The Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia were one of the more challenging World Heritage Sites for me to visit because of the irregular bus schedule serving Cerveteri and the limited time I had before I had to catch a train in the afternoon. In the end, I was able to navigate the bus from Ladispoli to Cerveteri, and the walk to the necropolises, but I had to arrange for a taxi to pick me up to return me to Ladispoli in time to catch my train. Also, I learned that technically one is not allowed to walk up the road from the center of Cerveteri to the Banditaccia Necropolis, although no one stopped me.

Anyways, logistics aside, the necropolis at Cerveteri was one of my favorite World Heritage Sites I saw last fall when I was traveling around the Mediterranean. Upon entering the site, I followed a narrow path, passing tombs on either side. The morning had started out a bit cloudy, but when the sun broke over the necropolis, it was a bit like walking through the set of Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings. I ducked into the first few tombs marked on the map given to me at the visitor center, and was able to listen to an audio program about the Etruscans who lived and died in the region, and who built remarkable hill-shaped tombs, underground tombs, and tombs lined up in rows to inter their families. Some of these tombs, built before the Roman Empire came to power, were surprisingly ornate inside, with carved reliefs and painted frescoes livening up the walls and columns. Unfortunately, the rain in the region earlier that month had left part of the path and a few of the tombs flooded, so I was not able to see all of the tombs in the back half of the necropolis. Still, I felt like I was able to get a very good perspective on how the necropolis was set up. This is a fantastic site to visit just outside Rome, and I highly recommend making the effort to visit the Banditaccia Necropolis at Cerveteri.

Logistics: The Etruscan Necropolises at Cerveteri can be reached by bus or via private transportation. The loop tour of the tombs can take a couple of hours, but is fairly well-shaded by trees.