The Vesuvius National Park is a blend of naturalistic beauty, volcanology, breath-taking landscapes, centuries-old crops and traditions.These all make the Vesuvius area one of the most fascinating, and one of the most visited places in the world.
The park was inaugurated on 5 June 1995 to preserve animal and plant species, geological and paleontological formations, biological communities and the ecological balances of the Vesuvian area.
Eleven paths through the park
The Paths of the Vesuvius National Park consist of 11 paths with a combined length of 54 kilometres. The idea of these walks was to raise awareness of the risks on each of the paths, with signs displaying descriptions of the main naturalistic, geological and historical emergencies encountered during the walk. To make the area easily accessible to the public they have mapped out six circular nature paths, an educational path, a scenic path, and an agricultural path, while stabilization and consolidation operations were carried out to mitigate the risks.
Archaeological museums and cities
In the park there is so much to see, from the extraordinary archaeological city of Pompeii, to the excavations and virtual Archaeological Museum of Herculaneum, the Antiquarium of Boscoreale, the lava on permanent display by Creator Vesevo and the ascent to the Gran Cono which is the highest point visitors can climb to the top of the volcano. The Railway Museum of Pietrarsa in Portici, terminus of the first Italian line built by the Bourbon, the Coral Museum in Torre del Greco, and the Peasant Civilization in Somma Vesuviana are other fascinating attractions that tell the extraordinary story of man’s rapport with the volcano.
