Half Day Trip from Rome by Rail | The City that Time Forgot

Rome's Pompeii, the ancient port city lost to time, while not buried by a volcanic eruption still holds many secrets. What is visible today already dwarfs Pompeii!

While Pompeii is better known because of destruction (and Hollywood), it suffers from acute overtourism. Here, you can explore equally well-preserved ruins without crowds. In Rome, in summer, that's priceless.

The origins of Rome's Pompeii are rather hazy. Ostia Antica was probably an Etruscan settlement c. 400 BC before becoming an early Roman outpost that defended the mouth of the River Tiber ("os" meaning mouth) from invading ships. It was eventually abandoned in the 9th century, the harbour silted up and malaria took hold. Pirates and plundering followed.

Fortunately, mud and sea silt has preserved a great many remarkable mosaics and frescoes. It is easy to imagine what went on along streets that connected the busy docks with tenements and entertainment areas.

Visit Pompeii, but do spend half a day here too!