Vesuvio

Vesuvius (Vesuvio in Italian) may be the most famous volcano on earth.   Located less than 25 miles from our hotel in Sorrento, it is possible to climb right up to the mouth of the crater, called Il Gran Cono. 

Quiet since its last eruption in March 1944, Vesuvio has a long and active history.  Scientists trace the first volcanic activity as far back as 6,000 BC.  The most famous eruption happened on August 24, 79 AD, when the towns of Ercolano, Pompei and Stabia were completely destroyed by ashes and lava.

Today Vesuvio is active as a tourist destination and national park.  You can climb up the path ...

... and peer right into the crater.

The path is steep in places and uneven in others, but it is rated as only "moderately" difficult.  The base of the path can be reached by bus from Pompei, or by van from Ercolano.   Both Pompei and Ercolano are on the Circumvesuviana train line; the Sorrento station for this line is one mile from our hotel.

To read more about Vesuvius, check out the national park web site, the Italy parks web site, or the Campania tourism web site.  There is also a brochure that can be downloaded as a pdf file here.