Visit Italy: See These Spectacular Ruins of Ancient Greece

Along the heel of Italy’s famous boot, in the region of Apulia you will find Paestum. A major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Magna Graecia in the Province of Salerno. Very different from Pompeii, Paestum’s ruins are smaller, older, more Greek and – crucially – a lot less overrun.

Take time for reflection as you walk among the giant Doric columns of this once great city of Magna Graecia , the Greek colony that once covered much of southern Italy. Take the train to Paestum station. Buy your tickets in the museum, just east of the site, before entering from the main entrance at the northern end.

The area fell under Roman control in 273 BC. Decline set in following the demise of the Roman Empire. Savage raids by the Saracens and periodic outbreaks of malaria forced the steadily dwindling population to abandon the city altogether.

The Lonely Planet

Paestum is home to three magnificent Doric temples, which are thought to be dedicated to the city’s namesake Poseidon (known to the Romans as Neptune), Hera and Ceres.

An engrossing museum crammed with millennia-old frescoes, ceramics and daily artefacts. Among these is the iconic Tomba del tuffatore (Tomb of the Diver) funerary fresco.

The temples of Neptune and Hera are located next to each other at the southern end of the site, while the smaller Temple of Ceres is at the northern end.