With its 192,565 hectares, Pollino National Park, the
largest protected area in Italy between Calabria and Basilicata, has a wealth of landscapes to offer: great areas
of wilderness where the cuirassed pine -the true
emblem of the park- clings to the rocky slopes as the wind shapes
its twisted trunk; not far away, rolling hills and valleys, lush
slopes with flowering plants in springtime, and then endless upland
plains where the sheep still graze like in ancient times.
From east to west, the eye meets the sea and the coast is within
easy reach despite the considerable altitude of the mountains. The
solitude of the highest peaks dominated by the majestic flight of
the golden eagle is juxtaposed to the common reality of the
anthropic environment: small villages where the old women still wear
their traditional garb not far from larger towns hosting important
cultural events that attract visitors. In this territory survive
groups of ethnic Albanians that tenaciously preserve their Arboreshe (Italian-Albanian) cultural and linguistic traditions
as well as the archaeological remains of civilizations that have
dominated this area over the centuries.
Thus, a visit to Pollino National Park becomes a worthwhile
experience for various reasons: you will find an unusual natural
environment, in many ways still wild; you will encounter the
culture, customs and folklore of the people of Southern Italy; you
will get to know a nature reserve that aims to valorize its natural
resources and can offer its visitors a wide range of ways to enjoy a
holiday in the midst of a beautiful countryside where they can make
discoveries and sample the pleasures of the olden days.
The environmental programme of the Park has as its priority the
safeguarding of its natural resources so varied, precious and at
times even rare such as the autochthonous roe of Orsomarso,
the wolf of the Appennines, the golden eagle, and the cuirassed pine. Development based on conservation aims to
carry out specific actions to protect the diversity of the existing
natural systems, their ecology, biology, and functions, and to
assure a sustainable utilization of renewable resources by balancing
the environmental burden with the capabilities and limits of
Nature.
In view of this, besides the activites aimed at environmental
protection , initiatives for furthering the economic growth of the
local population have been planned with incentives and financial
supports being provided for environmentally-friendly enterprises.
Heading in the same direction is the creation of a trademark for the
Park, the implementation of organic agriculture, and the setting up
in every community of at least one project for the construction of
"park houses", visitor centers, ecohostels and info-boards.
Particularly young people are encouraged to see the Park as a
chance to invest by setting up small and medium enterprises that can
provide the needed services and take up the many opportunities for
new professions that may arise thanks to the National Park.
Pollino National Park