Cycling in Calabria

You arrive in Campotenese, the gateway to the Pollino mountains. The journey begins with a personal briefing at La Catasta, the official visitor center of Pollino National Park. The modern wooden building houses exhibitions, maps and local products and provides an introduction to the area's nature and traditions. Here the tone is set for the week in Calabria.

On the first day you choose between a shorter or longer loop in the Pollino massif. Both alternatives take you up along mountain slopes through forests and valleys with extensive views. Along the way you pass Parco della Lavanda where lavender fields spread across the hills. Here they work with biodiversity and sustainable cultivation of essential oils. In the afternoon you return to Campotenese with the mountains as constant companions.

You follow a section of the Ciclovia dei Parchi towards Morano Calabro, a medieval village that climbs up a hill. Narrow cobblestone alleys lead up to the ruins of a Norman castle and offer magnificent panoramas. After the visit you continue on quieter roads towards Serragiumenta where you stay in a historic farmhouse setting. Here you are exactly as far from home as you wish to be on a trip!

Today's round trip takes you to several Arbëreshë villages, communities of Albanian origin that have preserved language, Byzantine rites and traditions for centuries. You can visit the Salt Museum which tells about salt extraction in ancient times. The journey continues to Altomonte, known for its medieval architecture and views over the valley. Back in Serragiumenta there is an opportunity to taste the farm's own products.

You gradually climb towards the Sila plateau via Spezzano Albanese and Tarsia. In Spezzano the Arbëreshë heritage lives on in dialect and festivals. Tarsia is known for its woodcraft and here there is an intarsia art museum that shows how raw wood is transformed into furniture art. In the afternoon you reach Bisignano, famous for ceramics, wooden pipes and medieval churches.

You leave Bisignano and cycle towards Acri with its historic churches and older quarters. During the day you stop at a cheese producer in the mountains and get insight into traditional production – and of course taste. The road continues into Sila's forests where you visit the national park's information center about flora, fauna and nature conservation. The day ends in Camigliatello Silano, surrounded by fresh mountain air. Here you can ski in winter!

You delve deeper into Sila's landscape and cycle through forest areas to the Giants of the Sila – several hundred year old monumental pines and spruces. Here silence and grandeur reign in an environment you hardly expect in the central Mediterranean. You can also visit the Emigration Museum which depicts the Calabrian diaspora. In the afternoon you choose a more demanding tour towards Lago Arvo with longer climbs or an easier loop around Lorica.

The journey through Calabria's mountains and cultural landscape ends after breakfast. From Pollino's peaks and the Arbëreshë villages to Sila's high plateaus, you take with you the memory of a region where nature, tradition and hospitality characterize every stage.