From Naples, Mount Vesuvius is easily accessible via the Circumvesuviana ... However, the most popular one is the Gran Cono Trail, a 2.4-mile hike that leads to the rim of the volcano.

For several years now, we've been following a tantalizing story indicating that the high heat of the ash cloud generated when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD was sufficiently hot to turn one of ...