Herculaneum, this is how it was called in ancient times the city of Ercolano. Below I leave you the links for the tickets of the Archaeological Site of Herculaneum and then I'll tell you about this experience. Link for tickets (with and without a guide) where you will find prices and times. Ready? Iamme ià
- Ticket for the tour (with guide) of the Archaeological Site of Herculaneum
- Ticket for the tour (without a guide and with optional audio guide) of the Archaeological Site of Herculaneum
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Herculaneum tickets: the history of Herculaneum
According to legend, Herculaneum (Roman city) was founded by Hercules. And it is from Hercules that the city takes its name, in 79 AD, it was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius. Just for the record, Vesuvius is a volcano, still active today. A catastrophe, in short, that buried the city, breaking many lives, and that did not see the light again until 1709. It was in that year that there was a accidental discovery for the construction of a well.
From then on, little by little, excavations began, which went on for years. Until bring to light 'part' of the Herculaneum of yesteryear and which is the one being visited today. A visit that takes about 2-3 hours because of the small size of the excavations, making this site a must to visit. In fact, if you are in Herculaneum, you absolutely cannot miss this sunken treasure.
Herculaneum tickets: the main attractions during the visit
It is unbelievable that I had not yet visited the excavations having them on my doorstep. It was an incredible experience, doing a grand dive into the past. Walking through the streets of Herculaneum feels like experiencing a day in those days. Their customs, street food, dwellings and more.
The thing I liked so much was the be able to visit in 2-3 hourswhich allows you to do more in the day. (I will also give you some tips at the end of the article). But let's not get lost in chatter, I will show you some of the must-see points (and photos) of the excavations. I will make a small preamble: if you are on your own take at least an audio guide. In the case of a guided tour, they will show you and explain the most interesting points.
House of Neptune and Amphitrite
The one I liked best for the beautiful and colourful mosaic it houses. A mosaic depicting Neptune and Amphitrite and is in perfect condition.
Seat of the Augustals
A space dedicated to the citizens in charge of ensuring the worship of emperors. You should know that emperors in those days were considered to be deities.
Telefo relief house
The 2nd largest house in Herculaneum characterised by a colonnade throughout the atrium. It is also famous for the discovery (intact) of this relief on a wall of the house. Relief showing precisely Telephus, son of Hercules.
The Thermopolium: the fast food of the ancient Vesuvians
I must have seen at least a couple of them while visiting these cute street food shops. I thermopolium were street food shops of Roman origin.
Excursion to Vesuvius: Activities to combine with a visit to Herculaneum
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, visiting the excavations takes about 2-3 hours. This makes a visit to the Herculaneum excavations combinable with another activity. Which one? Climbing Mount Vesuvius is another top activity in Naples (see my article here). I leave you, therefore, the link to book entry to Vesuvius National Park.
Naples to Herculaneum
Getting to Herculaneum, and more precisely to the excavations, is very easy from Naples. Fortunately, there is a special train stop called Ercolano Scavi.
Where to stay in Ercolano
To help you with accommodation, I leave links to the:
Herculaneum tickets: curiosities
- Herculaneum became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It became so together with Pompeii and Oplonti (two other world-famous archaeological sites).
- The archaeological park of Herculaneum is 4.5 hectares large (it could accommodate 4000 inhabitants). The entire city of Herculaneum was about 20 hectares
- The excavations of Pompeii (Unesco World Heritage Site) are 10 times larger (44 hectares) than those of Herculaneum
- Vesuvius (which swept away Herculaneum in 79 AD) is still active and emits fumaroles from time to time
- Herculaneum, built on the ashes of Herculaneum, was also called Resina in the Middle Ages
Herculaneum tickets: Conclusions
This article draws to a close in the hope that it has been of help and inspiration to you. Herculaneum and its excavations are a must if you are in Naples. Combined, then, with a visit to Vesuvius, it would be the perfect day out. I hope you can visit them and take a dip into the past. See you next trip and remember: those who travel live twice!
P.s. don't forget to click here to follow on my instagram page the places I've been.
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