17 – Crossing the Pollino National Park, from Terranova del Pollino to Rotonda
Difficulty: medium / high
Bike type: touring / road racing / gravel / e-bike
Departure: Terranova del Pollino
Arrival: Rotonda
Total miles: 58 approximately
Road surface: asphalt
Height difference ascent: 1200 m
Height difference descent: 1200 m
Time of year: from April to November
ROUTE
A mountain route suitable for experienced cyclists, which can be covered in a single day. The tour, at the heart of the Pollino National Park, is characterized by tough climbs but also by enjoyable descents, on roads with very little traffic.
ROUTE 17
Starting from Terranova del Pollino, go up into the shade of the green beech and chestnut woods which are so typical of the area, where it is also possible to admire the extraordinary specimens of the centuries-old Heldreich’s Pine, the symbol of the Park.
Then a pleasant descent leading to San Severino Lucano begins, the destination of one of the most popular pilgrimages in Basilicata, in honour of the Madonna del Pollino.
Variation:
After passing the hamlets of Muscello and Falascoso, about 38 km from the start, you come to a fork in the road. For those who are more athletically prepared, it is possible to continue straight and reach, after about 16 km at 4% of average gradient, the 1600 meters of Piano Visitone and Piano Ruggio and then from there to head on towards Rotonda.
The next stop on the tour is Viggianello, the “town of brooms”, certified as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Italy” by the association “Borghi più belli d’Italia”. Another 10 kilometres and you reach Rotonda, where in June i you can watch one of the traditional tree rituals of this area of Basilicata, the Sagra dell’Abete, a propitiatory rite linked to the fertility of the land.