ancient ruins
Herculaneum
An ancient Roman town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius alongside Pompeii, uniquely preserved with intact wooden structures, mosaics, and multi-story buildings.
0 km · about 5 min drive
Campania, Italy · Europe
Ercolano works well as a base: 10 minutes from San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, 7km from Mount Vesuvius.
Ercolano is a town located in Campania, Italy. With a population of 53,576, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Ercolano sits in Italy, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Rome time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Ercolano to your route.
Herculaneum is an ancient Roman town located in the modern-day comune of Ercolano, Campania, Italy. Herculaneum was buried under a massive pyroclastic flow in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Like the nearby city of Pompeii, Herculaneum is notable as one of the few well-preserved ancient Roman cities, as theRead more
volcanic material that buried the town helped protect it from looting and weathering. Although less known than Pompeii today, it was the first and, for a long time, the only discovered Vesuvian city (in 1709). Pompeii was revealed in 1748 and identified in 1763. Unlike Pompeii, the mainly pyroclastic material that covered Herculaneum carbonized and preserved more wooden objects such as roofs, beds, and doors, as well as other organic-based materials such as food and papyrus.
According to the traditional tale, the city was rediscovered by chance in 1709 during the drilling of a well. Remnants of the city, however, were already found during earlier earthworks. In the years following the site's uncovering, treasure seekers excavated tunnels and took artifacts. Regular excavations commenced in 1738 and have continued irregularly since. Today, only a fraction of the ancient site has been excavated. The focus has shifted to preserving the already-excavated portions of the city rather than exposing more.
Smaller than Pompeii with a population of circa 5,000, Herculaneum was a wealthier town. It was a seaside retreat for the Roman elite, as reflected by the extraordinary density of luxurious houses featuring lavish use of coloured marble cladding. Buildings of the ancient city include the Villa of the Papyri and the so-called "boat houses", wherein the skeletal remains of at least 300 people were found.
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Ercolano offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Ercolano is located in Campania, Italy, Europe. The coordinates are 40.8078 latitude, 14.3501 longitude.
Ercolano has a population of approximately 53,576 people, making it a town in Italy.
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Essential numbers in Italy
ACI roadside assistance: 803 116. ZTL (limited traffic zones) in city centres are camera-enforced.
Full driving guide for Italy8 notable places within an hour's drive.
ancient ruins
An ancient Roman town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius alongside Pompeii, uniquely preserved with intact wooden structures, mosaics, and multi-story buildings.
0 km · about 5 min drive
national park
The brooding volcano above Naples, climbable to a smoking crater rim with sweeping Bay of Naples views.
7 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
A chaotic, soulful UNESCO old town of churches, alley shrines and the birthplace of pizza.
9 km · about 15 min drive
cafe
Naples' belle-époque temple of coffee since 1860, facing Piazza del Plebiscito: birthplace of the 'caffè sospeso' tradition of paying forward a stranger's espresso. Sfogliatella and a scalding tazzulella at the marble counter is the canonical order.
9 km · about 15 min drive
restaurant
The purists' pizzeria, serving only margherita and marinara from the same Forcella corner since 1870: wood-fired, folded 'a portafoglio', a few euros each. Take a number and wait; the queue moves faster than it looks.
9 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
Ancient Roman city preserved in volcanic ash after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
13 km · about 25 min drive
coastal drive
The 'Blue Ribbon' road winding along the Sorrento Peninsula ridge toward Positano, serving cliff-edge panoramas over both the Gulf of Naples and the Amalfi Coast before joining the SS163.
21 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
The classic pull-off on the Amalfi Coast road where the pastel cascade of Positano reveals itself against the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea.
22 km · about 25 min drive
April to October
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