Mountain in Naples
Mount Vesuvius is the volcano that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD and the only active volcano on mainland Europe. The summit crater is paid (modest ticket, bus to the upper car park is cheap). The final 30-minute hike to the crater rim is steep but manageable. The view from the top covers the entire Bay of Naples from Sorrento to Capri to the Campi Flegrei. Budget travelers take the cheap Circumvesuviana train to Ercolano, then the shuttle bus, and hike to the crater of one of the most famous volcanoes on Earth.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
The Cappella Sansevero is a small baroque chapel in the historic center housing the Veiled Christ, a marble sculpture of such technical mastery that the veil appears to be real fabric laid over the body. Entry is paid at a modest price.
Castel dell'Ovo is a seaside fortress on the tiny island of Megaride, connected to the Naples waterfront by a short causeway. Entry is free.
Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) is a 13th-century castle on the waterfront between the port and Piazza del Plebiscito, with a triumphal arch entrance carved in white marble. The courtyard is free.
The Circumvesuviana is the cheap regional train connecting Naples to Pompeii (Pompei Scavi station, 35 minutes), Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi, 20 minutes), and Sorrento (1 hour). A single ticket costs a few euros.
The Cloister of Santa Chiara (Chiostro Maiolicato) is a 14th-century cloister behind the Basilica of Santa Chiara on Spaccanapoli, famous for its colorful majolica-tiled columns and benches depicting garden scenes, pastoral landscapes, and mythological figures. Entry is paid at a modest price.
The Forum was the civic heart of Pompeii, a rectangular open space surrounded by temples, markets, and public buildings with Vesuvius rising behind. Included in the park ticket.
Working out what Naples costs?
The whole of Naples