14 – The Val d’Agri Park, a ring-route through nature, archaeology and spirituality
Difficulty: high
Bike type: gravel / road racing / e-bike
Departure: Grumentum (archaeological area)
Arrival: Grumentum (archaeological area)
Total miles: 73.8 km
Road surface: asphalt
Height difference ascent: 1600 m
Height difference descent: 1590 m
Time of year: from March to October
Variant for Brienza
Km 14.4
Uphill difference in height: 450 meters
Difference in height downhill: 420 mt
ROUTE
The itinerary starts from the archaeological excavations of Grumentum, the most important Roman site in Basilicata, and then proceeds to Sarconi, a village known for the production of the IGP bean.
ROUTE 14
The next stage of the tour leads to one of the most beautiful mountain views in the region, reaching Mount Sirino and Lake Laudemio, a lake situated at high altitude.
The route, which at first is quite easy, turns into a challenging mountain route through scenery that changes from being typically Mediterranean to mountainous. Splendid valleys, thick and imperious forests and endless ridges accompany the cyclist on a ride with a high altitude feel.
Variation: heading towards the lake, following the signs for Conserva di Lauria, you reach the town of Lauria. After a beautiful descent of about 20 km you will join this route to itinerary 19 (Rotonda – Maratea), reaching the Tyrrhenian coast.
The arrival at Lake Laudemio is spectacular, with a climb that ends in front of Europe’s southernmost glacial lake, at an altitude of more than 1500 metres.
After a well-deserved stop, we head back to Grumentum, taking a break to admire the Madonna del Sirino, nestled in the mountain, and passing the village of Moliterno, known for its Pecorino Canestrato IGP, one of the excellences of Lucanian gastronomy, made from sheep’s and goat’s milk.
Variation: At 10 km from Lake Laudemio, at the end of the descent, you will arrive at a T-junction. Turning left, following the signs for Lagonegro, passing through the coastal towns of Rivello, Nemoli and finally Maratea.
High difficulty tour, to be divided into two stages.
