BASILICATA

The itinerary will continually surprise you going through mountains and hills, lakes and beaches, arid gorges and lush forests. And you will rarely meet anyone on the street, because Basilicata is the least populated region in Italy. Of course, you will need a lot of training, because it is a very mountainous region and the D+ is not for everyone… but you can always think to ride an e-bike!

I took a very comfortable overnight Intercity train from Milan Centrale to Maratea, where I started riding to reach the Loop. Being a loop you can also start elsewhere, however you can’t miss beautiful Maratea, the blue pearl overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea!

Ride along the beautiful old railway from Nemoli to Viggianello. You will only see Lauria from above, but it’ss worth stopping in Rotonda and having lunch at “Da Peppe” restaurant (also B&B), also recommended by the Michelin Guide. Cruschi peppers and Lucanian cousin are delicious!

Tough, uphill stage that will take you to the amazing Pollino Park. I found snow when I went there! I had a super good and cheap lunch on the road at Agriturismo La Garavina. You can also stay overnight.

The descent towards Tursi is spectacular, and Pomarico is a beautiful perched village waiting to be explored. However, I recommend the detours to the ghost town of Craco Vecchio (set of many films) and the gullies of Pisticci. It’s really worth it!

Don’t miss to visit the Abbey of S. Michele Arcangelo in Montescaglioso. Matera is incredible and certainly deserves a whole day stop. Getting to the heart of the town by bike is difficult because of the many steps, so I stayed a little outside, at Le Dimore dell’Ofra.

You ride in the Murgia Park and in the Matera hills. The area of ​​Lake San Giuliano is… wow!

Like Castelmezzano and other Lucanian villages, Pietrapertosa is one of the “most beautiful villages in Italy”, perched on the Lucanian Dolomites and immersed in the Gallipoli Cognato Regional Park. The towns is built entirely on bare rock and surrounded by steep cliffs and breathtaking scenery. It is worth stopping a little longer to explore the area, even on foot, and fly over the Lucanian Dolomites with the Volo dell’Angelo. On the road I recommend a stop at the delightful Locanda Pezzolla in Accettura. In Pietrapertosa I slept at Eureka Room and Breakfast and had dinner at Piccolo Ristoro Le Rocce

The descent from Pietrapertosa is spectacular, and the climb up to the Cupolicchio pass is also very beautiful.

Head towards Parco del Vulture riding through the Arbëreshe villages of Ginestra and Barile, ancient Albanian colonies where you can still hear somebody speak Albanian today. Barile is famous for the caves where Aglianico wine is preserved, and for being the set of a famous film of director Pasolini. Mandatory detour to the Monticchio Lakes, where you can eat very well at the Lago Grande Restaurant. Overnight stay and dinner at the Locanda al Giglio d’Oro.

Must stops in the beautiful perched villages of San Fele and Muro Lucano. Ruoti 1885 is a nice B&B where you spend the night.

A tough stage that will take you back to 1.300m above sea level, in the Sellata Ski Area. You are now in the middle of the mountains in the Appennino Lucano National Park. If you have time it’s worth stopping, because here there are many nice MTB and trekking paths. Overnight stay and dinner at Azienda Agrituristica Villaggio Eos.

Another beautiful and challenging climb, the landscape is beautiful because you ride around huge Monte Sirino. Lagonegro is a beautiful medieval village where it is worth making a stop: the legend says that Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was buried here. If you have time, make a pilgrimage to the Madonna del Sirino. Lake Sirino is a lovely little lake at the foot of Mount Sirino, still within the Appennino Lucano National Park. I had dinner at Ristorante da Mimì, where you can also stay overnight