A Roman town frozen by Vesuvius in AD 79
When Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 it buried Pompeii under metres of ash, preserving an entire Roman town. Today you can walk its paved streets, past bakeries, bathhouses, taverns and grand villas still decorated with frescoes and mosaics. Highlights include the Forum, the amphitheatre, the House of the Faun and the haunting plaster casts of victims. The site is huge and shadeless, so bring water and a plan, and consider adding smaller, better-preserved Herculaneum nearby.