Vesuvio

It hasn’t been that long since the area around the famous and once devastating volcano of Mount Vesuvius, located approximately 6 miles east of Naples on the coastline, has become a national park.
In fact, in 1995, the summit of the volcano was opened to curious visitors with access by motor transport up to the 200 meter point, where after, the possibility to continue on foot walking up the winding foot path around the crater. The volcano however is still considered active and very dangerous for those living near it.
The history of the world famous volcano dates very far back; data demonstrates that the mountain started forming 25,000 years ago but studies show the area has been subject to volcanic activity for at least 400,000 years. Mount Vesuvius gained its notoriety after the deadly eruption in 79 AD when it destroyed Pompeii and the less famous town of Herculaneum named after Hercules, hero to the Greeks and Romans. Before, and again after the eruption of 79 AD, there had been numerous other eruptions including the larger eruptions of 1631 and the one in 1822, being one of five explosive eruptions with an erupting column measuring at the remarkable height of 14 km. The last documented eruption took place in 1944.