It's been over 1,500 years since the collapse of the Roman empire, but our fascination with this creative, scientific and often barbaric society shows no signs of dimming with the passage of time. And no wonder: at its peak the empire covered nearly two million square miles, spanning large swathes of Europe, Africa and even parts of Asia. There's lots to see, so here's our bucket list of ancient marvels to help you step back in time. 

Founded in 25 BC, Mérida in western Spain was known to the Romans as Augusta Emerita. The ruins here are dotted about the city and are the largest collection you'll find in Spain. Listed as a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, magnificent things to see include the Temple of Diana, pictured here, which was dedicated to the goddess Roma and Emperor Augustus.

Mérida is also home to the Puente Romano, which at 2,598 feet (792m) is among the longest remaining Roman bridges in the world. Despite being over 2,000 years old the bridge's 60 half-moon arches still stand elegantly intact over the Guadiana River.

The Roman theatre of Mérida is truly impressive too. It was constructed in 15 BC and could hold 6,000 spectators. Still in use today, every summer the theatre hosts the Classical Theatre Festival, featuring opera and plays, bringing it to life once more. 

 

The 2,000-old Pont du Gard aqueduct and bridge was built by the Romans to supply water to the nearby city of Nimes. It's the highest of all Roman bridges to still be standing and was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. Crossing the picturesque Gardon River, the bridge is thought to have taken around 15 years to build and consists of three tiers of arches around 164 feet (50m) high.

The city of Bath, known as Aquae Sulis in ancient times, is home to some of the best-preserved Roman baths in Europe. While you can't take a dip in the Great Bath itself – still supplied by the city's natural thermal hot springs – you can experience the local waters in the modern-day setting of the Thermae Bath Spa, just around the corner. 

Don't skip the displays at the Roman Baths museum either, as you'll find discoveries including the bronze-sculptured head of Roman goddess Sulis Minerva. We recommend visiting during the summer evenings, when the baths are torchlit until 10pm for a spine-tingling experience. 

READ MORE: Explore Bath: the top things to do, where to stay and what to eat

Probably the eeriest ruins of them all, Pompeii’s remains still hide in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. The ancient city was destroyed by one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in history in AD 79 and wasn't rediscovered until the 16th century. On average it sees around 2.5 million visitors a year, who come to marvel at the remains of a lost world.  

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In recent years, experts have been able to create casts of bodies by injecting plaster into the spaces and cavities that surround the skeletons discovered here. These representations can tell us huge amounts, not only about how Pompeii's citizens died, but also about how they lived before the eruption. For example, it appears that many people hid rather than fled in order to stay with their families, showing how much they valued their relatives.

Despite being discovered in the 1700’s, archaeologists are still uncovering new things every year at Pompeii. One of the most recent finds includes ancient graffiti bearing political slogans, dating back to the period before Vesuvius’s eruption.

With the remains of grand houses, baths and even a brothel with erotic mosaics still visible, walking around Pompeii is a ghostly reminder that ancient people weren’t much different from ourselves.

Also lost and destroyed by Mount Vesuvius’s eruption was Herculaneum, a neighbouring town to Pompeii. While not as popular with tourists, Herculaneum is better preserved than Pompeii, with many buildings complete with roofs.

Despite being just under 12 miles from Pompeii, Herculaneum was affected differently by Vesuvius's eruption. Probably because of the wind direction on the day, the volcanic ash compacted into layers at Herculaneum, preserving the wood in everyday objects including beds and doors.

Although much smaller, Herculaneum was likely to have been a wealthier city than Pompeii and was home to many important government figures. Pictured here is a fresco featuring the gods Hercules, Juno and Minerva at the College of the Augustales, one of Herculaneum's finest buildings.

Hadrian’s Wall was built as a line of defence by the Romans to protect against northern barbarian tribes and ran from the west to east coast of Britain. Construction started in AD 122 with the wall finished around six years later, taking 15,000 men to build.

Hadrian's Wall still runs for 73 miles, with an estimated 10% of the original wall still visible. Its full route remains unknown to this day, especially where it ran through cities that have been developed in modern times such as Carlisle and Newcastle. Settlements and construction camps along the way are still being discovered.

Hadrian's Wall Path, a national walking trail, is a little longer than the wall itself at 84 miles. You don't have to do it all at once as there are many shorter sections that can be enjoyed in just a few hours. If you're planning on completing the whole stretch, expect it to take around five days. You can also collect special passport stamps along the way during the summer season. 

