Ostia Antica

Ein Ausflug zu den Ausgrabungen in Ostia Antica ist sehr zu empfehlen, die weite Anreise lohnt sich meiner Meinung auf jeden Fall! Es ist bei Weitem nicht so überlaufen wie andere Attraktionen und viele der Gebäude sind noch erstaunlich gut erhalten, meiner Meinung nach bekommt man teilweise viel mehr zu sehen als auf dem Forum Romanum. Das Highlight ist eine vollständig erhaltene Arena, endlich kann man hier mal nachvollziehen, wie es damals wirklich aussah. Auch die Thermen mit den aufwendigen Mosaikböden sind sehr zu empfehlen.
Der Eintritt in ein kleines Museum ist im Preis enthalten, außerdem kann man den Ausblick auf das Ufer von der Terrasse des kleinen Besuchercafes genießen.
Die Anreise erfolgt mit dem Regionalzug «Roma Lido» bis zu der Haltestelle «Ostia Antica», dann sind es ca. 10min gut beschilderter Fußweg bis zur Ausgrabungsstätte.

This one of my favorite places in and around Rome. Its an enormous site with very few tourists. Once you get past the necropolis and into the city proper it’s easy to just slip away and not see anyone else, making feel like you have the entire place to yourself.
While it’s not as well preserved as Pompei or Herculaneum it still gives you a really good sense of what it might have to been like to live here a couple thousand years ago.
There aren’t a lot of amenities around, and there aren’t many water fountains. So given that you can easily spend a whole day load up on provisions. That said there is a snack shop and restaurant just outside the gates. There is a snack shop inside too but I haven’t seen it yet.
Also aside from the trees there is very little cover. So in the summer with the strong Mediterranean sun don’t forget a hat or umbrella.
Also getting here is simple, and even though it’s outside if Rome it will only cost you a standard bus/​metro ticket.

S’il y a un lieu à Rome pour lequel il faut prendre de temps de visiter, c’est bien Ostia Antica, l’ancienne citée antique d’Ostie. Ici le temps c’est arrêté et vous circulerez dans une vraie ville romaine. C’est ici que vous comprendrez le mieux l’organisation et la vie à la romaine.
La vie se situe à quelques dizaine de kilomètre de Rome près de la mer méditerranée. Pour vous y rendre, le meilleur moyen est le «RER» romain, le train qui dessert le littoral, le Roma-​Lido.
Attention, il s’agit d’un train appartenant à ATAC — la société de transport à Rome. Pour vous rendre à Ostie, le départ se fait à la station Pyramide, juste à côté du métro (mais ce n’est pas la même entrée). Le prix est le même que pour Rome, c’est à dire 1.50 €, ce qui vaut vraiment le coup. Il vous fera 30 à 40 minute pour vous rendre à Ostia Antica. Alors né ratez pas ce retour vers l’Histoire.
Sur place, vous trouverez un lieu de restauration, une boutique et des toilettes, pour profiter de ce site historique dans les meilleurs conditions.
Prix des tickets: 10 € en tarif plein
mais ça vaut le détour.

Ostia Antica is a nice side trip on the outskirts of Rome, for about 11 euros a person plus the cost of a Metro ride. There aren’t many tourists here, so it’s a great location to take pictures of the ruins. It’s a great look into an ancient Roman city, seeing how street planning worked in those times. I absolutely adored seeing the theater there. Plan to spend at least half a day here if you really like to walk about and see Roman ruins.

Ostia Antica is great fun for all ages!!! The four of us visited on a friend’s recommendation, and were so glad that we made the trip. Wear sensible shoes (the footing is uneven everywhere), bring a water bottle (there are plenty of taps to refill it) and prepare for the intense sun! And make sure you have charged camera batteries and space on your memory cards. You will likely be here ALL DAY exploring what was once probably the most bustling port town in the Roman Empire, from dazzling mosaics that lined the floors or former bathhouses, a labyrinthine necropolis («City of the Dead,» aka cemetery), a beautiful theatre (still occasionally used for concerts!), the mill and bakery, with many intact grinding stones (Ostia once made most of the bread consumed in Rome), and countless other finds.
There is so much to explore, and the access and photo opportunities are both fantastic. And you can get there from Rome and back for 3 euro per person (1.50 per trip). Admission to the ruins is 8 euro per person, plus 3 euro for the museum and special exhibits. We paid the full 11 each but never even made it to the museum because we had so much fun wandering the ruins all day. Unless your guidebook offers some details about Ostia Antica, I’d also suggest springing for the 2-​euro map. There is an audioguide as well, but our guidebook (which offered lots of background info) said it was pretty dry, so the four of us chose not to spring for it. Keep an eye out for the gatti degli scavi (cats of the ruins)! :)
The cafeteria is surprisingly good for a «museum café,» with options for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-​free eaters (at least the day we were there). Slightly privy for what it is, but not ridiculous. Our guidebook also recommended bringing «a covert picnic.» Snacks would be a good idea. We ended up stopping at the cafeteria again late in the afternoon for caffe and gelato as a pick-​me-​up before the train ride back to Piramide.
Other ideas while you’re enjoying a crowd-​free day outside of Rome: hop back on the train at Ostia and head out further toward to beach! (There are 4 beach stops.) Or when you’re changing from train to metro at Piramide, leave the station to check out the actual pyramid across the street, for which the station is named. It’s actually a tomb, and has been incorporated into the walls of the Protestant cemetery where British Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Shelley are buried. You can also check out some remnants of the city walls, including the Porta Ostia, the gate that faced Rome’s trading post to the south. Beware that, depending on the day and time you go, you could hit some crowds on the train rides back into Rome, and that the schedules are different on weekends and holidays. Have fun!!!

HIDDEN GEM! In our 3 weeks in Italy and Greece, we saw Ruins upon Ruins upon Ruins… but this was probably the best! If not, definitely the most FUN! Unlike the rest, you get to climb, wander, and explore all over these sprawling ruins. Very little is blocked off! My wife and I, in our mid 30s, were acting like children in a giant playground. This is the most underrated and underappreciated site in Rome. NO CROWDS! The fact that I am the first Unilocaler to write about this, and add it to Unilocal,says enough!
EASY TO GET TO!
1) Take Metro B, get off at the Pyramide station
2) Hop on the Lido Metro.
3) Get off at Ostia Antica station
4) Cross over the blue bridge and just keep walking straight ahead.
Depending on where your hotel is it and when you catch the metro, its probably a 30 – 60 minute trip. Wear sunscreen and bring water, you’ll be here for awhile! :D
BONUS: Despite us already having used the 2 free passes with our Roma Passes, the lazy ticket lady gaves us free passes anyway! :D (I think its normally 10 euro)