Buried Cities
When Vesuvius popped its top in August, 79 AD, it spewed hot ashes, pumice and boiling mud in all directions, burying the city of Pompeii, resort towns of Herculaneum and Oplontis, and several others. For more than a thousand years, the buried cities were forgotten, until the 18th century, when Herculaneum was discovered, then Pompeii.
When you visit these ruins of ancient Roman buried cities with kids, don't forget that everything you see has been dug up, and most of Herculaneum is still buried deep under volcanic debris. Looking at a wall painting that survived this destruction, it is incredible.
Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis are all accessible by the Circumvesuviana train from Naples.
Hike around the top of Vesuvius - From the Ercolano train station, take the Vesuvio Express bus, winding up the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius. From the end of the road, it's a 15 min. walk along a wide trail to the crater. And what a panorama!
