Vesuvio

The Vesuvius volcano and beside mountain Somma are the unambiguous symbol of the city. The Vesuvius is an active volcano with a “very turbulent past” leaving in the history numerous eruptions, like that of the 79 a. C. that buried Pompeii and Ercolano. Afterwards several eruptions, spaced out from long periods of calmness, are recorded. The last eruption has been in 1944.

In 1991 the national park of the Vesuvio was established; it can be visited following the road that leaves from Ercolano or Boscotrecase.

The road proceeds along extensions of vineyards that produce the famous Lacryma Cristi, then it meets the Vesuvius Observatory and finally, continuing by foot, the strange shapes of washes near the crater can be seen. The view is impressive because of a crater of 600 mt of diameter, 200mt of deepness, with the magma steaming at the bottom.