Ercolano

Better than Pompeii, or as they say Pompei Scavi, is Herculaneum. It's much smaller and richer in terms of houses, paintings on the walls, and there are less people there. It's so memorable and more fun that slogging through the enormity, heat, difficult walking/stones and bugs of Pompeii. There are even terrifying bodies frozen in death by the dozens at the bottom.

The paintings on the interior walls of these elite's houses are so unique, delicate and mysterious -- here's a quick snap of one little section: