Serre Regional Park: Great Nature with cultural Highlights

11^th – 18^th April 2020

Serre Regional Park:

Great Nature with cultural Highlights

Great barren, almost alpine-looking mountains with sea view and a few kilometers away almost endless beech forests and roaring waterfalls. And all this interspersed with cultural gems such as the famous Cattolica in Stilo and the Carthusian Monastery of St. Bruno in Serra San Bruno. Our hikes last between 3,5 and 5,5 hours and we are accommodated in a cozy 3 * hotel in one of the most beautiful places in Calabria: Stilo

1^st Tag: Arrival

Arrival at Lamezia Terme airport and drive to the East coast of Calabria, where we will find our hotel in Stilo on the Ionian side of the Serre Mountains.

2nd day: Dreamlike view from the Monte Consolino

We start our day in Stilo, where a millennial history shines out of every stone. We stroll through the alleys, enjoy beautiful views and discover hidden rock churches. Our way leads us to the probably most famous church in Calabria, the Cattolica and further on to the remains of the fortress on the Monte Consolino. Here we enjoy a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view. (Hike time: 4 hours, elevation gain: 400 m)

3rd day: Cascate di Marmarico, the highest waterfalls in Calabria

Von den Ruinen einer alten Eisenhütte mitten im Wald wandern wir abwärts bis zu den rund 90 m hohen Marmarico-Fällen, die wir unterwegs in ihrer vollen Grösse bewundern können. Unter dem Wasserfall befindet sich ein Becken und, wer weiss, vielleicht wagen wir ja sogar einen Sprung ins erfrischende Wasser. (Wanderdauer: ca. 4,5 Std., Höhenmeter:400 m) Cascate di Marmarico, the highest waterfall in Calabria

From the ruins of an old ironworks in the middle of the forest, we hike down to the 114 m high Marmarico Falls, which we can admire on the way in their full size. There is a pool under the waterfall and, who knows, maybe we can even jump into the refreshing water. (Hike time: 4,5 hours, elevation gain: 400 m)

4th day: Monte Mammicomito, a limestone island in the grantie mountains

Inmitten des vorwiegend aus Granit bestehenden Serre-Gebirges erhebt sich eine Insel aus Kalkgestein: der Monte Mammicomito. Von Pazzano folgen wir einem alten Pilgerweg, der uns zu der in Fels gehauenen, der Santa Maria della Stella gewidmeten Kirche führt. Danach geht es weiter auf einem schmalen Ziegenpfad fast auf dem Grat des Monte Mammicomito bis zur Timpa Perciata, einem Felsen mit einem grossen Loch. Nach ein wenig Kletterei erreichen wir einen tiefer gelegenen Feldweg, auf dem wir wieder bequem zurück nach Montestella und weiter bis Pazzano wandern. (Wanderdauer: ca. 5 Std., Höhenmeter: 450 m) Monte Mammicomito, a limestone island in the granite mountains

In the middle of the Serre Mountains, which are mainly made of granite, there is a limestone island: Monte Mammicomito. A narrow path leads to the ridge and follows it through a dense, fairytale-like holm oak forest, which only thins out just before the summit. From here we have a breathtaking view of the mountains and the sea. Now it goes down again, towards Montestella with its fascinating rock church. (Hike time: 4 hours, elevation gain: 300 m)

5th day: Fiumara Assi Waterfall

Our hike begins above the nearby town of Guardavalle and leads us along a serpentine path and then along a path through lush vegetation with oaks and holm oaks to the waterfall of the Assi river. The water falls down over a rock slide and forms a natural swimming pool, whose water glitters emerald green in the sun and invites you to take a bath. (Hike time: 4 hours, elevation gain: 500 m)

6^th day: On the paths oft he monks – Serra San Bruno and the Carthusian monastery of St. Bruno

In the 11th century, St. Bruno built here his Carthusian monastery, and monks still live here in strict retreat far from the world. In a museum directly attached to the monastery, the life of the monks is vividly portrayed, so that it almost seems to us as if we were allowed to take a look behind the walls … Then we hike on easy forest trails to the “Bosco di Santa Maria”, where Saint Bruno is said to have prayed kneeling in an ice-cold pond. We continue passing by a small lake to Villa Vittoria with its botanical garden, the geological path and to Mongiana, where an important weapon factory was located at the time of the Bourbons. (Hike time: 3,5 hours, elevation gain: 350 m)

7^th day: 7 Waterfalls in one day

On our last day of hiking we drive to the border area between the Serre and Aspromonte mountains and walk a beautifully laid out path with many small wooden bridges along the Levadio torrent, which forms numerous waterfalls and canyons. There are six waterfalls to admire here, and brave hikers can swim under the last waterfall. We take a break at a nicely arranged picnic area and then hike back on a wide path with a wonderful view of the coast. (Hike time: 3,5 hours, elevation gain: 300 m)

8^th day: Departure

Transfer to Lamezia Terme Airport and departure.

Services: