Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PARCO NAZIONALE DEL POLLINO
Italy's largest national park, the
Parco Nazionale del Pollino
(Pollino National Park;
www.parcopollino.it
)
, straddles Basilicata and Calabria and covers 1960 sq km. It acts like a rocky
curtain separating the region from the rest of Italy and has the richest repository of flora and fauna in
the south.
The park's most spectacular areas are
Monte Pollino
(2248m),
Monti di Orsomarso
(1987m) and
the canyon of the
Gole del Raganello
. The mountains, often snowbound, are blanketed by forests of
oak, alder, maple, beech, pine and fir. The park is most famous for its ancient
pino loricato
trees,
which can only be found here and in the Balkans. The oldest specimens reach 40m in height.
The park has a varied landscape, from deep river canyons to alpine meadows, and is home to rare
stocks of roe deer, wild cats, wolves, birds of prey (including the golden eagle and Egyptian vulture)
and the endangered otters,
Lutra lutra
.
Good hiking maps are scarce.
The Carta Excursionistica del Pollino Lucano
(scale 1:50,000), pro-
duced by the Basilicata tourist board, is a useful driving map. The large-scale
Parco Nazionale del
Pollino
map shows all the main routes and includes some useful information on the park, its flora and
fauna and the park communities. Both maps are free and can be found in local tourist offices. You'll
need your own vehicle to visit the Pollino.
Basilicata
In Basilicata the park's main centre is
Rotonda
(elevation 626m), which houses the official park of-
fice,
Ente Parco Nazionale del Pollino
( 0973 66 93 11; Via delle Frecce Tricolori 6;
8am-2pm Mon-Fri, plus 3-5.30pm Mon & Wed) . Interesting villages to explore include the unique
Albanian villages of
San Paolo Albanese
and
San Costantino Albanese
. These isolated and unspoilt
communities fiercely maintain their mountain culture and the Greek liturgy is retained in the main
churches. For local handicrafts visit
Terranova di Pollino
for wooden crafts,
Latronico
for alabaster,
and
Sant'Arcangelo
for wrought iron.
Asklepios
( 347 2631462, 0973 66 92 90;
www.asklepios.it
; Contrada Barone 9; s/d €30/50)
has basic accommodation but is the place to stay for walkers as it's run by an English-speaking guide
Giuseppe Cosenza who can also arrange mountain-biking and rafting trips. Otherwise, the chalet-style
Picchio Nero
( 0973 9 31 70;
www.picchionero.com
; Via Mulino 1; s/d incl breakfast €60/73;
) in Terranova di Pollino, with its Austrian-style wooden balconies and recommended restaurant, is a
popular hotel for hikers; it's family-run, cosy and friendly, has a small garden and can help arrange ex-
cursions.
Two highly recommended restaurants include
Luna Rossa
( 0973 9 32 54; Via Marconi 18;
meals €35; Thu-Tue) in Terranova di Pollino, where creative local specialities are rustled up
simply and with real flair in a rustic wood-panelled building providing breathtaking views, and
Da
Peppe
( 0973 66 12 51; Corso Garibaldi 13; meals €25-35; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) in Ro-
tonda, which uses wonderful local meat and woodland products such as truffles and mushrooms.
Calabria
Civita
was founded by Albanian refugees in 1746. Other towns worth visiting are
Castrovillari
, with
its well-preserved 15th-century Aragonese castle, and
Morano Calabro
- look up the beautiful MC
