By the time we reached the western end of the Bay of Naples, we thought we couldn’t be surprised any longer at the extraordinary sights of the region. When we reached the archaeological site of ancient Cumae, then the stunning former Royal Palace at Caserta, its delightful medieval village, a massive aqueduct and yet another huge Roman amphitheatre, it just proved we still had more treasures to discover.
Naples is such a great base for exploring the area close by, as well as the city itself. The tragedy is that much of the public realm of the city is in terrible condition, poorly maintained and a great deal of senseless vandalism. The city could easily rival some of the great cities to its north, as it has countless beautiful baroque buildings, former palaces, fine churches and pleasant piazzas. Some of the gems include the Naples Galleria, which rivals those of Milan and Rome, Piazza Dante and the San Carlos Opera House.
Baia, with Castello Aragonese on the point of the Bay. Photo, Alamy
As we discovered on our recent trip to the western side of the Bay of Naples, the area is full of surprises. Every day we discovered ancient sites that have little or no information about them readily available. Many of these were very large, and all fascinating. Most were well presented, and certainly rewarding for those wanting to see ancient Roman archaeological sites other than Pompeii and Herculaneum. Popular with Italians and other Europeans for its beaches, accommodation is reasonably plentiful and, needless to say, good trattoriae and ristorantes are everywhere.
The Phlegraean Fields area around Pozzuoli, Cumae and Lucrino.
We had long been curious about the Bay of Naples area to the west of Naples. Although knowing the region’s ancient history, we had no idea whether there was anything to see nowadays. Whether there were any significant archaeological sites, or was it going to turn out to be just a pile of old stones in the corner of a paddock, covered in straggly weeds. We had visited Pompeii numerous times over the years, as well as having explored Herculaneum, and with relatively limited time we decided not to re-visit those, but to explore what else there is to see by way of remains of the ancient world. What we discovered were some of the largest, most fascinating archaeological sites in Italy, and although all are “ruins”, they’re well looked-after and presented, and generally very accessible. The area we set out to explore is collectively known as the Phlegraean Fields, location of probably the most overlooked ancient sites in the entire country.
The graceful capital of the Lorraine, the historic city of Metz lies barely 60 kms north of Nancy in the north east of France, and less than a 2 hour drive across to the German border. Sitting astride the confluence of the Moselle and Seille rivers, Metz is one of the most rewarding destinations in France, with beautiful historic riches and heritage that reflect its fascinating history. The city enjoys a vibrant cultural scene with various music venues, and one of Europe’s best Christmas markets.
