Pompeii

Province of Naples, Italy

The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of thecomune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was partially destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

Pompeii was lost for nearly 1700 years before its rediscovery in 1748. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with approximately 2,500,000 visitors every year.^[1]  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii

This city was essentially frozen in time when the ashes of the erupting Mt. Vesuvius blanketed the Earth. This is a beautiful glimpse of history in southern Italy but I would not recommend a tour in warmer months. We toured the city on a hot August day and there were very limited escapes from the sun. Choose a temperate day and a nice pair of walking shoes for this experience. You must do the offered audio tour and if you have the time and money, splurge on the experience of a guided tour.

 "Pompeii was a prosperous city, vital, bustling with pedestrians and traffic, and full of hotels, inns, shops, grandiose public buildings, temples and private homes. Painted walls were an essential element of decoration. Fantasy, illusion and mythological motifs prevailed, accompanied by rich decoration. Preserved walls in the Villa of Mysteries, the Vettius House and the Orchard House are stunning examples of this. Also of great importance was sculpture, apparent from works of great value and beauty that came to light during the excavations."

Temple of Jupiter, Pompeii

Dance like this on your vacation, it will set you free!

There is just so much to see on the southwestern coast of Italy but you can easily visit the City of Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, in just 3 days. We did it! I believe it is also popular to go to Salerno, the last stop on the train, and then Ferry to Sicily.

 --->Use public transportation when traveling, I guarantee it's an experience all in it's self! Never mind the wonder views you can fully absorb when your eyes aren't always focused on the road... and you save a TON of $$!

View of Mt. Vesuvius from train ride, Portici to Pompeii.

We stayed at the Fabric Hostel in Portici, just a few train stops from downtown Naples. It was a large clean modern hostel with a quick walk to the water front where we enjoyed very affordable fine dining.  The hostel was our home base for a few days, and provided more than what we needed. Their website expresses a club atmosphere which we didn't experience, for better or worse and the dorms are co-ed if that is something that may put you off. I would recommend this hostel in a second. 

"Fabric Hostel has been built in a fabulous building of the late 19^th century, it was an old fabric farm which had been closed for at least forty years. The building has been restored according to its original nature, trying to make it live in all the details connected to its own story and the meaning that it had for the town during the social and economical development of the 19^th century."

http://www.fabrichostel.com/en/home.html