Italy's National Parks

A towering limestone massif in the far south of Italy, between the provinces of Basilicata and Calabria, the Pollino embraces several challenging mountain ranges and almost no people. The region is one of the most isolated places in continental Europe, hard to get to and completely without services other than what can be negotiated through local farmers and shepherds. Be warned, the locals speak a dialect incomprehensible to most Italians, let alone outsiders. The closest town is the gateway village of Latrsnico, which has a couple of good restaurants and small hotels. Given its splendid isolation, the park is a great place for a backpacking expedition up the slopes of Monte Pollino itself. The trail to the mountain features hot springs, clear pools, and dense forests. Kayakers and canoeists regard the Lao and Sinni rivers to be among the most scenic in Italy, though neither is appropriate for the inexperienced. Summer is the best time to see Pollino, for, unusual for southern Italy, the plateau is often snowed in throughout fall and winter.

A towering limestone massif in the far south of Italy, between the provinces of Basilicata and Calabria, the Pollino embraces several challenging mountain ranges and almost no people. The region is one of the most isolated places in continental Europe, hard to get to and completely without services other than what can be negotiated through local farmers and shepherds. Be warned, the locals speak a dialect incomprehensible to most Italians, let alone outsiders. The closest town is the gateway village of Latrsnico, which has a couple of good restaurants and small hotels.

Given its splendid isolation, the park is a great place for a backpacking expedition up the slopes of Monte Pollino itself. The trail to the mountain features hot springs, clear pools, and dense forests. Kayakers and canoeists regard the Lao and Sinni rivers to be among the most scenic in Italy, though neither is appropriate for the inexperienced.