Mount Vesuvius, Naples

Thinking back, my ten day holiday in the Bay of Naples probably packed in more wonderful venues than any other holiday I have taken. I visited Pompeii, Capri, Herculaneum ,Sorrento, drove around the wonderful Amelfi Coast and I actually climbed to the top of.arguably, the most famous volcano in the world - Mount Vesuvius ( Monte Vesuvio) !! All my life I had wanted to visit Pompeii but I never dreamt that one day I would climb to the crater from which the source of Pompeii's destruction came with such vengeance. Situated just six miles east of Naples it is a short distance from the shore. The ... more

Climbing an active volcano, what could possibly go wrong. Well as it happens nothing considering the distance between eruptions the likelihood of it kicking off with you at the top is really it's not going to happen. But when I went up even the night before I couldn't help thinking it COULD happen. I was staying in Sorrento in a hotel where from the pool you could see mount vesuvius clearly. We set off at a reasonable hour on a coach headed to take us as far up as possible. The journey up was fine and for anyone who knows the roads around Italy I'd say there was more danger on the town roads ... more

When you arrive in Naples you cannot help but see Vesuvius as it dominates the skyline. Well to be exact unless you have checked it out before arriving what you actually see is a mountain dominating the city as unless you see it from above it is not possible to tell that it is a volcano as there is a severe absence of smoke billowing from it's centre and therefore it just looks like any other lump of rock. I had my suspicions as our coach began the one hour journey to Sorrento but I was still grateful when the tour rep directed our gaze to Vesuvius as I did not want to appear stupid with a ... more

~ A Brief History Of Vesuvius ~ Mount Vesuvius last erupted in 1944.Our guide told us that about 700,000 people live on the slopes, some in houses only a few hundred metres from the crater. The reason they live here is because property and rents are very cheap here and the soil is very fertile, we were told that the people on the slopes were paid to move away but they gradualy all moved back here even though they know Vesuvious could erupt again at anytime. Some 12,000 years after it first exploded into life, it looks very peaceful -no white plume from the summit -no glowing embers-inside the ... more

Having visited Mt. Vesuvius whilst staying in Naples, I'd already been to Pompeii. I would suggest doing this as it is even more amazing to walk up this mountain when you can imagine all the devastation it caused all those years ago. It is almost too much to comprehend. You can still see the lava flows from its most recent erruption as you drive the first section of the volcano. I must admit, if it was just any old mountain i wouldn't have been very impressed, but being able to look into the crater of a live volcano was somthing you don't get to do every day! But don't get the image of ... more