Greece will limit daily visitors to its famous Acropolis next month in an effort to control crowding.
21.07.2023 - 08:49 / roughguides.com
The Cammino BasilianoⓇ is a long-distance hiking route tracing the dramatic and varied landscapes of Calabria in southern Italy. It takes in an area of great cultural, historic and spiritual significance, once travelled by Basilian monks who left a collection of fine religious buildings and sublimely sited shrines in their wake.
Calabria’s Cammino BasilianoⓇ follows the southern tail of Italy’s Apennine mountains. It winds its way through four distinct stages, defined by the Pollino massif, the Sila plateau, the Serre Calabresi and the Aspromonte massif. Here, we explore the first two sections of the route, centring on the Pollino and Sila ranges. With striking mountain peaks and fortress towns, ancient monasteries and medieval hamlets, there are endless gems – both natural and manmade – to break up the journey.
Southern Italy’s newest hiking route has much to offer. Calabria has played home to a number of civilizations over the centuries, from Oenotrians to Greeks, Normans to Saracens, and each has left an indelible mark on Calabria’s cultural landscape. Walk the Cammino BasilianoⓇ and you’ll be treated to a tapestry of imposing castles, atmospheric monasteries, hillside shrines and tuff caves, and to age-old communities who still make a living from traditional crafts. Going on foot means slowing down to appreciate the sweeping views and soaking up all the local colour. What could be better?
Map of the Pollino and Sila sections of the Cammino BasilianoⓇ (and shown on a map of Italy in the top left corner) © www.camminobasiliano.it
The Pollino and Sila sections make up the first half of the Cammino BasilianoⓇ, starting in Rocca Imperiale and ending at Tiriolo on the isthmus of Catanzaro.
From Rocca Imperiale, itself topped by a fine Swabian castle, the route passes a number of other fortress towns, including Oriolo, where today’s mighty Norman castle protects nothing but outstanding views. The Cammino continues to Pollino National Park – and the park’s highest village, Alessandria del Carretto – before revealing long views over the Gulf of Taranto and the sublime scenery of the Piana di Sibari. Between the medieval hamlet of Cerchiara di Calabria (best known for its tasty bread) and the village of Civita, you’ll find the Shrine of Madonna della Armi, spectacularly sited beneath a lofty mountain peak. Leaving the mountains behind, the trail laces its way through gentle slopes dressed in olive groves. The Pollino section of the Cammino BasilianoⓇ finishes up in San Demetrio Corone, once home to a Greco-Italian monk community and site of the Abbey of Sant’Adriano, noted for its collection of striking Norman mosaic floor tiles.
Civita and surroundings, Calabria © RudiErnst/Shutterstock
Hiking onwards
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