Aspromonte National Park, National park in Calabria, Italy
Aspromonte National Park is a protected mountain area in the southern part of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, covering more than 64,000 hectares. The terrain shifts between densely wooded slopes, rocky granite peaks, and narrow valleys crossed by many streams.
The protected territory emerged in 1989 from part of the former Calabria National Park, becoming Italy's sixth such reserve. In 2021, UNESCO awarded the area Global Geopark status for its rock formations and landforms.
The mountain landscape has shaped village life for centuries, where craftspeople still work with traditional methods and farmers grow citrus on steep terraced slopes. In the higher settlements, residents preserve a Greek-Calabrian dialect and celebrate religious festivals that merge Byzantine and Latin customs.
Several visitor centers spread across the municipalities provide trail maps, cycling routes, and information about guided walks through the terrain. The paths range from easy walks along streams to longer climbs into the higher reaches of the massif.
The rock formations and landslides throughout the park reveal tectonic shifts that began millions of years ago and still reshape the mountains today. In damp gorges grows a tropical fern rare in Europe, tracing back to a warmer geological epoch.
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