The best things to see in Pompeii (Italy): tips for your visit

If you are going to have the opportunity to visit PompeiiNear Nápoles, it is important that you take into account various considerations when making your tour.

The archaeological park of the ancient roman city of Pompeii I'm sure you'll love it, just as I did when I visited it not long ago.

But I can tell you that given the enormous extension of the archaeological remains that can be visited, you must plan in advance which places you are most interested in seeing, after which you must organize the time you have for the visit.

The best things to see at the Pompeii excavations

In this article we are going to highlight the main corners of Pompeii, and what should be the essential sites that you should know.

Forum, ancient main square of Pompeii

The main entrance to visit the excavations is Puerta Marina, and the first thing you will see is the large esplanade of the ancient Forum of Pompeii.

El Pompeii Forum In its day it was the main square of the Roman city.

It was a large monumental square, the nerve center of the political and religious life of Pompeii where the main monuments were concentrated, with religious and public administration buildings.

Now, during your visit to the Forum of Pompeii You will enter a large open space where the numerous remains of columns indicate the importance of the monuments it housed in the 1st century AD, when the nearby eruption occurred. Vesuvius.

Among these remains, and specifically in a central area of ​​the square, you can see those of the Temple of Jupiter.

Built in the 2nd century BC, its elevated platform and main staircase, as well as some columns, are currently preserved.

Another building that is located around the large open plaza of the Pompeii Forum is  Macellum.

It was the main market of the city, inside which you can still see a building with arcades where the shops were located.

Temple of Apollo in Pompeii

You can also see the remains of the Temple of Apollo, the oldest in the Roman city of Pompeii.

This religious building dates back to 550 BC, and still maintains part of its column structure standing.

But surely the area that will catch your attention the most during your visit to Pompeii Forum It is the building known as the Forum Barns.

When the eruption occurred, the building was not completely built, but it was already used as a fruit and vegetable market.

This building with large arcades is currently used as a large warehouse where a large amount of items are accumulated and displayed. archaeological remains found in Pompeii.

In addition to amphorae and various decorative elements, above all, the human figures created with the emptying of victims of the eruption.

Among these figures, in addition to the human ones, one that may possibly impact you is the figure of a dog in a twisted positionfor the effects of the eruption.

In sum, forum It is one of the most outstanding corners of the remains of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

Baths of the Forum of Pompeii

One of the corners that you should not miss in your sightseeing tour to Pompeii are Forum Hot Springs.

Not even if you have little time for your visit, because the Forum Hot Springs You find them very close to the old main entrance roman city.

The Forum Hot Springs You can see them north of the great square of Pompeii, the largest in the Roman city, and a block from the only bar-restaurant that you will find on your visit.

Built after the year 80 BC, the Forum Hot Springs They were not the largest in Pompeii, since these were the ones known as Stabia Baths.

However, today it is a building that is in a surprisingly good state of conservation.

In your visit to the Baths of the Forum of Pompeii You will go through the different rooms, from the men's room and the women's room, the locker room, the cold bath room, the warm room and the hot water bath room.

And on your journey you will have the feeling that until recently they have been used.

In many of the corners of the thermal baths, part of the initial decoration is maintained, such as the stucco bas-reliefs on the vault, with geometric boxes and mythological figures.

It is known that these bas-reliefs were made in a reform of the thermal baths carried out in the year 62 AD.

The Baths of the Forum of Pompeii They were very popular public baths in their time, as they had a cheap entrance price.

It is also known that the busiest time for bathing was in the early afternoon.

Villa of the Mysteries, the best place to see the frescoes of Pompeii

On your walk through the streets you will be attracted by the houses where you can see the famous Pompeii frescoes.

You can see various and interesting samples in the house of Octavius ​​Quartio or the house of Venus de la Concha.

However, the most spectacular frescoes In the archaeological complex of Pompeii you find them in the Villa of Mysteries.

Of course, this old Roman house is located to the northwest, outside the Roman city, so you will have to take a long walk to get to it.

But in the end you will see that this walk is worth it because in the Villa of Mysteries you find the Pompeian frescoes most spectacular that are still preserved in the archaeological remains of Pompeii.

Here you have more information for visit the Villa of the Mysteries, with photos of the Pompeian frescoes.

