Mount Vesuvius, also called Italian Vesuvio, is one of the only two active volcanoes in mainland Europe.

Standing at a whopping height of 1281 meters, it rises above the bay of the city of Naples located on the southern coast of Italy. With steep wooded slopes and a symmetrical central cone, Mount Vesuvius rests in the crater of the ancient Somma Volcano.

While the intrepid travellers have been scaling the inclines of Mount Vesuvius since the 1600s, the whole region is dotted with beautiful farms and wineries planted with bequest variety of grapes boasting ‘out of this world’ terroir. Attracting avid adventure buffs from all across the globe to climb the path and delve into its depths, the crater is arguably one of the more “exotic” stops on your tour to Naples.

After the discovery of the ancient ruins of Pompeii — a Roman Town that was buried beneath several feet of volcanic ash and debris after the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the summer of AD 79, Pompeii-Vesuvius became a cultural attraction for the curious travellers. Many of them who were drawn to the fascinating archaeological site of Pompeii also grew fascinated to catch glimpse of the volcano that had destroyed it. Since then, climbing up Mount Vesuvius has emerged as one of the most popular activities in the peripheries of Naples.

While the Mount Vesuvius’s last eruption occurred in 1944, the walking route to the crater is open all year round, except for extreme weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Regarded as a very popular route among visitors, the 4-kilometre-long trail leads to the apex reaches of the cone to the rim of the crater, with a change in altitude of about 140 meters taking you 1,170 meters above sea level.

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