GRAN TOUR

GRAN TOUR CALABRIA

7 DAYS (6 NIGHTS)

REGGIO CALABRIA - SCILLA - CHIANALEA - TROPEA - PIZZO - COSENZA - ALTOMONTE - SAN GIOVANNI IN FIORE - SANTA SEVERINA - CATANZARO LIDO - CROTONE - LE CASTELLA - STILO - GERACE

1st DAY: Arrival - REGGIO CALABRIA or LAMEZIA TERME

Arrival at the airport/station of Reggio Calabria or Lamezia Terme. Accommodation in private car/minibus/bus and transfer to hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 2: REGGIO CALABRIA - SCILLA - CHIANALEA - REGGIO CALABRIA

Breakfast at the hotel and visit to the National Museum, which houses artefacts from around a century of discoveries. It was founded thanks to the efforts of Paolo Orsi who, after the earthquake of 1908, wanted to combine the collections of the old Civic Museum of 1882 with the materials recovered during his excavation campaigns in Calabria. The museum houses the famous Riace Bronzes, original Greek works from the 5th century BC, recovered from the waters of the same name in 1972 and brought here after restoration in 1981. Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, departure for a visit to Scilla (22 km), a mythical place par excellence: Homer identified it as the place where a monster attacked ships. Hence the legend of Scylla and Charybdis. The castle, located on the rock, is very impressive, and from its terrace you can enjoy one of the most evocative views that Calabria has to offer. The houses and palaces of the 17th and 18th centuries alternate with the fishermen's cottages of the 'Chianalea', a neighbourhood on the water's edge that always seems as if it is about to be swallowed up by the sea. Return to Reggio Calabria. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 3: TROPEA - PIZZO - COSENZA

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a visit to Tropea, the Norman Cathedral, the Baroque Church of Sant'Alfonso dei Liguori, and a walk through the historic centre to discover the 'glorious civilisations' that made this town famous in the past. Lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Pizzo, famous for the small church of Piedigrotta, a unique masterpiece of sacred art, inside which you can admire statues carved in rock representing scenes from the Holy Scriptures by local artists Angelo and Alfonso Barone. Walk through the historic centre and visit the 16th-century castle, known for a sad event that took place here: the execution of the King of Naples, Joachim Murat. Finally, relax and enjoy some truffle ice cream in one of the many bars located in the town's 'salotto' (living room), where the gelato makers of Pizzo are true masters. Continue to Cosenza (90 km). Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

DAY 4: COSENZA - ALTOMONTE - COSENZA

Breakfast at the hotel and tour of the historic centre: Cosenza, also known as the city of the Bruzi, is one of the oldest cities in Calabria, rising on seven hills in the Crati valley, at the confluence with the Busento. Because of its cultural importance in the past, Cosenza was known as the Athens of Italy. Highlights include the cathedral, the tomb of Isabella of Aragon, the Rendano theatre from the outside and the historic Renzelli café. Time at leisure for a pleasant stroll along Corso Mazzini, home to the MAB open-air museum. Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, departure for an excursion to Altomonte (Km 58) to discover one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Italy, the greatest example of Gothic-Angevin art in Calabria. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 5: COSENZA - SILA - SAN GIOVANNI IN FIORE - SANTA SEVERINA - CATANZARO LIDO

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a relaxing day in the heart of the Sila National Park. We will first visit the characteristic mountain centre of Camigliatello (Km 36), followed by a pleasant walk in the National Park following the path of the wildlife enclosures. The journey through the National Park continues in the direction of San Giovanni in Fiore (Km 27) where we will visit the Florense Abbey. Lunch in a restaurant. Time permitting, a visit to a goldsmith's workshop and on to Santa Severina (Km 35). In the afternoon, visit to the village and its characteristic historic centre with the Norman Castle and the Greek baptistery, among the oldest in Calabria. In the evening, arrival in Catanzaro Lido (Km 60). Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in Catanzaro Lido.

DAY 6: CATANZARO LIDO - CROTONE - LE CASTELLA - CATANZARO LIDO

Breakfast at the hotel. 07:45 am Departure to visit the city of Crotone (Km 65) with its important historic centre. A Pythagorean city, it preserves the Cathedral, the medieval castle, and in particular the Archaeological Museum, which houses the numerous finds from the treasure of the Temple of Hera. At 13:00 lunch in a restaurant. We continue on to Le Castella (Km 62) where we visit the Aragonese fortress that stands on a small island connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus (a true spectacle of nature). In the evening, arrival in Catanzaro Lido (Km 40). Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 7: CATANZARO LIDO - STILO - GERACE - REGGIO CALABRIA

Breakfast at the hotel. 7:30 a.m. departure for Stilo (63 km). The village is one of the most charming in Calabria, preserving Byzantine and Norman styles. Visit to the "Cattolica", a small Byzantine church dating back to the 9th-10th century, which has preserved its ancient structure intact and is a candidate to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue on to visit Gerace (62 km). Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, its name derives from Hierax, a sparrowhawk that nested on this hill. It was probably founded around the 9th century by refugees from Locri who, trying to escape Arab raids, followed the sparrowhawk that landed on the rocky massif where Gerace was later built. You will enter the historic centre through the 'Porta del Sole' (Gate of the Sun) and take a walk that will allow visitors to immerse themselves in a remarkable medieval atmosphere as they discover churches and palaces of rare beauty. At the end of the walk, as if by magic, the 11th-century cathedral will appear, the largest church in Calabria, which houses the treasure of the ancient bishops of Gerace, well worth a visit. Lunch along the way. Continue to Reggio Calabria or Lamezia Terme and departure for the return journey.