Who hasn't happened to plan a trip or weekend getaway with a group of friends, and find that everyone has different interests? There's the friend who is interested in a cultural destination, the sporty one who likes to walk in nature and venture out to places that are always different, the one who sees the vacation as an oasis of absolute relaxation. You will be happy to discover that there is a route that will be able to get everyone to agree. With its extremely rich archaeological heritage, many breathtaking landscapes to discover and thermal waters in which to relax, the Phlegraean Fields Regional Park Is definitely the right choice for your next trip.

Not to mention the fact that, if you are a fan of mythology, you certainly won't be able to miss some of the most fascinating places studied in school desks: just think of the entrance to the underworld crossed by Ulysses or the Sybil's Cavern mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid.

Why visit the Phlegraean Fields Regional Park

Established in 2003, the Phlegraean Fields Regional Park protects an area of about 8000 hectares, coinciding with the municipalities of Naples, Pozzuoli, Bacoli and Monte di Procida. This territory is characterized by a volcanic system (Archiflegreo) in continuous evolution: if it is true that the last eruption in the Phlegraean Fields occurred in 1538, it must be said that instead this area has always been subject to very intense bradyseismic crises (the last in 1983). It is precisely this geological peculiarity that has contributed to the creation of extremely evocative landscapes in the Phlegraean Fields area: in fact, the Park includes a large system of lakes, some brackish and some freshwater.

The volcanic nature of these places also gave rise to the Stoves of Nero, ancient Roman baths in Baia, a hamlet of Bacoli. Already in the second century A.D. they were known as an ideal place to relax and regain strength, as evidenced by the spa's motto: "Qui se ipsum amat in hunc locum venit" (He who loves himself comes to this place). Even today it is still possible to take advantage of this enchanting place to indulge in a weekend of relaxation and disconnect from daily stress.

For lovers of Greco-Roman mythology.

The Campi Flegrei Regional Park is a must-see destination for all lovers of Greek-Roman history and mythology. In fact, among the most striking places to visit we find Lake Avernus, a place mentioned in the Odyssey as the entrance to the underworld.

The area of the Phlegraean Fields was also considered by the inhabitants of Magna Graecia as the burial place of the Giants defeated by Hercules; a fascinating way of trying to give an explanation for the intense volcanic and seismic activity that has always dominated these places. Within the Phlegraean Fields Regional Park are the excavations of cuma and thus also the Antro della Sibilla, an artificial tunnel believed to be the place where the Cumaean Sibyl (priestess of the god Apollo) lived and spread her oracles.

This place is also the backdrop for one of the most fascinating scenes in the film Indivisibili by Edoardo De Angelis, winner of six David di Donatello awards.

The residences of the rulers in the park

The area, now protected by the Phlegraean Fields Regional Park, has for centuries been chosen by princes and rulers as a residence or leisure destination. Witness, for example, the Aragonese Castle of Baia, erected on a promontory overlooking the sea and created as a fortress intended to protect the coast from Turkish and Saracen incursions. The Aragonese Castle today houses the Archaeological Museum of the Phlegraean Fields, rich in archaeological finds discovered in this area, as well as offering a breathtaking view of the sea (protected as a marine reserve and also belonging to the Phlegraean Fields Regional Park).

Another example is that of the Vanvitellian Casina, built on a small island in the Lake Fusaro in Bacoli. The building was founded in 1782 as a hunting lodge for King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, and over the centuries it has been visited by many illustrious people, depicted in portraits that now hang on the walls of the Casina: among others include the Emperor of Russia Nicholas I, the composers Gioacchino Rossini and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and (most recently) President of the Republic Luigi Einaudi.