The volcano's familiar yet menacing profile is the dominant feature of the Bay of Naples. Inextricably linked though it is to the disaster of Pompeii, the lower slopes of Vesuvius are today fertile land planted with fruit trees and vines producing lacrima-cristi wine. From Herculaneum, an impressive path climbs up the slope, strewn with cinders and lava droplets, to the yawning crater which seems completely dormant save for the odd plume of smoke. The view over the bay is unforgettable.