Naples City Guide - Excursions

Pompeii: The ruins of Pompeii are well worth an excursion from the city. Along with Herculeanum, Pompeii was completely destroyed and buried when the Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted in 79 AD. Pompeii is incredibly well preserved, however, and most visitors are surprised by the sheer size of the place. You can actually stroll down many of the streets and get a very good impression of the old cityscape. In addition, there are many compelling particular structures that have been preserved well, such as the old forum, the amphitheatre and some of the temples. Mount Vesuvius itself is another possible destination for an excursion. The area around it was declared a national park in 1995, and it is possible for visitors to visit the summit. As the volcano can be unpredictable, this cannot be said to be safe (also because it is the only volcano in mainland Europe to have erupted during the last hundred years), but many people do climb up to the summit nonetheless. The beautiful city of Salerno further to the south along the coast from Naples is also worth a visit. It has an impressive cathedral and several castles and palaces.