For an interesting alternative to Pompeii, try visiting Herculaneum. Awesome name right? This was a waterfront vacation resort city for the Pompeii elite, and was further away from the blast on that terrible day. Whereas Pompeii was literally levelled by the explosion, Herculaneum was only buried, resulting in buildings that are far more intact than Pompeii’s. Original wood can still be seen in some buildings, as well as some multi-storied houses.

If you look at the photos below, you’ll notice they actually had to excavate 60-100ft of earth just to get at the city— it is in fact in a giant pit. I overheard a guide say that only 30% of the town has been uncovered! Most of it probably never will, as the surrounding modern day town has been built on top of and around it.

This place was a joy to explore and not touristy. If you want to escape the mass crowds of Pompeii, this is a great alternative that can be done in a few hours.

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