Every once in a while in my travels I come across a place that’s special – a hidden gem that few hear about which makes it all the more unique for those who have the privilege of experiencing it. Ostia Antica is one such place. Have you been to Pompeii? Ancient Ostia blows Pompeii out of the water.

Our Ancient Ostia tour began early (too early!) on a Wednesday morning. Though, after a croissant and a cappuccino at the café, which is also the meeting point of the tour, we were revived and ready to go. The train ride out is painless, just 25 minutes, and our guide, Massimo, made sure everyone found a seat.

As soon as we got off the train we all felt like we had stepped into a different world. Peace, quiet, clean air and the smell of fresh cut grass.

Massimo got us warmed up with an introduction. Ostia Antica at one point was Rome’s most important harbor city, often serving as a resting point on the way to Rome itself. Right away we got the sense of Ancient Ostia as a lively traveler’s city – a place of meeting and exchange of goods and ideas, a true mix of business and pleasure.

Just before entering the city we peruse the Necropolis (city of the dead) of Ostia Antica – a large area of mass tombs just outside the city gate. First surprise, Massimo steps off the main street and starts leading us through the tombs! Before we know it we’re climbing inside, touching the walls and learning about how to tell which tombs were built under which emperor by the orientation of the bricks. This is the beauty of visiting Ostia Antica, you can really get inside the ruins, touch them, and walk around in them.

At the city gate – now several large blocks of dismantled marble – Massimo pulled out a small book of overlaying screens to show us what the original gate would have looked like. In this way we could compare how the ruins look now to how they looked in the glory days of Ostia Antica. He used this book as a reference throughout the tour.

Inside the city walls we explored beautifully preserved black and white mosaics at just about every turn. Massimo explained that they served to tell the activity of the various buildings we passed. The fish shop was decorated with a mosaic depicting fish spouting water. The exotic animal shop (yes! lions and tigers and bears), where even elephants could be sold, was marked by an elephant mosaic. We learned that these animals would arrive to Ostia from Africa to be brought onward to Rome for use in the bloody Colosseum games. There was even a shop for ship rentals!

Like Rome, Ostia Antica even had its own amphitheatre, which is still in use today. Unlike at the Colosseum, here you can get up on the stage or have a quick rest on one of the benches, sitting right where the ancient residents of Ostia would have while enjoying the daily entertainment.

Among other interesting spots we visited was the laundry. Massimo filled in his commentary with fun tidbits. What did they use as detergent in Ancient Ostia? Urine. Disgusting as that might sound, I found myself admiring their resourcefulness! There is even a deposit area just outside the laundry where the Ancient Ostians could once ‘donate’ some ‘detergent’. As we wandered around, exploring the ancient city in its entirety, it became easier and easier to understand what Massimo meant when he kept repeating ‘the residents of Ostia lived much like we do today’. While of course, the difference of obvious – just think – they went to the theatre, went to restaurants and went shopping. They had laundries, apartment buildings and even a fire department. Just like us.

We ended the tour by visiting the largest communal baths of Ostia. I felt as though I was walking through an expensive day spa! We began by walking through the steam rooms, something like today’s saunas. They were warmed by steam which was created by slaves working underneath the rooms, and which entered by way of terracotta pipes which are still visible today. As we passed from room to room the number of terracotta pipes increased – until we understood we were in the hottest room of them all – with a large tub in front of what would have been a tall glass wall, where the spa-goers would have soaked in the hot water and people-watched as citizens went about their daily business along Ostia’s streets.

The last surprise of the communal baths? Well, I can’t give away all of Ostia’s secrets. You’ll have to visit Ostia if you want to know! But, suffice to say, it was a lighthearted way to end our wonderful tour – everyone was laughing together as we mused over the beauty of Ostia and the lovely day we had spent before reluctantly catching the train back to Rome for lunch.