'''Ostia Antica''' is just outside Rome, near Fiumicino Airport.

Understand

Originally a colony of Rome, Ostia grew to become the major port of the city. It was situated on the mouth of the Tiber. The town's growth started in the late Republic, but expanded rapidly under the Emperors Claudius and Trajan. The town was deserted after Rome's fall in 476 AD, and the buildings fell into ruins which were in turn covered by sand and mud from the Tiber, preserving the buildings. The ancient town remained farmland until excavations took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and now most of the town is uncovered, giving the visitor an idea of what life was like in an Ancient Roman commercial town during the height of the Empire. The ruins are similar to those in Pompeii, but there are no wealthy houses in Ostia.

Get in

  • '''By Train''':
  • The local train from Rome leaves from the station alongside Piramide metro; it is part of the local transport network, so the "biglietto integrale giornale" for Rome buses and metro is valid on this line also.

    Get around

  • Walk. Note that the archaeological site is vast, with plenty to see to occupy a full day. Visitors will need to wear good footwear.
  • See

  • The Forum, with its Capitol, is particularly worth seeing. The Temple's podium is still in place, as are the walls of the cellar where the cult statues were kept. You get an appreciation of how huge Roman temples were.
  • The "Piazza of the Corporations", beind the theatre, preserves the offices of trade guilds or merchants from various parts of the world, each office identified by its mosiac floor.
  • Ostia is famous for the ancient apartment buildings that are very well preserved. The town's population were poor dock workers living in large apartment buildings. These buildings can be explored to one storey in height, with narrow stairways and corridors leading to small rooms. There are also the remains of more wealthy houses, such as the House of Cupid and Pysche, with very rich marble decorations. You get a real feel for how these people lived 2,000 years ago.
  • The small museum contains the main finds from the excavations, ranging from cult statues to small bits of sculpture.
  • Do

  • See the ancient warehouses and docks. These are well preserved and look very much like those of the 19th century. The ancient kerbs and pavement is still in place as they are in Pompeii and Herculaneum.
  • Visit the two Baths with their beautiful and famous mosaic floors.
  • Buy

  • A guide book from the ticket office when you enter. There are many interesting things between the entrance and the gift shop. Without a guide book, you will see lumps of stone everywhere. With a guide book, you will understand what buildings stood where those lumps of stone now lie.
  • Eat

  • There is a modern, clean restaurant inside the site, next to the gift shop which stocks all kinds of items for the visitor - postcards, posters, books and souvenirs.
  • Drink

  • Remember to bring enough water to drink as it gets quite hot in summer.
  • Sleep

  • Ostia can be easily visited on a day trip from Rome.
  • Budget

  • '''Agli scavi di Ostia Antica''', Via della Stazione di Ostia Antica 7. [http://www.ostiaantica.net/bandb/]. A small villa steeped in the green of the roman countryside. It is located only 100 meters from the archaeological excavations of Ostia Antica and about 50 meters from the bus and the train stops. Oddly enough they still don't give an address on the website! The road immediately opposite to the metro entrance has a footbridge over a bigger road. The B&B is on the ruins side and on the right facing the ruins one before the one labelled 15.
  • '''Litus Roma Hostel''', Lungomare Toscanelli 186. [http://www.litusroma.com]. Completely renovated, the Litus Roma Hostel is located on the seafront of Ostia, an area of Rome, at only 4 miles from Fiumicino Airport. This location is excellent for a relaxing and culturally enriching stay and is easily reached from the center of Rome by public transportation. Over 130 beds in comfortable rooms with ensuite bathrooms and sea views and the newest and best services among the hostels in Rome: free Internet, daily maid service, lockers, luggage storage, cinema room, entertainment room, laundry, free parking etc. Breakfast is also included in the price.
  • Get out

    Stay Safe

    Some older guide books warn that muggings can occur inside the archaeological site. Perhaps stay within sight of other visitors and not wander off alone into isolated areas of the site. Just remain cautious like one must do when in Rome.