Ostia Antica, Rome

I made the difficult choice of visiting Pompeii or Ostia Antica. Ostia was not a disappointment. The ancient city is peaceful and alluring. The touring of the city is exhausting but exhilarating at the same time. Resting under the brilliant warm sun amongst remanants of my ancestor's lives was intoxicating and I left with a true sense of who I am and where I am going. Italy in general is a must see country for all people.

Ostia was ancient Romes harbour, but in the early middle ages the river Tiber became unpassable, so it lost its importance. The ruins of Ostia give you a vivid impression about city life in antiquity. As the sight is outside the city limits, you will have to take a bus to get there.

We spent a whole day roaming through the ruins of Ostia Antica. Ostia Antica is an ancient Roman City which became buried in silt cause of a shift in the River Tiber. This city was once at the mouth of the River but is now some 3km from the sea (and still next to the river). Ostia Antica now serves as one of the best examples of a ruined city.

It was quite interesting walking through the ruins. A bit like a treasure hunt as we looked for particular 'gems' by reading the guide book and following the map.

If you can't make it to Pompey, you can visit this Roman ancient city which has been preserved. The outskirts of the town, like most ancient Roman towns, has a "city of the dead" where the dead were buried. The dead had their own mini-town. It's a very interesting place to visit.

OSTIA ANTICA

The beautifully preserved ruins of Ostia lie twenty miles from Rome, in the meadows between the Tiber River and the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was founded, probably in the 4th century BC, as a military colony to guard the river mouth against seaborne invasions. Later, during the centuries when virtually all imports reached the Capital via the Tiber, Ostia gained prominence as the domestic landing for cargo boats. By the 2nd century AD, it had become a flourishing commercial center inhabited by upwards of 100,000 people, whose apartment buildings, taverns, and grocery shops are still intact.
Although Ostia now sprawls over 10,000 acres, around a main street that runs for more than a mile, it is still easy to imagine the local shepherds who for centuries sheltered their animals amongst its ruins, for they are an integral part of the tranquil Roman countryside. No modern houses, roads or telephone wires are visible on the horizon. The streets are so quiet one hears only the crickets in the trees and perhaps the echoes of ancient children playing stickball. As you walk along Ostia's main street, the Decumanus Maximus, your feet settle into deep ruts left by carrucas, the four-wheeled carts used to ferry merchandise and baggage between Rome and Ostia. A fleet of two-wheeled cisia provided public transportation for commuters.

Ostia Antica was the port city for ancient Rome. The ruins here are absolutely amazing, with everything from public baths to ancient apartments. I went on a Sunday morning in August, and for awhile the only other tourists we saw were a few nuns. There is a small musuem, a snack bar, and a small gift shop on site.

If you are in Rome and don't think you have enough time to go to Pompei you can go to Ostia Antica. From what I was told in the roman empire this was the port for Rome. Ostia covers quite a big area, you can easily spend half a day or more there! Remember to bring water as it gets really hot in the summer.

Ostia is the nearest beach from Rome. Lots of people (more than 500.000?) live in Ostia and go to work in Rome daily ).
So you can take the tube for 1 euro and arrive to the beach! good luck with the weather ....