The Pollino National Park

With its surface of 192’000 hectares the Pollino National Park is the largest national park in Italy and one of the largest Protected Areas in Europe. It is located on the border between the regions Calabria and Basilicata.

An indescribably wild and untouched nature between two seas which you can see from time to time from the respective edge areas of the park. The highest of five two-thousanders – Serra Dolcedorme – reaches 2267 m asl and impressive prairies, sheer endless forests and deep canyions dominate the scenery.

Symbol of the National Park is the Bosnian Pine. A wolf population of approximately 70 animals lives around Monte Pollino in the center of the Park. Deer, however, you can find in the Orsomarso mountains on the western side of the Park. Special attention merit the seven villages of the National Park inhabitated by the Arbereshe. These are Albanians who have fled the persecution of Christians in the 15th Century AD from their homes to southern Italy.

The language of Arbereshe is still very much alive, although it is only transmitted orally from generation to generation.

Mit seinen 192000 Hektaren ist der Pollino-Nationalpark der grösste Nationalpark Italiens und eines der grössten Naturschurschutzgebiete Europas. Er befindet sich an der Grenze zwischen den Regionen Kalabrien und der Basilikata.