Guided Tours Archaeological Area Paestum and Velia
Itinerary through the City of Temples and the Archaeological Park of Elea-Velia
Private tour or organized group tour
Tour Description
An itinerary through the archaeological area of Paestum, a true journey back in time in one of the most important and best-preserved Greek colonies in the Western Mediterranean.
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Its long history began with the foundation of ancient Poseidonia at the end of the 7th century BC, later becoming Paestum, reflected in the magnificent remains of the ancient city. Between the mid-6th and mid-5th centuries BC, the city acquired the appearance we can still admire today.
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The tour takes you through the area of the two urban sanctuaries with their famous temples: the so-called Basilica (560 BC) with the nearby Temple of Neptune (460 BC), both likely dedicated to Hera, and the Temple of Ceres, actually dedicated to Athena (510 BC). In the background, visitors can see public buildings of the Greek agora and Roman forum, the tomb of the city’s founding hero, streets, baths, and Roman houses.
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A visit to the Museum provides insight into the city’s evolution from its foundation to the establishment of the Latin colony, highlighting daily life, religious rituals, art, and craftsmanship. The Museum houses unique artifacts such as the painted slabs of the Tomb of the Diver and the metopes from the Sanctuary of Hera at the Sele river mouth.
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A guided tour of the archaeological site of Elea, an ancient city of Magna Graecia founded in 540 BC by settlers from Phocaea (a Greek city in Asia Minor), renowned as the birthplace of the philosophical school of Parmenides and Zeno. Originally called Hyele, after a local spring, it was later renamed Elea and, in Roman times, Velia.
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The itinerary starts at Porta Marina Sud in the lower town, where Hellenistic and Roman buildings are located: the Roman baths of Hadrian’s period and the cryptoporticus where the Eleatic philosophical school met.
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Ascending the hill ridge, the path passes the Sanctuary of Asclepius – a healing center for pilgrims – and the famous Porta Rosa, a Hellenistic viaduct connecting two residential districts of the ancient city. At the top, on the ancient Greek acropolis, the first area settled by Greek colonists, visitors can see the remains of a Roman theater and a ruined medieval castle with the Angevin Tower, known as Torre di Velia.
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Some artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations, including the herm of Parmenides, are displayed in the Palatine Chapel (12th century) of the castle and in the Church of Santa Maria, used as a small Antiquarium. In addition to the beauty of the ruins, visitors are captivated by the breathtaking landscape, stretching from Monte Stella to the sea, all the way to Capo Palinuro, one of the most beautiful locations along the Cilento coast.
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WHAT WE WILL VISIT
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Major monuments of the Archaeological Area and the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum
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Archaeological Area of Velia
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INFO
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Optional entrance to the Archaeological Park of Paestum and the National Archaeological Museum
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Optional entrance to the Archaeological Area of Velia
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Skip-the-line access by booking your guided tour with us
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MEETING POINTS
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In front of the Temple of Neptune (Main Gate), Via Magna Grecia, 84047 Paestum (SA)
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Entrance to the Archaeological Area of Velia, Piazzale Amedeo Mauiri, 84046 Ascea (SA)
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DURATION
Full day or half day
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INFORMATION & BOOKINGS
Call to +39 320 761 0467
Email us to info@bestguidedtours.com