Explore Pompeii

The great city of Pompeii destroyed by the viciousness of Vesuvius; that’s what we’ve learnt from our history classes, but to travel there and see it first hand? That’s an experience that lasts a life time. Pompeii was a Roman city that was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. The eruption has been determined unique in that the blast was stronger than a nuclear blast of today, and that it buried the city of Pompeii with over 20 feet of ash and pumice. The site today hosts thousands of tourists a year as much of it has been excavated allowing us to see into a world that literally stood still. One of the main attractions is viewing the plaster cast moulds of those Romans who perished that day. The ashes from the blast buried them alive, and over the years, undisturbed, the bodies decomposed leaving a hollow mould of their imprint. Archeologists were able to reconstruct them by pouring plaster into the hollow moulds, and now those moulds are on display.

Main Attractions in Pompei

• Visit ancient Pompeii
• Termas Stabiane
• The Forum Baths
• House of Faun
• Temple of Apollo
• Hiking the crater edge of Vesuvius
• Roman bakery

Nearby Pompeii

• The city of Pompei (as Italians refer to it)
• Rome (3 hour bus ride away)
• Naples (40 min bus ride)
• Amalfi Coast (1 hour away)

Pompeii covered 66 hectares and was contained within stone city walls. The site has been excavated all the way down to street level, so you can fully imagine what life was like as Roman. Pompeii is a snapshot in time and highly important to our historical understanding of Roman life. In the nearby city of Herculaneum, the first Roman soldier ever found was intact and clearly identifiable. He was still dressed in pieces of armour with his money bag and sword attached. Back along the main streets of Pompeii, different elements of Roman life are evident, like the baker’s shop, bars, shutters on windows, and theatres. Hundreds of artifacts have been found and this site is a history buffs delight.

Did you know…?

The fastest and easiest way to find a brothel in Pompeii is to look for the stone penis? Be sure to ask your tour guide how to find it!

Weather in Pompei

The average annual temperatures in Pompeii play between 10.4°C to 20.4°C, and the city receives an average of 2,376 hours of sunshine in a year. The rainfall in Pompeii is mostly seasonal, with the autumn month of November recording the highest amount of precipitation at 163mm. The driest season in Pompeii is during the summer, particularly on July, wherein the rain only amounts to around 25mm. During this season, Pompeii experiences blazing hot temperatures during the day, reaching averages of around 26°C during the first two months of summer and reaching as high as 30°C on late July or August.

TIP:

If you’re going to Pompeii, then don’t miss going to the Amalfi Coast. Period.