| POLLINO NATIONAL PARK - CALABRIA & BASILICATA - SOUTH ITALY 
  The Pollino National Park is featured by a distinguishing variety of natural 
  environment that spans from the Mediterranean bushes to great forests of Oaks 
  and Beeches; from Maples and Whir Firs to the amazing Pines and Rivers of 
  great ecological significance for the South of Italy. The area is populated by 
  Deer, Wolves, Foxes and a few barrels of prey such as Hawks, Falcons and 
  Eagles. In some points it reaches high tops of over 2000 metres and it covers 
  part of the Province of Potenza and Matera in Basilicata and also part of the 
  Province of Cosenza in Calabria. So many are it's beauties and features that 
  attract schools and youngsters to go visit such peaceful and breath-taking 
  vision of nature and take courses for the discovery of the  antique Mills, 
  Convents, Abbeys, Fortresses and Castles. Agriculture and Stock Breeding, but 
  also the Craftsman trade are the principal activities of the Park. 
  Gastronomy 
  is made up of simple dishes with natural flowers collected from the local 
  vegetation of the territory.Here Apennines end, between the forests of Beech and the Holm-oak, the Alpine 
  meadowlands and the rocky steep walls of the Pollino massif which is the most 
  predominant mountainous Calabrian group: with the presence of five summits 
  above 2000 meters, represents one of the most interesting systems of the 
  southern Apennines, whether from the landscape or naturalistic point of view 
  and shows to visitors unexpected Alpine backgrounds and an environmental 
  patrimony still untouched.
 
 
  
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 From the "Campo Tenese" plain, close to the motorway junction that takes the 
  same name, the main road enters to reach the "Ruggiu" plain; close by you will 
  find the "De Gasperi" and the "Fasanelli" refuges that are often starting 
  points of various tours and outings. The Pollino Plains can be reached after 
  an easy excursion on the Impiso Hill, observe the typical Alpine 
  characteristics, surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of extraordinary beauty, 
  that make up to be the heart and the symbol of the Pollino National Park. From 
  here it is possible to admire and to reach the most important summits of the 
  massif: Sierra di Crispo, Sierra delle Ciavole, Mount Pollino and Sierra 
  Dolcedorme, that with their 2266 meters of height are the highest summit of 
  the mountainous complex and of all Calabria.
 The last magnificent twisted and sturdy "Loricate Pines" able to stand the 
  hardships of the highest peaks can be found on the upper side of the plain, 
  near the "Big Door" of Pollino, that with its predominant and twisted shapes 
  stays tenaciously clung to the inaccessible out crop of rock, representing a 
  fantastic and delicate fight of life and a challenge against the natural 
  elements.
 
 From the towns of Civita and San Lorenzo Bellizzi it is possible 
              to reach the most suggestive points of the eastern mountain side: 
              the larger woods of beech trees of Fagosa, the Hill of San Lorenzo 
              with its rocky walls around 800 meters high, which rises directly 
              from the water of the Raganello stream; the Barile and Raganello 
              gorges, rocky canyon run by crystalline water, became one of the 
              most desired tourists destination and hikers, that starting from 
              the Devil's bridge, in the Civita surroundings, climbing the stream 
              bed to discover ravines, cyclopean rocks and marvellous gardens, 
              surrounded by rock walls over 100 metres tall.
 On the city-states of Cerchiara of Calabria, San Lorenzo Bellizzi 
              and Civita you will find some most interesting speleological areas, 
              like the Bifurto Abyss, with a depth of 683 metres: it  is 
              actually classified on the eighteenth position between the deepest 
              abyss of Italy, or the Owl Cave, the biggest in Calabria and in 
              part unexplored; the Ninfee Cave, from where the sulphurous water 
              gushes at 50°, used to thermal care. Those and other marvels are 
              offered by the Pollino, superb guardian of the last edges of a mysterious 
              and wild land, covered with ancient forests, furrowed with very 
              deep valleys, surrounded by marvellous summits, and animated with 
              traditions, rituals and people customs arrived from millenary cultures.
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