ostia antica: an easy day trip near rome, italy by guest blogger wanderingyogi

Explore Ostia Antica's
well-preserved buildings.

Ahh, Rome.  The Eternal City.  No one disputes that Rome is a glorious place to visit but if you want a mini-break from the relentless hordes of tourists and hustle and bustle of city life, why not take a short day trip outside the city for a bit of a breather?  Imagine the Roman Forum and Palatino without the crowds, and you have Ostia Antica, an amazingly well-preserved and sprawling ruin that is a short 45 minute train ride outside of Rome.  

What is Ostia Antica?  

The open air theatre is still used
today for theatrical productions.

It is an ancient port city that was founded in 4th century BC at the mouth (or ostium) of the Tiber River.  With a population of around 50,000 people, it served as a naval base of Rome, and later as a commercial harbor.  Ostia and a nearby artificial harbor named Portus served as the main harbors for Rome, approximately 25 kilometers away up the Tiber River.  Grains, salt, slaves and other goods were all received or exported from Ostia.  A compliment of storehouses, shipping offices, and workshops arose to support the needs of the port.  Apartments, domus (houses of the upper class), public baths and communal latrines, hotels, bars, shops, bakeries, temples and shrines, and a necropolis (burial grounds) were built to support the needs of the people.  In the 5th century AD, barbarian invasions and a malaria outbreak led to the abandonment of the city.  It was slowly buried by river silt which allowed for the amazing degree of preservation of the buildings.   

Walk the broad avenues and
hidden nooks of Ostia Antica.

After paying an entrance fee of 8€ per person (audioguides in English also available), visitors today can wander through the sprawling remains of the city (now known as Area Archeologica Di Ostia Antica) at their own leisure, and see for themselves how ancient Ostians lived.  Broad avenues transect the city with the remnants of homes, offices, stores, bathhouses, and other buildings on either side.  Visitors are generally free to explore to their hearts content.  The public bathhouses are particularly interesting because they display intricate and well-preserved mosaics on the floor of the baths.  Also, the big open theatre with its broad tiers of stone seating is a good place to take a rest.  The best thing about Ostia Antica other than the existence of these fascinating ruins, of course, was the fact that there were no crowds.  Peace and stillness reigned supreme with only the sound of the wind through the towering trees.  Upon learning of my visit to Rome, a Roman friend insisted that I skip the Palantine and Roman Forum and visit Ostia Antica instead.  He was absolutely right.  Spending the day exploring this ancient city was just the break that I needed to re-charge and jump back into the craziness of touring Rome and the Vatican City. 

The public bathhouses display beautifully
preserved mosaics on the pool floor.

To get to Ostia Antica: 

Take Metro line B to Piramide, then take a short walk up to the adjoining Stazione Porta San Paolo.  Transfer to the local train going towards Ostia Lido.  Get off at the Ostia Antica stop.  Walk straight from the station, taking the bridge over a small highway, and continue walking approximately a long block until you see signs for the ruins.  The Metro ticket from Rome (6€ round trip) is valid for 100 minutes, and can be used for both the Metro ride and train ride to Ostia Lido. 

Pay a visit to the Mediterranean -
only a short train ride from Rome.

If you are up to exploring even further off the beaten path, why not visit the beach and view the beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean?  To do so, continue riding the train past the Ostia Antica stop and get off at one of the beach city stops: Ostia Lido Centro, Stella Polare, Castel Fusano, Cristoforo Colombo (last stop).  You can grab a nice lunch and some sun, and enjoy the lovely view of the incredibly blue Mediterranean Sea.

Buon viaggio! 

*WanderingYogi is a certified yoga teacher and world traveler.  She teaches hatha style yoga classes in downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica.  She can be reached at yogawithphoebe@gmail.com.   

Read her post on plane (train or bus) yoga and meditation tips, here.