Paestum, excavations, temples, Neptune, Cerere, heraion, hotel, camping, cilento, b&b, pine wood, mozzarella

If you want to spend a holiday made of fun and culture, Paestum is the perfect place. The beach is long (15 km) and wide and the sea of Cilento is beautiful. There is a wide pinewood between the beach and the road. Pines offer the possibility to enjoy cool moments in the hottest hours of the day. This is the perfect place to have a cool break during a long day spent on the beach. Inside the pinewood there are well-equipped camps that give the possibility to live in a pleasant nature with great comfort. Near the pinewood and the beach there are several hotels, too. Not far from the beach, there are the famous temples of Paestum, they are very well kept and they let the visitor live the magic ancient atmosphere of a world that was so important for our modern civilization. Visiting these temples, tourists live the charm of an ancient world and of magic rites of the past. The biggest and the most ancient temple is the one dedicated to Hera. This temple was called basilica. Another temple is dedicated to Poseidon and the third to Athena, the ancient goddess of wisdom.

UNESCO has recognized the archaeological area of Paestum as a world heritage since 1988. The area is surrounded by walls and towers that are well preserved. It is very interesting and it is really worth a visit. Near this area, there is the archaeological museum containing ancient Greek objects found in the near necropolises. The most important items of the museum were the ones found in the famous 'Tomb of the diver', the last example of Greek painting in Magna Graecia. This painting portraits a man while diving. This picture is a metaphor: the diver represents a dead person who is leaving the comfort of this world to go towards the unknown.
Paestum is in the territory called Piana del Sele, the land of buffalo mozzarella, a local delicious typical fresh cheese labelled with DOP mark. It is a very important ingredient of Pizza Margherita and tourists do love eating mozzarella. Visiting Paestum, you will be able to visit also one of the many dairy farms that offer guided tours and the possibility to taste their delicious products. During Easter time you can enjoy the rich local gastronomy and another famous typical product: the artichoke from Paestum.

Paestum has a strategic position; it is in the middle of a very interesting territory. It is only 30 km far from Salerno and so it is not far from Amalfi Coast, too. It is 80 km from Amalfi 84 km from Ravello, 114 km from Positano, 84 km from Pompei, 112 km from Naples from where the ferries to Capri leave. Paestum is in the heart of Cilento and it is 7 km from Agropoli, 42 km from the important excavations of Velia, 65 Km from the wonderful beaches of Palinuro, Marina di Camerota and Sapri.