Pompeii

Once a lavish resort town for wealthy Romans, Pompeii, situated 25km (16 miles) south of Naples, was literally buried alive under hot volcanic ash and mud during an eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The city was eventually forgotten, and it was not until the 16th century that it was rediscovered. Now excavated, it provides an enthralling insight into the everyday lives of the ancient Romans. Visitors can view restored villas complete with erotic and religious wall paintings, temples and the forum, as well as actual brothels and plaster casts of fallen volcano victims. Nearby Ercolano (Herculaneum) was also destroyed by Vesuvius, and is a smaller but better-preserved site consisting of villas and shops. From Ercolano, the modern town, it is possible to take a bus to the top of Mount Vesuvius.