Herculaneum, Italy

One of Europe's top archaeological sites may be found not far from Naples, beneath Vesuvius. The same volcanic explosion that buried Pompeii also devastated the Roman town of Herculaneum, although in a different fashion. While Herculaneum was struck by a 100 mph storm of superheated ash and deadly gas, Pompeii was buried in rocks that destroyed the town's roofs and nearly everything above the ground floor. This means that Herculaneum is far better preserved than Pompeii, which is good news for tourists. The upper floors of many houses are still present, and even wooden balconies and shop fixtures have persisted.

Even better, even though Herculaneum's excavations are far smaller than Pompeii's since so much of the old city is buried beneath contemporary Ercolano, Herculaneum only receives 10% as many visitors as Pompeii, making it feasible to come and almost have the evocative streets to yourself. You may rent audio tours, and Herculaneum has a modest museum. To learn as much as you can about the website before visiting, though, is a smart idea. It is also simple to combine a trip to Herculaneum with a journey up Mount Vesuvius. A wonderful day for touring one of the most important ancient sites in Europe would include seeing the still-smoking crater and then going to Herculaneum.