Pollino National Park
In Italy's largest national park, suspended between two regions
Naturalistic parks
Parco Nazionale del Pollino - Regione Calabria
The Pollino National Park, suspended between Calabria and Basilicata, occupies part of the province of Cosenza and features the Pollinello Beech Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Calabria.
With its 1,925 square kilometres of nature, the Pollino National Park is the largest natural park in Italy. Distinctive landscapes and refined complexity of environments make up the park's territory. Here, the Pollino and Orsomarso massifs stand out: from its highest peaks, it is possible to admire a unique panorama from the Tyrrhenian to the Ionian Sea. Its symbol is the Pollino Loricate Pine.
The Pollino Park preserves unspoilt landscapes, which, combined with the cultural and human values jealously guarded by the local population, make these places true corners of paradise. The park is home to the oldest tree in Europe: a Pollino Loricate Pine about 1,230 years old. There are many water courses, gorges and nature reserves where sports activities such as rafting, canyoning and canoeing can be practised, thanks to the many professional operators active in the area. There are also nature sports for enthusiasts in the area, such as mountain biking, trekking and hiking.
The Pollino National Park is renowned for the presence of numerous medicinal and aromatic herbs. In spring, it is customary to enjoy the spectacle of orchids blooming, together with those of violets and gentians, bellflowers and, in summer, the extremely rare red lily. From a wildlife point of view, the Pollino Park area has a varied fauna: the golden eagle, the black woodpecker, the eagle owl, the raven, the peregrine falcon, the Apennine wolf and the native Orsomarso roe deer.
Among the most evocative places to visit: the Cave of the Nymphs in Cerchiara di Calabria, the Shrine of the Madonna di Costantinopoli and the Romito Cave, both in Papasidero; the historical centre of Morano Calabro, among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and the town of Castrovillari, known as the ‘’Capital of the Pollino‘’.
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