Background
When Vesuvius erupted on 24 August AD 79 it buried two flourishing Roman towns, Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the rich villas around them. They have been dug out and opened to visitors since the mid-18th century.
Pompeii is the big commercial town. Herculaneum is smaller but better preserved: only a little ash fell there, then flows of boiling mud filled the town and held its buildings up. At Torre Annunziata, the wall paintings of the Villa Oplontis show how the rich lived.
- AD 79Vesuvius erupts on 24 August
- 1750Library of papyrus scrolls found at Herculaneum
- Mid-1700sExcavations open the towns to visitors
- 1997Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Streets and Houses of PompeiiThe Roman town as the eruption left it.
- 2HerculaneumThe better-preserved resort town, where wood was carbonised rather than burned away.
- 3Forum Baths, HerculaneumWell-preserved men's and women's baths, side by side.
- 4House of Neptune and AmphitriteOne of the houses Wikivoyage singles out at Herculaneum.
- 5Villa OplontisSuperb wall paintings at Torre Annunziata.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
Herculaneum and Vesuvius
From the GoGo Naples guide, which gives Pompeii a day of its own · Open the Naples Guide ›
- 09:00Herculaneum Ruins2.5 hrsThe better-preserved small town.
- 13:30Hike to the Crater of Vesuvius2 hrsThe walk up to the volcano that buried it.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
