Pollino National Park, National park in Cosenza, Matera and Potenza provinces, Italy.
Pollino National Park is a protected area in the provinces of Matera, Cosenza, and Potenza, spanning nearly 193,000 hectares across Calabria and Basilicata. The terrain includes mountain chains, forested slopes, grasslands, and several river systems winding through valleys.
Pollino National Park was established in 1988; a provisional boundary and safeguard measures followed in 1990. Its administrative bodies, including the presidency and management based in Rotonda, were set up between 1993 and 1994. The park covers 192,565 hectares across 56 municipalities in Basilicata and Calabria.
Several villages within the park boundaries still speak an Albanian minority language that shapes everyday community life. These settlements preserve their own songs and festivals, which visitors can witness during regional events.
Authorized outlets sell official trail maps that help visitors navigate the extensive path network. Routes are suitable for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding, and it is wise to prepare for changing mountain weather.
The park's emblem is the Bosnian pine, a rare species that grows on the highest, most exposed slopes where other trees cannot survive. The oldest European tree, a Heldreich's pine estimated at 1,230 years, also stands within the park.
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