quality footwear is a must as the roads do take it out on you feet. The area is hilly and in the height of summer it can be quite tiring, stick with it though its well worth it. You will need to watch your footing through! Its pretty dodgy.

Navigating around Pompeii is difficult but not impossible. The roads and alleyways criss cross the city. A map is a must as you dont want to ruin your visit by being lost and getting frustrated. Be aware that the city is a lot bigger than you probably imagine, allow a good 6 hours to see Pompeii, even then I am convinced you will not have seen the majority of it.

Once up the hilly part and actually into the city you can see the true splendor of Pompeii. Lavish buildings adorn the more affluent streets. Be aware that the pavements are considerably higher than we are used to, this was to allow waste and water to flow down the streets, there are huge stepping stones which were used to get from one side of the street to the to avoid stepping in all the waste!

There are many things to see in Pompeii, I will list below some of the main attractions, but I wil give my opinion on the actual buildings and sites we saw.

Not all of the buildings allow access, almost any time you visit some buildings will be closed for renovation. Also others are gated/barred from the public due to their contents. You can still look through the windows and see just what the building was like and used for.

A lot of the finer buildings still have original frescoes and mosaics, both on the walls and the floors. The detail and skill that went into producing these for decoration is astounding. It makes our laminate floor look decidedly more tacky than I already think it is!

There are all the amenities that you might expect to find on a modern high street today let alone almost 2000 years ago. There are the ruins of bakeries,bars, public baths. There are also the ruins of an Amphitheatre, Basilica (the law court and economic centre) and much more.

You can go into the vast majority of the buildings. Inside you can see and touch how it was done many hundreds of years ago, indeed somethings have changed very little over the centuries. The bakery has what we would recognise as a stone oven and the bars have stone counters. You can clearly see how they lived and worked.

One of the most interesting places for me was a building that is being used as a type to storage area for artifacts from Pompeii. There are hundreds of items from casts of people, pots even casts of animals. It really is surreal to see shelf upon shelf of these items. People litterally cast in the position they fell. You can not touch them as they are safely behind bars and a locked gate, then again I am not sure I would want to.

Pompeii's Amphitheatre of is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheatre. The Amphitheatre was the first built in stone by the Romans, previousAmphitheatre's were built from wood and as such have not survived. The Amphitheatre's is still used occasionally today, but for a completely different type of entertainment. It truely is a wonderful sight. Walking around it you get a true feel of its size and the noise that would have been generated by the crowds.

Many parts of Pompeii have not been uncovered, there is still much to see. From what I can gather local politics are stopping further excavation.
Hopefully someday they will uncover all of Pompeii. You can walk over the areas that are still buried.

Some of the main attractions

Main Entrance - Town walls, fortifications, gates
Amphitheater
Antiquarium
Forum - Market, shopping area
Forum Baths (Terme del Foro) - Health spa
House of Menander - Manor house
House of Pansa - Manor house
House of Sallust - Paintings, art collections
House of the Faun (Casa del Fauno) Manor house
House of the Gilded Cupids - Garden display
House of the Tragic Poet (Casa del Poeta tragico)
House of the Vettii
Necropolis - Cemetery
Painting of Venus
Palaestra
Stabian Baths (Terme Stabiana) - Health spa
Street of Tombs -Tombs, burial site
Villa of Diomedes-Manor house
Villa of the Mysteries (Villa dei Misteri)
Temples
Via dell'Abbondanza
Large Theater (Teatro Grande)
Little Theater (Teatro Piccolo)

Dining

There are many places to eat both inside and outside Pompeii. We actually had a packed lunch however there are:

Pizza Resteraunts
Cafe's
Restaraunts
Local Vendors

The prices in the main are more expensive but this is to be expected in a tourist hotspot. I would advise if possible cater for yourselves.

Accommodation

We did not stay in any accommodation in the area however the following is available:

Hotel MaiuriIn (4 Star) a few minutes walk from the Pompeii excavations and the center of town.
Single Per Night €65
Double Per Night € 85

Costs

Train: The cost of the train depends on the day and time you use it but, generally its around €5.

Entrance: when we visited it was €10. I would imagine there has been a slight increase now. This is excellent value for money in my opinion. For €20 you can get a ticket which allows access to 5 sites in total, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Villa Poppaea and Oplontis. If you are in te area for a couple of days this is the option I would advise.

Guides: Not something we used but I believe that haggling is an option.

Autoguide (headphones) Around €6,50 or €10 for two.

Food/Drink: As expected the prices are inflated. I would advise if practicable for you to bring a packed lunch. Its cheaper and you can eat it on the go.

Facilities

They made a great effort to cater for the needs of the tourist. They have provided excellent toilet facilities which are extremely clean. The is also a food court that whilst it is expensive it on par with the local facilities.

This site is not for people who have difficuly with walking or are wheel chair bound. Its just to ardous to get around. I would advise against taking small children and in particular children in prams.

There are tour guides provided but at quite a considerable cost. There is also an audio guide available for around €6,50 or €10 for two,. You will need to provide identification to secure the use.

Information

Find out more at www.pompeiisites.org

TV Programmes

There have been several TV dedicated to Pompeii and its fate, in particular the recent BBC programme. Whilst dramatic licence has been used to recreate events, people and buildings, it does not do justice to a visit to the real thing. My advice forget the programme just go and visit.

Recommendation

I strongly recommend that if you get the chance, visit Pompeii, you will not be dissapointed. From the moment you enter Pompeii to the moment you leave the atmosphere is palpable. Only when you visit can you really understand the scene, you can truely imagine the pain and anguish the citizens endured. Also teh size, wealth and infastrucrture of Pompeii. The buildings, frescoes, mosaics and artifacts are astounding. The scenery is in places quite breath taking, standing in Pompeii with Vesuvius is background is quite a sight.

The buildings, artifacts and how they have been preserved are a credit to the Italians. They clearly have respect for Pompeii and its inhabitants. Its like entering a time warp into another civilisation.

TOP TIPS

Ensure you have plenty of water.
Beware of Pickpockets
Good Walking Footwear
Camera is a must
Barter were possible
Allow 6 hrs for your visit