Visit the Cratere degli Astroni nature reserve

In the Campi Flegrei pozzolana area  there is the Cratere degli Astroni Nature Reserve, a volcanic protected area with forest paths, lakes, lava structures and the cratere degli Astroni (Astroni’s crater).

The reserve is in via Agnano agli Astroni in Pozzuoli.

If you travel by car you just have to take the Napoli’s ring road and take the exit signposted Agnano, then turn right at the roundabout and proceed along via Agnano agli Astroni up to the entrance of the nature reserve.

To reach the cratere degli Astroni by public transport you have to take the L2 underground train and get off at Mergellina; then, from the Piedigrotta bus stop take the C12 bus that stops at Montagna Spaccata-Vigili del Fuoco. From here, walk along via Sartania first and then along via Agnano degli Astroni; after about 20 minutes walking you will reach the entrance of the reserve.

You will enter the Cratere degli Astroni Nature Reserve after walking the Bourbon path, so called because during the Bourbons’ reign the reserve was one of the royal hunting sites. This path leads to the bottom of the crater where there are the colle dell’imperatrice (Empress’ Hill) and the duomo lavico della Caprara (Caprara’s lava cathedral), two lava slag elevations that were formed during the Astroni volcano’s eruptions.

Also interesting are the lago grande (great lake), full of white water lilies and housing the ornithological observatory, the stagno didattico (educational pond) and the giardino degli insetti (bugs garden).

You can walk two different paths: the sentiero natura (nature path), a 2 km path that leads to the wood where the centuries-old English oak, the lava cathedral and the children’s theatre are; the sentiero dei dinosauri (dinosaurs path), a 3 km path that runs along the lago grande, with several dinosaurs placed along the way so that children can have fun looking for them.