Velia

Visited as part of a combined ticket with Paestum (visited the previous day). Good information boards throughout the site. Helpful staff at visitor centre. Fresh water fountains dotted around the site can be be used to refill own bottle; was incredibly hot so this was a welcome bonus. Combined with visit to Paestum, Velia gives a good insight into how people lived up to 3,000 years ago.

Visited on Tuesday afternoon in September 2025 no queue for the entrance. Handy toilet near start of the site. Large area to walk around to see the ruins, we downloaded the app for the guided tour but this didn't work as no volume ( we are not tech savvy say may have been us). The information boards are in Italian & English so no problem understanding what the buildings were. Enjoyed visit & highly recommended. Ticket at 15euors per adult included entrance to Paestum site also

What an interesting place! I would love to start by informing you that it's definitely not worth buying the souvenirs at the start of the park. Moving on I'd say you've gotta be fit if you're thinking about visiting this site or else it will probably not be worth the effort. What I'm trying to tell you is that it's honestly just a bunch of rocks here and there and next to being athletic you're also gonna need a lot and I mean A LOT of imagination. To sum everything up: would I consider myself satisfied? Yes. Would I redo it? Absolutely not

Quietly interesting but needs a lot of walking to explore

Actually in this park you have more to imagine than to see, but for its importance for the development of occidental thought and for some uniquities I highly reccomend it. Here you can see the only one Greek Arch discovered in the world. Velia/Elia gave birth to Parmenide and Zenone , two of the most important philosopher of the ancient world whose thought had big influence on Socrates. Parmenide was the first to think that only with rationality one can understand world, and with his intelligence he understood that god need to be, one , with no parts, with no beginning and end, everywere. Zenone, his follower founded the "ad absurdum" way of thinking, of top importance to solve matematical and philosopical problems. On top there is a medieval tower with beautiful seaview. Prepare to climb and descend, so better to have gym shoes and a bottle of fresh water. This archaeological park is still mostly uncovered: only 10% of the area is carved out.

This was an awesome experience. Beautiful runs with so much history. The apostle Matthew’s remains were kept here for 400 years. Truly amazing!

Good surprise, I was expecting a smaller location but it is worth visiting. The only pity is that price is linked to Paestum (so, to pay back your visit you need to visit both)

Magnificent location for this ancient city founded by the Greeks in the 5th century BC. It is well worth visiting in conjunction with a trip to the more famous Paestum about 50km to the north-west of Velia/Elea.

Well preserved and maintained, these ancient ruins date back to the 4th Century BC. Originally a Greek colony, the Romans renamed the city 2000 years ago, adding to and expanding the city. The tower, church, and other buildings at the top of the settlement date back to medieval times. There are many Roman ruins, including a bath, villas, houses, and an acropolis, but the highlight is Porta Rossa (Pink Gate), once an entrance to the city and well worth the climb. There is a well-preserved fresco in the large villa on the path back to the reception center as well as a nice mosaic floor in the baths located in the lower part of the site. Entry is just €3 with a reduced price of €1.50 for students, teachers, and seniors. They are open daily from 9am to one hour before sunset except for December 25th and January 1st when they are closed. An outstanding value at twice the price ... CombatCritic Gives Zona Archeologico di Veria 10 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!