Side Trips

Vesuvius, an Easy Excursion from Naples

This dangerous volcano -- it has demonstrated its destructive capacity more than once -- is the sort of volcano that blows its top when erupting, Mount St. Helens style, instead of quietly oozing out lava, like the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Dangerous as Vesuvius might be, though, people continue to live on its fertile slopes, as they have since antiquity (and since the last eruption in 1944). The most recent signs of activity were in 1999 -- some puffs of smoke, just to keep everybody on their toes.

Named Vesvinum or Vesuvinum after its vineyards, which were famous for their excellent wine even centuries ago, Vesuvius surprised everybody when it erupted in A.D. 79, since apparently nobody at that time knew it was an active volcano. Eruptions followed in 202, 472, 512, 1139, and 1306, but then a long period of quiet tricked everybody -- until a 1631 eruption caused great destruction again. Other eruptions were in 1794 (nicely timed for Goethe's visit; a guide hauled him up through the poisonous smoke to look into the crater), 1871, 1906, and 1944.

Getting There -- You can easily get to Vesuvius by public transportation through Circumvesuviana Railway (tel. 800-053939; www.vesuviana.it), which leaves from Stazione Circumvesuviana (Corso Garibaldi, off Piazza Garibaldi; Metro: Garibaldi). Take any train to Sorrento or to Poggiomarino via Pompeii and get off at the station Ercolano Scavi, a 15-minute trip from Naples; the fare is 1.50€ ($2.10/£1.05). Taxi and a bus shuttle service departs from outside the station for the Mount Vesuvius park entrance. Ercolano Station is also where you'll meet your group if you have signed up for one of the specialty tours organized by La Porta del Vesuvio (tel. 081-274200; www.laportadelvesuvio.it; 9am-1:30pm), offering walks along nature trails on the slopes, to scenic night tours of the crater.

You can also arrange for a guided tour starting in Naples, or a limousine service directly from your hotel. Good providers are ANA Limousine Service (Piazza Garibaldi 73; tel./fax 081-282000) and Italy Limousine (tel. 081-8016184, 335-6732245, or 338-9681866; www.italylimousine.it). Note: All transportation gets you only as far as the park entrance at 1,017m (3,106 ft.) in altitude; the trails are not wheelchair accessible.

What to See & Do -- The only Continental volcano still active in Europe, Mount Vesuvius is enclosed within Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio (Vesuvius National Park, tel. 081-7710911; www.parconazionaledelvesuvio.it).

The entrance to the park is at an altitude of 1,000m (3,280 ft.) above sea level. The Centro Visite (Visitor Center; tel. 081-7775720, 081-7391123, or 033-7942249), is where you can sign up for tours, check on the meteorological situation and whether the trails -- including the one to the crater -- are open, and buy a map of the trails. At the historical osteria you can have a bite to eat or a drink -- including the famous local wine, Lacrima Christi, made from the vineyards on Mount Vesuvius. You can buy local products at a small shop. The park is open daily (Nov 1-Mar 31 9am-3pm; Apr 1-May 31 9am-5:30pm; June 1-Aug 31 9am-6:30pm; Sept 1-Oct 31 9am-5pm) and admission is free. Of the several trails inside the park, the most popular is the one ascending to the crater. Follow the dirt trail up to 1,118m (3,667 ft.), where the ticket booth is located. Admission (6.50€/$9.10/£4.55 adults, 4.50€/$6.30/£3.15 youth 8 to 17, free for children 7 and under) includes a guided tour by a volcanologist (no reservation necessary). The climb traverses hardened lava to the rim, 170m (558 ft.) above the park entrance, and 1,170m (3,838 ft.) above sea level. The trail affords great views of the crater itself and the whole Gulf of Naples.

Below the park entrance, at 608m (1,994 ft.) is the Observatory (tel. 081-5832111; www.ov.ingv.it): Established in 1841 to monitor Mount Vesuvius's activity, it is the oldest and one of the best volcanology research centers in the world. You can visit its rich scientific library and Geological Museum, Via Osservatorio 14 (tel. 081-6108483), which holds a vast collection of minerals and scientific instruments from the 18th century onward.