One of the main attractions - and entirely rightly - the whole Cilento is certainly Paestum. Paestum speak incidentally really "Paestum" and not something like the Italian 'Pa-estum ", it is a Greek Diphtong, the Times has survived. Interesting here is of course the UNESCO World Heritage Site as recognized ruins. Paestum was - as Poseidonia - about 600 BC by the Greeks, who until the conquest by the Lucan Paestum into a thriving port city transformed. Impressive testimony of the former wealth are now open to the impressive Doric temple complexes and an amphitheater. Only in the 18th Century - about the same time as Pompeii and Herculaneum - Paestum was rediscovered and is now in no case auszulassendes destination in the region Cilento dar.

Sights:

• Paestum can be significant monuments of Greek and Roman times show. Particular importance is the three large Doric temples, which are exemplary for a Bauepoche of the Doric style stand.
• The archaic Basilica (by 540 BC), the Hera doomed, was one of the largest so far built stone Greek temples ever.
• The Temple of Athena (around 500 BC.), Formerly also attributed the Ceres, is considerably smaller, but in the balanced forms.
• The Poseidontempel (around 450 BC.) - This is also doomed Hera - finally, the sophisticated design of the recently erected on Zeustempels of Olympia.
• Furthermore, a small Roman amphitheater, the assembly of citizens, the Comitium, and other public buildings in the Roman times to mention. Well-preserved is also the 4.75 km long wall, on the Lukan and Roman phases be identified. The four main gates are Roman.

Source: Wikipedia - Paestum

Another nice link to the history of Paestum, there are more and more detail on the website of the Cilento National Park.

Paestum is located in the northern Cilento, about 30 minutes by car from my base, the Terme del Tufaro in Contursi, and is part of the municipality Capaccio, lies directly on the sea. Recommended is an ample opportunity to visit the temples and other archeological site in a quiet morning during the week, in the afternoon so you can calmly visit the beach, while the tourist crowds jostle around the temple. The excavation site is relatively well signposted and easy to find when the brown signs "Scavi archaeologici" follows. The entrance fee, I think, EUR 7, but you can also spend hours on the premises gigantic run. The terrain is flat and very accessible for older people, children (at least mine) will find pleasure in the hunt hundreds of large emerald lizards that inhabit the site - so it is for everyone here.

Links:

• Commons: Paestum - pictures, videos and audio files
• PaestumGate - a virtual reconstruction of Paestum (English)
• Exhibition of the graves in the center of Hamburg Bucerius
• General illustrated description
• Campania guide Salerno and Cilento (pdf)

And here my photos: