Vesuvius National Park

Vesuvius National Park puts you on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius — the only active volcano on continental Europe — with eleven marked trails, museums, archaeological areas, and direct access to the crater rim. The park covers approximately one hundred and thirty-five square kilometres across thirteen municipalities in the Città Metropolitana di Napoli.

The main draw is Trail No. 5, the Gran Cono route, which climbs to the crater rim. Tickets for this section are sold exclusively online; there is no walk-up purchase at the gate. From the rim you look down into the crater and out across the water toward Naples. The eleven trails together cover fifty-four kilometres of walking routes across lava fields, woodland, and agricultural land that has been worked on volcanic soil for centuries.

Beyond the trails, the park takes in museums, archaeological areas, and historic villas. The Osservatorio Vesuviano, one of the oldest volcanological observatories in the world, stands within the park boundary. The recorded fauna includes two amphibian species, eight reptile species, and one hundred and thirty-eight bird species. The volcanic soil supports traditional agriculture, including the Vesuvian apricot, currently in the process of receiving IGP protected status. The park was formally established in 1995.

Access is from Ercolano on the slopes below the summit.