Sport and nature

The route begins in Matera, one of the oldest cities in the world and European Capital of Culture 2019. The city is world famous for its Sassi, World Heritage Site since 1993 along with the Park of the Rupestrian Churches.

After leaving the Città dei Sassi, the tour moves on towards Grassano, skirting Lake San Giuliano. The small town of Collina Materana is known as the Città del Presepe (Nativity Town). In the stunning Palazzo Materi, you can admire the splendid nativity scene by the local master Franco Artese, thanks to whom, in recent years, the nativity art of Lucania has found its way to the principal squares and churches in Italy and around the world, starting with St Peter’s Square in Rome.

The tour then heads towards Accettura, one of the little towns in the Park of Gallipoli Cognato and the Piccole Dolomiti Lucane. In the heart of the countryside, its name is connected above all to Il Maggio di Accettura, an ancient and characteristic arboreal rite that is repeated every year in Basilicata, linked to the fertility of the earth and the renewal of life.

After crossing the Montepiano Pass, you reach Pietrapertosa. Officially recognized as one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, it owes its fame to the Volo dell’Angelo (Flight of the Angel): an adrenaline-fuelled flight hanging belly down from a steel cable, travelling at speeds of up to 120 km/h, to reach Castelmezzano, a mile away, in just over a minute.

The tour can be extended from here precisely to visit Castelmezzano, also counted among the most beautiful towns in Italy and, like Pietrapertosa, a destination for the more adventurous tourists who wish to experience the thrill of flight, alone or in pairs.

High difficulty route suitable for bicycle touring experts that can also be completed in two or three stages, thus making it less tiring.