House of the Venus de la Concha in Pompeii

You also have the possibility of seeing Pompeian frescoes in the House of the Venus de la Concha, a name it takes precisely because of the theme of the aforementioned mural.

La House of the Venus de la Concha (number 59 on the map of the archaeological remains of Pompeii) you find it in the eastern area of ​​​​them, very close to the anfiteatro, and next to the House of Octavius ​​Quartio.

Therefore yes you access Pompeii through its main door, Marine Gate, you must follow its main street until almost the end, the Via Abbondanza.

But if you enter through the door that opens to the current urban center of Pompeii, you will quickly arrive at the House of the Venus de la Concha.

This area of ​​the archaeological remains was bombed during Second World War, so the house was not really discovered until 1952.

You will find a house with the rooms around a patio, and the spectacular mural painting of the Venus de la Concha You will see it on a south wall, next to the lush garden.

La mural painting It is divided into three parts. On the left, a figure of the god mars, and to the right, a fountain with two birds.

The central panel is where, as if it were a wide open window, the goddess venus reclining on a golden shell.

House of Octavius ​​Quartio in Pompeii

La house of Octavio Quartio You find it in the eastern area of ​​Pompeii.

This is a perfect example of a small Roman Village, where you will see several rooms and large gardens.

The villa is arranged around a central patio and in the aforementioned rooms you will find samples of Pompeian frescoes.

For its part, in the gardens you can walk along paths with pergolas, a recently restored area.

Lupanar, the brothel of Pompeii

brothel is the name of the small building that was used as brothel in ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

the name brothel comes from the word magnifying glass, which in Latin meant prostitute, as well as she-wolf.

And the brothel It was the largest of the numerous brothels in Pompeii, in addition to the only one that was built for that purpose.

El Pompeii Lupanar It was discovered in the 2006th century, but was not opened to the public until XNUMX, after restoration carried out by archaeologists.

El brothel You find it on a secondary street, in a central area of ​​Pompeii where there are no notable visitors.

Therefore, if you do not want to miss it in your visit to Pompeii You must identify it (number 39) on the map of the archaeological park that you must ask for at the entrance.

It is a very small building in front of which visitors sometimes crowd, since inside there is space for very few people at the same time.

Inside of Pompeii Lupanar You will see four very small rooms, and in each of them a stone bed on which the mattress was placed.

The highlights of your visit to the Lupanar are pompeian frecoss on the walls located above the doors of the rooms, all of them decorated with scenes of sexual positions, which gives an unmistakable brothel atmosphere.

It is known that Lupanar prostitutes They were Greek or Oriental slaves, and they earned between 2 and 8 aces (for reference, a glass of wine cost 1 ace), although the money went to the brothel manager.

In short, a curious visit that you cannot miss on your tour of the archaeological remains of Pompeii.

Where to see Pompeii frescoes in Naples: Archaeological Museum

If you are interested in Pompeian mural paintings, it is essential that you visit the Naples Archaeological Museum.

Keep in mind that this museum is where the vast majority of the frescoes found in Pompeii and other Roman enclaves destroyed by the Vesuvius volcano.

If you don't, you may be disappointed when you see the Pompeii excavations since the vast majority of Pompeian artistic objects and frescoes are found in this national institution based in Naples.

Tours and excursions to Pompeii

If what you like, like us, is to take a tour with the guidance of a guide in spanish, here is the link to hire a tour to visit Pompeii from Naples.

Pompeii tours from Rome

If you are staying in Rome and want visit Pompeii, but you don't want to do it on your own, you can sign up for this excursion to Pompeii which in a single day will take you to the Roman excavations, after a prior panoramic tour of Naples.

This excursion has a total duration of 12 hours, of which you will dedicate two hours to visiting Pompeii.

Here you have information about other excursions that include Pompeii

Map: how to get to Pompeii

Pompeii is in the Bay of Naples, south of the Neapolitan city, and on the way to the Sorrento peninsula.

For get to Pompeii from Naples, you can go in the Circumvesuviano, a commuter train that leaves from the central station and also stops in Herculaneum.

The train will leave you at Marine Gate, the main access to the excavations.

If you prefer, you can also get to Pompeii by bus which leaves from the port area of ​​Naples.

Here you have information about how to get to Pompeii from Rome.