Monument in Naples
Pompeii is the Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD, excavated over centuries into an open-air archaeological park covering 66 hectares. Entry is paid. The site is enormous: the Forum, the amphitheater, the Villa of the Mysteries, the brothel, the bakeries, and the plaster casts of the dead are scattered across the ruins. Budget travelers take the cheap Circumvesuviana train from Naples, bring water and food (prices inside are high), and spend at least four hours walking a city frozen in time.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
The Cappella Sansevero is a small baroque chapel in the historic center housing the Veiled Christ, a marble sculpture of such technical mastery that the veil appears to be real fabric laid over the body. Entry is paid at a modest price.
Castel dell'Ovo is a seaside fortress on the tiny island of Megaride, connected to the Naples waterfront by a short causeway. Entry is free.
Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) is a 13th-century castle on the waterfront between the port and Piazza del Plebiscito, with a triumphal arch entrance carved in white marble. The courtyard is free.
The Circumvesuviana is the cheap regional train connecting Naples to Pompeii (Pompei Scavi station, 35 minutes), Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi, 20 minutes), and Sorrento (1 hour). A single ticket costs a few euros.
The Cloister of Santa Chiara (Chiostro Maiolicato) is a 14th-century cloister behind the Basilica of Santa Chiara on Spaccanapoli, famous for its colorful majolica-tiled columns and benches depicting garden scenes, pastoral landscapes, and mythological figures. Entry is paid at a modest price.
The Forum was the civic heart of Pompeii, a rectangular open space surrounded by temples, markets, and public buildings with Vesuvius rising behind. Included in the park ticket.
Working out what Naples costs?
The whole of Naples