Mount Vesuvius
Parco Nazionale Del Vesuvio, Founded 1995; UNESCO Man And The Biosphere Reserve Somma Vesuvio E Miglio D'Oro (1997) · Ercolano, Campania
The volcano that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79 and has not erupted since March 1944, standing 1,281 metres over the Bay of Naples inside the older ring of Monte Somma. Around seven hundred thousand people live in the evacuation red zone at its foot, which makes it the most closely watched volcano on earth; the national institute's monitoring has held it at the lowest alert level, with the seismicity of a quiet year. Visitors drive or ride a shuttle to a car park below the summit and walk a gravel path of about two kilometres each way to the crater rim, escorted the whole way by a volcanological guide whose fee is inside the ticket. The crater below is several hundred metres across with fumaroles still steaming on its inner walls, and behind you the whole bay, Naples, Capri and the excavated cities are laid out at once. Entry is by timed online booking only; there is no ticket office at the gate and no toilets on the mountain.
Piazzale di Quota 1000, Strada Provinciale Ercolano-Vesuvio, Ercolano, Campania, 80056, Italy
Opens 09:00 daily. Last entry 15:00 in January, February, November and December; 16:00 in March and October; 17:00 from April to June and in September; 18:00 in July and August. The visit must be completed within an hour of entry. Closes automatically on orange-level weather alerts and for strong wind, heavy rain, snow, ice or fire, with automatic refunds.