Hiking Mount Vesuvius

Hello again! It's Gabe, and this week I will be sharing my experience from hiking Mount Vesuvius!

Background on Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano located in southern Italy, near the city of Naples. In fact, Mount Vesuvius is the only active volcano in continental Europe. The most recent eruption of Vesuvius was in 1944, however the most famous eruption occurred in 79 AD, of which the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under layers of volcanic matter, and portions of buildings, frescoes, and outlines of human victims were preserved. Even though Vesuvius has not had an eruption for over 70 years, it still poses a great threat to the surrounding residential areas. 

The Hike

The start of the marked hiking path is located not at the very base of the mountain, so you are not walking up the entire side of the mountain, however if you are more experienced and would really like to do that, then you can totally go for it, but most people just follow the marked path. Please note, that even the marked pathway is quite tiring, so make sure you are physically able to partake in the walk. Also, the marked path consists of loose gravel, so be prepared with sturdy, closed-toe shoes. In addition, many individuals choose to use walking sticks to walk up the gravel path, so that is an option if you think it would provide you with more stability. There is also the fact that much of the marked walking path is at an approximately 40% incline gradient. From the start of the pathway to the top, it is almost exactly half a mile, so if you walk from the start to the top, then back down you will have walked approximately 1 mile.

The Views

Top photo: Neighboring mountains, as seen from Vesuvius hiking path.
Bottom Left photo: Looking into the crater of the volcano, at the top of the hiking path.
Bottom Right photo: Looking down to the city of Naples and the Mediterranean Sea, from the Mount Vesuvius hiking path.

All along the path there are some great views, all of which are very picturesque. From certain points you may be able to view Naples and the Mediterranean Sea, or you will be able to view the surrounding mountains and valleys, or even the crater of the volcano once you reach the top of the mountain. The hike is very much worth it in terms of views provided along the way.

All in all, I found hiking Mount Vesuvius to be a very interesting, and rewarding experience, and I highly recommend it! As always, please leave a comment below if you have hiked Mount Vesuvius, or if you now realize that you should!