Ponder Pompeii

The adventure

You walk in on the same paving stones the Romans used, rutted by cart wheels, with raised stepping stones so people could keep their feet out of the muck. Then it starts to stack up: bakeries with their millstones, bars with clay jars sunk into the counters, graffiti scratched into the walls, a mosaic dog on a doorstep warning 'cave canem'.

What makes it unforgettable is how suddenly it all stopped. Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 and buried the city under metres of ash and pumice. The hollows left by the victims' bodies were later filled with plaster to make the casts you see today, curled up and shielding their faces. All the while, the volcano itself sits on the skyline, quiet for now.

Why it’s epic

Around two-thirds of the 66-hectare city has been excavated, and digs still turn up new frescoes.
Its amphitheatre, built around 70 BC, is the oldest surviving stone Roman amphitheatre.
The Villa of the Mysteries keeps some of the finest Roman wall paintings anywhere, in deep red.
You can pair it with a hike up Vesuvius to peer into the crater, 1,281 metres up.

What it is

Pompeii was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, preserving a Roman city.

How to do it

Take the Circumvesuviana train from Naples or Sorrento. Allow at least half a day; a guide or audio guide helps.

Top tip

Herculaneum nearby is smaller and even better preserved.

Need to know

Tickets are now issued in your name and daily visitor numbers are capped, so book online ahead for spring and summer.
There's little shade across the site, so bring water, a hat and sturdy shoes for the uneven paving.
Large bags aren't allowed in; use the left-luggage at the entrance.

Plan this trip

Rough cost: £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
Time needed: 1 day
Best time to go: April to June, September to October
Fly into: NAP airport

Flights to Naples and a night or two nearby are the main costs; the site itself is good value.

Do it yourself

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My experience

Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.