Italy has some amazing Roman ruins. Some of the best are around the famous Pompeii, near Naples. But there are other Roman ruins here too, in Herculaneum and Oplontis. So which is best? Here’s my guide to Pompeii, Herculaneum or Oplontis, and which has the best Roman ruins.
The Roman ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis are all easily accessible by train from both Naples and Sorrento. You can stay in either Naples or Sorrento to visit these fascinating historical sights. The trains from Naples to Herculaneaum are slightly easier and the train from Sorrento to Herculaneum, but it’s all easily doable. So with the travel logistics to all three Roman ruins being very easy, you can easily visit all three. But which is the best? Keep reading for my guides to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis and which has the best Roman ruins.
Pompeii
Pompeii is the biggest of the three archaeological sites in this area. It’s a lot bigger than Herculaneum, and loads bigger than the Villa Poppea at Oplontis. The impressive size and scale automatically make Pompeii a contender for being the best of the Roman sites in this part of Italy.
Pompeii is also the most famous of all three sites. And for good reason – it’s huge, and really impressive. It’s literally the size of a town. It’s an entire town that was excavated. The story of Pompeii is really famous – how Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2000 years ago and buried this Roman town, including all the people who lived here.
Top things to see in Pompeii
One of the top things to see in Pompeii is the forum. This huge area was the centre of the old Roman town. And it’s a really impressively huge space. You can see Mount Vesuvius in the background, as a constant reminder of the volcano and destroyed this town.
A lot of Pompeii is streets lined with houses. You can do a guided tour or hire an audio guide to learn more about the people who would have lived in these houses.
There’s also a huge amphitheatre as well, near the edge of the town, which is really impressive.
The Villa of Mysteries at Pompeii costs a little bit extra to go into, but I think it’s worth it. This villa on the outskirts of the main town has some amazingly preserved frescoes.
Plaster casts in Pompeii
One of Pompeii’s most famous attributes is the plaster casts of the bodies of people who were found here. It’s a truly unique sight. The people of Pompeii were killed by the volcano’s heat and gases. And then their bodies were buried under the volcano’s ash. As the bodies decomposed over time, this left gaps in the rocks – which were filled with plaster during the excavation. So the plaster casts are exact outlines of the bodies of people who were found here. You can even see the print of clothes on some of them.
It’s sad to see the plaster casts, as it’s a reminder of the suffering of the people who died here. But it’s fascinating as well, and it makes you feel more connected to the people who lived here. And it’s amazing how well preserved the outline of the bodies is.
So is Pompeii the best?
There are so many great things to see and do in Pompeii. To fully appreciate it, you need a whole day there. And even then, you won’t be able to see everything, even if you walk over 20,000 steps.
For some people, the size and scale of Pompeii make it feel quite overwhelming. It’s also the busiest of the three Roman ruins. So the combination of the scale and also the crowds make it an exhausting day out. I loved visiting Pompeii, and I think it was my favourite of the three places. But it was undoubtedly exhausting. Both Herculaneum and Oplontis are a much more manageable scale, with fascinating and unique things to see. So keep reading to find out more about Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis and which has the best Roman ruins.
Herculaneaum
Herculaneum is smaller than Pompeii, which makes it a much more manageable day out. You can see Herculaneum in about 3 hours – or even less if you walk around quickly.
Like Pompeii, Herculaneum also has a lot of streets with houses on either side.
There are some frescoes in some of the houses, which are as impressive as those in Pompeii. There are also some statues here that were uncovered during the excavation. Pompeii doesn’t have many statues, so Herculaneum is better than Pompeii for the statues.
Herculaneum skeletons
Herculaneum doesn’t have plaster casts of the bodies of people who lived there. However, there are still remains of people in Herculaneum. In Herculaneum, there are skeletons instead of plaster casts.
Herculaneum is closer to Mount Vesuvius than Pompeii. So when Mount Vesuvius erupted, the heat and gases that hit Herculaneum were stronger than Pompeii. The more intense heat meant that the people were killed instantly, and their clothes and flesh didn’t survive. So in Herculaneum, archaeologists found the skeletons of people.
These skeletons were found in the old boathouses in Herculaneum. It’s thought that the people tried to shelter in the boathouses, and this is where the skeletons were found. Like Pompeii it’s really sad to see the remains of the people who lived here, and think about how they must have had such a painful death.
So is Herculaneum better than Pompeii?
I really enjoyed visiting Herculaneum. It’s a much more manageable size, so I could enjoy walking around without feeling exhausted. The frescoes, statues and also the skeletons were fascinating.
I think I preferred the grandeur of Pompeii. But I’m still really glad I went to Herculaneum as well. But there’s a third archaoelogical site in this area that is also worth visiting.
Villa Poppea at Oplontis
Villa Poppea at Oplontis is by far the smallest of all three Roman ruins. You can visit Villa Poppea in about an hour. It’s just a short walk from Torre Annunziata train station, so it’s easy to get to.
The big advantage of Villa Poppea at Oplontis is that it’s so much quieter than Herculaneum and Pompeii. It feels like an undiscovered area, far from the tourist trail. You can find peace and tranquillity here, and really get away from the crowds of tourists in Pompeii and Herculaneum. So when visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis and deciding which has the best Roman ruins, Oplontis will be the best choice for you if you want to avoid the crowds of tourists.
The highlight of Villa Poppea at Oplontis is the statues and frescoes. There are lots of statues here that were discovered during the excavation. So many of these are amazingly well preserved.
The colourful frescoes on the walls of the villa are lovely as well. There’s a good one-way walking route that takes you all around the villa, with signposts, so you can be sure that you’ve seen everything.
Pompeii, Herculaneum or Oplontis: which is best?
So: Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis – which has the best Roman ruins? I think it all depends on what you prefer. All three archaeological sites are amazing, and all three are definitely worth visiting. If you have time, I recommend visiting all three as they all offer something different.
If you only have time to visit one, then I recommend visiting Pompeii. It’s the biggest and grandest of all three, and the most famous. The size and scale is impressive, and the plaster casts are fascinating.
However, if you want an archaeological site that’s a more manageable size, then I recommend visiting Herculaneum. You don’t need to walk over 20,000 steps to feel like you’ve seen only a portion of the site here – in Herculaneum, you can see everything in a few hours and not feel exhausted at the end of the day. Herculaneum has great ruins of streets and houses like Pompeii. And the skeletons in the boathouses are fascinating.
And if you really want to get away from the crowds of tourists, I recommend visiting Villa Poppea in Oplontis. This is also a great choice to visit if you want to see impressive frescoes and statues. At Villa Poppea in Oplontis you can really get away from the tourists. But it’s a small site – so it’s best to combine Villa Poppea at Oplontis with at least one of the other archaeological sites to get a full experience of the Roman ruins in this fasinating part of Italy.
Hope you enjoyed my guide to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis and which has the best Roman ruins! Make sure you check out my guides to some of the other places in this part of Italy, including Naples, Procida, the Amalfi Coast and Capri. If you’re staying in Naples, make sure you also check out my top pizza restaurants in Naples. There are also lots of other great places to explore in Italy, including exploring Sicily without a car, visiting the Cinque Terre and Portofino.
