STEPPING STONES, Pompeii, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The stepping stones of Pompeii are raised blocks of stone set across the paved streets of the Roman city, so people could cross without wading through the street. Found on Vicolo delle Terme in Pompeii, they are among the most ordinary and most revealing details of daily life in the city before the eruption of 79 AD.

The story behind it

Pompeii's streets were not the clean walkways they look like today. Rainwater ran along them, and mud, animal dung and household waste collected in the roadway. The stepping stones were the answer: large rounded blocks, about as high as the pavements on either side, that let pedestrians cross from one side to the other with dry feet.

The stones were spaced so that cart wheels could pass in the gaps between them. You can still see the grooves those wheels cut into the paving, and they survive so well because the city lay buried under volcanic ash for centuries. The street layout follows a pattern too: the wider streets that run east to west are known as decumani, and the narrower ones running north to south as cardines.

What to look for

• The stones themselves: rounded blocks standing level with the pavement, set across the roadway at intervals.
• The gaps between the stones, which are just wide enough for a cart wheel to roll through.
• The ruts worn into the paving, a direct record of the traffic that used this street.
• The height of the pavements on either side, which shows how far the roadway sat below the walking level.

Tips for your visit

• Allow a few minutes at the stones, but plan on several hours for the wider archaeological site, as the streets are best understood as part of a longer walk.
• Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes. The ancient paving is uneven, and the stones are easier to appreciate when you cross them as Pompeians did.
• Go early or late in the day to avoid the strongest heat and the busiest crowds, and bring water and a hat in summer.
• The stones are outdoors in the excavated city, so you need entry to the site. Check current opening hours and ticket arrangements before you go. The Forum is a short walk away.

See it on a quest

The stepping stones are one stop on Ashes of Time: Escape Pompeii’s Curse, a self-guided quest through the ancient city. You reach the stones on foot as part of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. There is no guide to follow and no group to join, so you can start whenever you like. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.