Herculaneum Italy - Tickets & Tours

Visit the Roman ruins of Herculaneum (Ercolano) from Naples Italy

Tips, tours from Naples and Ercolano tickets for visiting the archaeological park of Herculaneum Italy, a former fishing village that was hit by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

Visit Herculaneum, the city next to the Vesuvius

The city of Pompeii is often mentioned in the same sentence with the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, but on the other side of the volcano was also another city, namely Herculaneum or in Italian Ercolano. The city of Herculaneum was also affected by the volcanic eruption, albeit to a lesser extent. Pompeii was covered in a large layer of ash and mud during the volcanic eruption in 79. Herculaneum, however, was covered by a 20-meter-thick lava flow. This is why houses were much better preserved than in Pompeii. They are still fairly intact, especially the upper floors. In addition, many paintings have been preserved and you can even see some furniture. Some of the best archaeological finds of the archaeological park of Herculaneum can now be found in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy.

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Discovery of Herculaneum (Ercolano)

Herculaneum was discovered by accident in the year 1709 during the construction of a well. From that year on, the city was excavated by archaeologists, but especially from 1927, archaeologists actively started excavating. It is almost impossible to excavate everything of the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum and so parts of the city are still underground. 5 of the 20 hectares have now been excavated. If you visit Herculaneum nowadays you will end up in a kind of valley.

The big differences between Pompeii and Herculaneum

If you compare Pompei to Herculaneum you will come across two completely different cities. In Herculaneum you can easily walk through houses, while that is impossible in Pompeii. In addition, Herculaneum is a lot smaller and you can see everything within half a day, while you could really spend a few days in Pompeii. In the smaller city 'Ercolano' you have more the feeling that you are walking through an authentic Roman city, while Pompeii was much more destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Visit Herculaneum Italy

Another reason to visit Herculaneum Italy is because the archaeological park of Herculaneum is only 15 minutes away from the train station of Naples Italy. A visit to Herculaneum is also easier to combine with a visit to the Mount Vesuvius, since from the train station of Herculaneum ('Ercolona Scavi') the Vesuvius Express buses depart to the top of the Mount Vesuvius. It is a good idea to book a guided tour during your visit of Herculaneum. The guides will provide you with all kinds of useful facts and tips. More info about tours and Herculaneum tickets:

Video: Documentary about Herculaneum

Where is Ercolano (Herculaneum) in Italy?

Herculaneum Italy, also known as Ercolano, is located in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is located on the west coast of the peninsula, about 10 kilometers southeast of the city of Naples. Herculaneum is located at the foot of Vesuvius, an active volcano that has had a great influence on the surrounding cities in the past. The city is easily accessible by train or bus from Naples and is an important archaeological site due to the well-preserved remains of the ancient Roman city that was buried under volcanic ash.