The Pollino National Park is a vast territory that offers the opportunity to discover and admire extraordinary natural beauty. We are in the largest National Park in Italy, an unspoiled land that I had the chance to get to know and explore during an educational tour promoted by I Viaggi del Milione, carried out in collaboration with Marmo Melandro Viaggi and with the support of APT Basilicata.
There are places that invite you to live according to their own rhythm, with patience. The weather in this area is anything but predictable. In fact, this reminds you how important it is to respect the fragile balance of nature and its ecosystems. The Pollino National Park is an authentic mosaic, where every experience leaves its mark.
Snowshoeing Among Beech Trees and Larch Pines
In the majestic winter landscape I had the pleasure of going on a wonderful snowshoeing excursion. We set off from the De Gasperi Refuge and walked on snowshoes through an extraordinary beech forest. The snowy landscape made the experience even more evocative. Then, the clear winter sky amplified the spectacular views all around.
The guides explained to us that the park is home to rich and varied wildlife: hares, wild boar, deer and wolves. The latter can be spotted during certain times of year and at specific points within the park, always safely and accompanied by expert guides.
Luigi and Leonardo, the guides, told us they have been guides since practically the time the Park was established, in 1993. It was very moving to hear Luigi talk about his friendship with Leonardo: a genuine bond, born and grown over time, to the point of considering him not just a friend, but a brother. In my opinion, these are precisely the true and precious bonds that are worth cherishing in life.
Equally beautiful was the moment when they told us about the Larch Pine (Pinus leucodermis). This is a tree that in Europe grows naturally in the Balkan Peninsula and in Italy exclusively in this part of the Calabrian-Lucanian Apennines within the perimeter of the Pollino National Park. A truly precious symbol of this territory.
The authenticity shines through people like Luigi and Leonardo and through the experience we lived together: a simple moment, yet rich in sharing, which allowed us to enter the true soul of the Pollino Park.
Cross-Country Skiing and Snowbike
The Pollino National Park features beautiful routes dedicated to cross-country skiing enthusiast. Immersed in fairytale landscapes, you can experience the winter mountain through a unique and engaging adventure. Another particularly distinctive activity is the snowbike: along some groomed snow trails, you can venture out and discover the surrounding scenery on a specially equipped bicycle.
Pollino National Park: Trekking Between Two Seas, the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian
A more classic activity, but no less adventurous, is trekking. There are several routes, depending on the age of the participants and, of course, on weather conditions. The walks cross paths with breathtaking views, from which you can admire the extraordinary nature of the Park and immerse yourself in its peace and tranquillity. Walking along snowy, rarely-trodden paths will transport you into an experience you will never want to end and that will deeply enrich you. A territory just waiting to be discovered!
Conclusions
There are many ways to live an experience and, in my opinion, one of the best is when it is shared. Because at the heart of everything there are always relationships: not only with other people, but also and above all with what surrounds us. The environment around us offers us scenery and panoramas that we rarely take the time to observe in life. Yet they are there, and they often fade into the background. This is why it is important to embrace a more balanced and conscious form of tourism, where what matters is not the speed of travel or the number of things seen, but nature remains at the centre and the way we relate to it. The Pollino National Park should be discovered and explored in exactly this way: with awareness and curiosity, making room for the natural beauty that is its true protagonist.
