Holidays to Italy's Castellammare di Stabia transport you to an ancient Roman hotspot nestled between rolling hills and eye-catching black-sand beaches.
A city fit for emperors
Known as Stabiae in the Roman era, Castellammare di Stabia has drawn some old-school celebrities over the years. The infamous Julius Caesar and emperors Augustus and Tiberius all owned homes here before Mount Vesuvius' famous eruption. No less than 28 mineral-rich springs make it a long-standing therapeutic retreat in southern Italy's Campania region.
Roman relics
While famous sights like Pompeii and Herculaneum are within easy reach, they shouldn't stop you from visiting the Roman ruins excavated right in Stabiae. Villa Arianna's one of the oldest, while Villa San Marco apparently spanned 11,000 square metres before volcanic ash buried it into obscurity.