Stuff We Like #95 - Ostia Antica

Today's SWL is from Scott, who loves roaming through living history...

Everyone knows about Pompeii. Old city, destroyed by volcano, tragedy beyond measure, great Bastille song. And I've been to Pompeii. Pompeii is cool, if you don't mind staying on the city streets and staring longingly into the ruins.

But what if I told you there was a place in Italy where you could wander madly through the ruins? Climbing under and over them, getting lost in them, without anyone complaining or kicking you out?

Welcome to Ostia Antica.

Seriously, this place is amazing. At one time, the city sat at the mouth of the Tiber River, and was Rome's port city, where thousands of tons of trade goods came and went. Silting from the river has now moved the coast about three kilometers away.

When we were there a few years back, Mark and our friends walked down the main road, but I was all over those ruins.

There's a restored villa, a stadium, two museums (including one with some amazing homoerotic sculpture and statuary) and even a cafeteria so you can grab lunch and go back out exploring again.

It's just a short train ride from Rome. Truly one of the hi-lights of our visits to Italy.