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In a serene Albanian forest, surrounded by trees, hills and lakes, you’ll find Butrint, Albania’s most important archaeological site set in its own national park. Not only was this city a Roman colony established by Julius Caesar in around 45 BC, but it had belonged to the Greeks several hundred years before.

Whether you're catching the ferry on a day trip from the Greek island of Corfu, or driving 40-minutes south from the Albanian beach resort of Sarandë, these beautiful ruins are worth making an effort for. Once thriving, the city had been left abandoned and was eventually rediscovered by archaeologists in 1927, with further efforts to preserve it taking place in the late 1990s. Today you can see remains including an amphitheatre and bathhouse, as well as a museum.

With a deep, natural port and nearby silver mines to the east, it's easy to see why this city in southeast Spain was of huge strategic importance to the Romans, who took it from the Carthaginians in 209 BC. While there’s not much left here, its incredible Roman theatre has been well preserved and is the second largest in the country.

The first on our list of must-see ruins in the Eternal City, the Pantheon was formerly a Roman temple and is now a Christian church. Two other buildings once stood on the site, but what you see today was completed during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, most likely in around AD 125.

Once you've passed through the huge doors (added much later) you'll find the city's best-preserved Roman building. At the centre of the dome – still the largest unsupported example made from brick in the world – you'll find the oculus, a circular hole that's the main source of light. Despite this religious space being 2,000 years old it's influenced more recent buildings, including the US State Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC, which was designed in the same proportions in the 19th century. 

The Appian Way, or Via Appia, is the reason for the phrase "all roads lead to Rome". The original stretch was a military route that ran from Rome to Capua in Italy's south. Started in around 312 BC, it took until roughly 264 BC to complete and was named after Appius Claudius Caecus, who completed the first section.

Today, the first 10 miles are part of a regional park, Parco dell’Appia Antica, leading southeast from Rome. Here you can see the circular Tomb of Cecilia Metella and the Circus of Maxentius. The best day to visit is Sunday, when the park is closed to traffic.

Ostia Antica, lying around 15 miles southwest of the Italian capital, was once the great harbour city of ancient Rome. With its mosaics and buildings such as the bakery on show, it's often described as a "mini-Pompeii".

During the 2nd century AD Ostia Antica had a population of around 75,000 people. However, the town was abandoned in the 4th century when the inhabitants were struck by malaria and fled for their lives. Ostia Antica lay largely abandoned, with the ruins mined for marble during the Renaissance, until excavation started in the 19th century.

Ostia Antica is an easy day trip from Rome and can be reached by metro line B. While not as famous as other Roman ruins, it gives visitors a tangible sense of how the Romans lived and you'll find it less crowded than many other sites. Plus there are some surprising gems, such as the characterful masks that sit atop the columns of the theatre.

Perhaps the most famous of all the Roman ruins in the world, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built. It is thought that the Colosseum took six to eight years to construct with the manpower of 60,000 enslaved people, and was a gift to the Roman people by Emperor Vespasian, who ruled from AD 69 to 79. Today it is one of Europe’s most popular tourist attractions, seeing 4.2 million visitors every year.

The amphitheatre was used mostly for gladiatorial combat and wild animal fights and is thought to have held up to 80,000 spectators. Inside, visitors can still see where a maze of underground passages used to be, where gladiators, animals and actors would wait before appearing in the middle of the arena via a trap door.

Although hugely impressive, the Colosseum is a reminder of the brutality of Roman culture. It is estimated more than 400,000 people died in the Colosseum throughout the 390 years it was used, with many animals falling victim too.

You could spend a whole day exploring the Roman Forum and it's likely you won’t see everything. Situated just west of the Colosseum, the Forum's origins lie in the 7th century BC, growing to become the city's commercial heart, as well as being used for entertainment.

Among the surviving ruins you can see the Temple of Saturn, pictured here, and the Arch of Titus. This year, for the first time visitors must secure timeslots for entry to both the Forum and the Colosseum, so booking in advance is advised. On the first Sunday of the month there is no entrance fee, but be warned, queues are lengthy. 

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Finally, if you're visiting the Colosseum and Forum, then take a few minutes to explore the Arch of Constantine nearby. Built in celebration of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 BC, it's considered one of the last great monuments of Imperial Rome, standing at 69 feet (21m) tall. 

Little-known Roman ruins around the world