| All the world knows about the excavation's site of | | | | can ask what you want and visit the place when the |
| Pompeii, a Roman town, buried under the volcanic ash | | | | group has free time. |
| in 79 AD. Millions of tourists visit this site every year. It's | | | | Generally, Pompeii are ruins where is difficult to |
| one of the most visited touristic attractions of Italy. Not | | | | understand much without a guide or a preliminary |
| so many persons know about an other excavation's | | | | preparation. |
| site, a Roman town Herculaneum, distant only 17 km | | | | Excavations of Herculaneum are very "compact". |
| from Pompeii, destroyed by the same eruption of the | | | | They are situated inside the modern town of Ercolano |
| Vesuvius. | | | | (The modern town of Pompeii is developed near the |
| These sites are similar from one point of view. They | | | | excavations round the Sanctuary of Madonna of |
| are both excavations and museums under the open | | | | Rosary). The rules about your shoes, clothing and |
| air. But there are differences that will maybe influence | | | | water are the same more or less. There are not |
| your choice when you plan what you would prefer to | | | | drinking fountains, so, to have a bottle of mineral water |
| see. In this article I want to write about these similitude | | | | can be useful. Visitors are here not so numerous, you |
| and differences. | | | | can find maps and descriptions in all languages even if |
| Excavations of Pompeii cover great area. If you want | | | | you come at 18:00, an hour before the closing time. For |
| to visit all parts of this site quietly, you have to plan at | | | | quiet visit you will need about an hour or two. |
| least half a day of walking. Think about your shoes | | | | As opposed to Pompeii, the buildings are remarkably |
| first of all and about the clothes if the sun shines | | | | well preserved in Herculaneum. There are many |
| brightly. The temperatures are high in spring and in | | | | frescoes and mosaics, villas preserve their statues, |
| summer. Cover your head and take a bottle of water | | | | decorations and sometimes parts of furniture. There |
| maybe. There are drinking fountains there but if you | | | | are incredible waves on the floors of many houses |
| prefer mineral water it will be better to have it with | | | | and bathes. You have not invent anything. Your eyes |
| you. | | | | see and your mind understands what you have for. |
| It would be great if you come there with a printed or | | | | Read a little from the history before you go there or |
| bought before map or plan of the site and a list of the | | | | directly in the book you will receive with the ticket. |
| places you want to see. It's possible to find the map in | | | | The other advantage of this site is, you can come |
| the ticket office. But the possibilities they do not have | | | | here before or after the visit of the crater of Vesuvius. |
| the maps are very high so far as there are hundreds | | | | What you will not find in Herculaneum are the plaster |
| and thousands visitors every day. The list you | | | | casts of the persons and animals that you can see in |
| prepared will help you, if your guide does not show you | | | | Pompeii in different houses. |
| or your group something you are interested in. So you | | | | |