The best hiking routes of Basilicata
Trekking enthusiasts, pack up and go to Basilicata. But not before putting Bivo in the suitcase, the last frontier of outdoor nutrition. The only food product that allows you to feed and re-hydrate at the same time. Want to know more: go to www.bivo.it/en
Monte Pollino
What is the highest mountain in Basilicata? I bet that few know that this is Mount Pollino, which, with its 2,248 meters, gives its name to the homonymous massif located in the Pollino National Park.
The route that we propose will take you to the summit of this mountain starting from the hill of Impiso at an altitude of 1573, passing through a forest of beech trees that surround the Path of the Shepherds. Before reaching the top of the Pollino you will be able to pay tribute to the “Patriarch”, the oldest loricate pine of the massif, symbol of the national park. On the way back you will be able to pass through the Malevento canal, a pass between Mount Pollino and the Serra Dolcedorme (which in truth is a few meters above the Pollino) and then the plains of the Piano Toscano before reaching the point of departure.
It is a 16 km route with an altitude ranging from 1573 to 2248 meters. Calculate a time of about 8 hours, including stops, to be addressed only if you have a good preparation.
Monte Vulture
Are you passionate oenologists or simply lovers of Aglianico? This route is really suitable for everyone and you can experience the area of Mount Vulture up close, where the famous wine grapes grow. It is a simple journey lasting 5 hours. The departure is fixed at the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo. From here, at an altitude of 730 meters, you will begin a path that, between beech and chestnut trees, will take you to the top of Mount Vulture. Along the way you will be able to enjoy the splendid panorama offered by the lakes of Monticchio.
Monte Lama and Monte Calvelluzzo
Let’s move a little further north, not far from the regional capital, Potenza. We propose a 6-kilometer route that from Piana del Lago, a plateau at the base of Mount Lama, will lead you to Monte Calvelluzzo. It is a path that does not present particular technical difficulties but that will give you the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of the Lucanian Dolomites on one side and the one of the peaks of the Cilento park on the other.
Mount Sirino
Let’s move on the western side of Basilicata a few kilometers from the Tyrrhenian coast. The departure of this itinerary that will take you to the summit of Mount Sirino is set at the Chapel of the Madonna del Brusco in Lagonegro. From here you take a sheep track that will take you to an enchanting beech forest and, after a few kilometers uphill, to the Chapel of Maria Santissima della Neve at 1908 meters. The path is quite tiring, 8 hours of ascent and descent but, once you reach the top of the Madonna del Sirino, you can have a view of Basilicata at three hundred and sixty degrees admiring Mount Papa on one side and the Gulf of Policastro on the other.
The Materan Way
If you are a lover of multi-day itineraries, we advise you to have a look at the Cammino Materano. This path stands out in four different routes that all lead to the Cathedral of the Madonna della Bruna in Matera. The four paths are:
– Via Peuceta: 160 kilometers long, it has its starting point at the Cathedral of San Nicola di Bari and passes through Altamura, Gravina and the Murge plateau.
– via Sveva: 160 km long, it has its point of departure at the Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino in Trani, first passing through Castel del Monte and then through the arid landscapes of the Alta Murgia;
– the Hellenic street that begins in Brindisi and will allow you to visit the villages of Valle d’Itria, Alberobello and the park of the Gravine;
– the Via Dauna which starts from Lucera and passes between Monti Dauni, Melfi and Venosa before joining the Sveva road.
Are you planning to get going for one or more days? Don’t forget to bring Bivo with you. If instead you have just returned from your last trek, tell us by writing to info@bivo.it! The best stories will be published on our blog and the author will be awarded with the Bivo starter kit.
