Campania: Discover Antiquity, Coastal Landscapes and Nature Trails

Campania presents ancient sites, important monasteries and palaces, striking coastal landscapes and varied nature trails within a compact thematic area.

Ancient Sites and Archaeological Collections

The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Villa of the Mysteries, the Villa of the Papyri, and Villa A and Villa B in Torre Annunziata are part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 buried Pompeii under volcanic ash and lapilli and caused Herculaneum to disappear beneath pyroclastic clouds and flows. The archaeological sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata were excavated gradually and have been open to the public since the mid-18th century.

The MANN’s mosaic department displays examples from private houses in Pompeii, Herculaneum and other sites in Campania. The collection covers the period from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. At the Parco Archeologico di Cuma, the ancient Via Sacra leads up the hill to the acropolis and the Tempio Maggiore; from the Belvedere terrace, views extend to the islands of Ischia and Procida.

Monasteries, Palaces and Landscaped Areas

The Certosa di San Lorenzo is the largest monastic complex in southern Italy and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998. The tour includes the church, refectory, kitchen, Great Cloister, monumental staircase and the Procurators’ Cloister, among other areas.

The Caserta complex includes a 123-hectare Royal Park, a 3-kilometre-long Via d’Acqua and more than 200 botanical species in the English Garden.

The Amalfi Coast and Mount Vesuvius

The Amalfi Coast stretches along the southern coast of the Sorrento Peninsula in the province of Salerno. It is considered a landscape of outstanding cultural value, shaped by nature and human activity. Rocky areas, woodland and maquis combine with citrus groves and vineyards. The UNESCO World Heritage site covers 11,231 hectares, 15 municipalities, agricultural land and three nature reserves.

The Gran Cono Trail in the Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio is 4,010 metres long as a round trip, reaches a maximum elevation of 1,175 metres and takes approximately two and a half hours. The easy trail begins and ends in San Vito in Ercolano. It crosses young volcanic ash and lapilli as well as small lava flows formed during the 1944 eruption.

Nature Trails, Paestum and Regional Products

The Sentiero della Primula is a 14-kilometre nature route across a headland offering views of the sea, forests, rivers and archaeological areas. The Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano has a network of old hiking trails and promotes walking. The different trail lengths make it easier for you to balance cultural and nature experiences according to your preferred pace of travel.

The combination ticket for the Parchi archeologici di Paestum e Velia includes access to the archaeological areas of Paestum and Velia as well as the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Paestum. A free shuttle connects the Voza car park near Paestum with the Museo dell’Heraion sul Sele.

In Campania, 614 traditional agricultural and food products are registered.

Other areas in Campania

For further orientation, you can also explore Ischia, Salerno, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta and Naples. For comparison with another region, Calabria is available.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Campania holidays – Campania travel guide.