Just another blast from the past! One day in Pompei

Ancient city

I don’t remember when I heard of Pompeii for the first time. But it was a love from the first sight. When I learned about their amazing history, I wanted to see them as soon as possible. I remember once when I was watching a documentary about Pompeii on National Geographic and I was telling everyone that soon I would go and see it on my own eyes. I didn’t think it would come so soon. Cheap flights to Naples and a trip to Pompeii ready! Interestingly, my mother was also in Pompeii, at the end of September and in addition she was exactly my age. It turned out that we even have the same photo from this place! 😉 And what other pictures I have taken, what I have seen and how to walk around Pompeii, you will find in this post! 🙂

How to get to Pompei?

The best starting point is Naples. It is the closest large city with an airport. As you probably know, there are cheap flights to Naples from many cities via Ryanair or Wizzair. Naples was also my base. From two stations: Napoli Porta Nolana and Napoli Garibaldi (main train station), take the Circumvesuviana railway in direction to Sorrento. About 40 minutes later you will be at the station in Pompeii. Unfortunately, I will not tell you exactly how much the ticket costs. In my case, the journey took place within a card (something like the Naples Pass). Thanks to it, I could travel public transport and enter museums for free (including Pompeii and Herculaneum).

Things to know

Pompeii is the most famous city that has suffered the tragic consequences of the Vesuvius eruption in 79. The volcanic ash that flooded Pompeii, has preserved buildings, objects and bodies of people and animals, which today allows an insight into the life of an ancient Roman medium-sized town and its inhabitants. The richer inhabitants of Pompeii often moved to the quieter suburbs of Ercolano. Thanks to them, this less-popular city presents the level and quality of life of the wealthier citizens of that period.

Pompeii was covered by a thick layer of 5-6 m ash. The ancient city saw the light again at the end of the sixteenth century. Splendor of Pompei’s is confirmed by the fact that archaeological works are still going on there. They don’t focus solely on the preservation of monuments that have already been found, but also on discovering the rest of the city.

How to walk around the Pompei?

Honestly, I didn’t realize that this is the crucial question when visiting Pompei. I didn’t even think that I should prepare a plan or a list of places that I would like to see. Meanwhile, even after entering a password in google how to walk in Pompei, there are many tips or blog entries. Fresh and hot topic as you can see, but I missed it a bit during my trip. Nevertheless, I managed to see quite a lot of the ancient city and find some valuable advices for you!

First of all, just after entering Pompeii, get a free city map. You will also find there the location of the most interesting attractions. However, even having this super map, a walk around Pompeii can seem quite overwhelming. Most streets look the same and it’s really easy to get lost here. I know what I am saying, because when I went to the amphitheater I went to a waste of road, until I came to a dead end. I didn’t want to come back, so I went through a hole in the fence, and then walked the field to reach the amphitheater.

Follow the crowd

When you spot a large group of people starring on something, the place or subject is probably noteworthy. Thanks to this strategy, I managed to see a few beautiful homes that I would probably miss in a lonely walk. Therefore, if you see a large group of people with a guide and you don’t feel good enough to explore alone, it’s worth taking a moment to join them! 🙂 I managed to get some interesting information by listening to the guides standing nearby.

Remember, however, that not all places are permanently available. Due to the large number of visitors and the destruction of monuments, various objects are temporary closed. That’s why it’s worth coming back to Pompeii, because you can always see something else. 🙂 In any case, it is unlikely that you managed to see everything during your first visit (of course, I’m not saying it’s impossible)! 😛

When is the best time to visit Pompei?

Although it’s Italy, believe me, not every season is good for visiting Pompeii. Avoid the months of summer and the upper season. Once, that crowds of tourists will kill you, and two, if not them, the sun will do it. Pompeii lies on a completely exposed and highly sunny area. It is difficult to find a shade, because even most of buildings don’t have roofs, and trees are not likely to be found here. I had the pleasure to visit Pompeii at the end of September and it was a really great choice. As you can see, the summer outfit was still in shape, but the sun didn’t burn like that anymore! 🙂

What made the biggest impression on me?

I don’t know if it’s weird or maybe inhuman, but I was most fascinated by human remains covered by volcanic dust. I was running like crazy on Pompeii to find them. Their frozen faces still arouse a lot of emotions among visitors. Victims of the volcano’s explosion didn’t suffocate from gas and dust. Recent research indicates a wave of extreme heat as the cause of their death. Before the glowing lava of Vesuvius reached here, the majority of Pompeii residents were dead. The phenomenon was so sudden and violent that even the animals didn’t escape.
Btw. Before I got there, I’ve got lost so many times… 😀

What else is worth your attention?

Time for a list of places to visit during your trip to Pompei. Most of them are famous for beautiful frescoes, interesting architecture or significant gardens:

• Villa with Mysteries
• Fauna House
• Temple of Apollo
• The House of Vettius
• Amphitheater
• Lupanar
• Villa of the Empress Poppea
• Temple of Jupiter
• The House of the Playwright
• Forum
• Great Theater
• Temple of Isis
• Terme Stabiane
• Terme del Foro
• Casa della Fontana Piccola

That;s all what I have prepared for you from Pompeii. However, I have great hope that I will be able to update the entry after some time, because I want to come back to Naples! 🙂

And what made the biggest impression on you?

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