Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano near Naples in Campania, southern Italy. Famous for its catastrophic eruption in AD 79 that buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the volcano remains active and offers visitors hiking trails along its crater rim and panoramic views of the Naples Bay and surrounding region below.
Mount Vesuvius is located in the Campania region of southern Italy, approximately 9 kilometers east of Naples. It stands 1,281 meters above sea level on the eastern shore of the Bay of Naples and is classified as the only active volcano on mainland Europe. The surrounding Vesuvius National Park covers 8,482 hectares and is administered by the Italian Ministry of Environment. Editorial content is based on publicly available geological, archaeological, and travel information current as of 2025.
Campania, Italy | Active Volcano | UNESCO-Adjacent Heritage | Geological and Archaeological Destination