Beyond the borders of Puglia
Cycling and / or Segway Tour with Puglia Open discovering landscapes, magical stories, mystical places ...
The City of Rocks
The Sassi of Matera, ancient dwellings carved into the tuff of a deep ravine, are now included in the list of assets of the 'UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Matera, in the farthest ages, men had found refuge in houses - caves overlooking a ravine, in the hollow of two rocky outcrops, the Caveoso and Sasso Barisano. Then, over the centuries, the caves were enlarged, the facades were built of masonry, forming a complex of houses, ladders connecting, steep alleyways and tiny squares. Today, many of these buildings have been restored and have become the very symbol of Matera, called the city of stones, and was granted the extraordinary interest of the entire environmental and urban monument.
In recent years, moreover, was found to exist in the Matera area of 137 rock churches and underground crypts containing frescoes, valuable evidence of religious painting from the eighth to the twelfth century. Hidden in these mountains, made of tuff easy to dig, landed from the seventh century many monks fled from Asia and Africa under the threat of Arab and Persian invasions. Others arrived from Constantinople at the time of Leo III, and others from Sicily, expelled the Muslim invasion, all found sanctuary in this region "karst", in the caves which open in steep terrain.
Puglia Open Tour offers the following excursions:
- MATERA - the charm of an ancient city
- TOUR THE DISTRICT STONES - ROCK CHURCHES AND MUSEUMS
- MATERA BY NIGHT TOUR NIGHT WITH STONES
- MATERA - Among the typical products and handicrafts
A Coast Magic
From Positano to Vietri sul Mare, Amalfi Coast stretches along 35 kilometers of rock above the sea: a journey through the most exciting of Italy, rich in scents and colors, punctuated by a long succession of villages and seaside tourist hours.So Positano, pyramid of small houses perched on the slopes of the mountains Comune and Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi: no famous churches, no museum to visit, but a little fairyland of square houses with domed roofs and an atmosphere that has kidnapped over the centuries many travelers, especially foreigners.
And then from Amalfi, collected in a narrow space between the mountain and the sea, with the cascade of white houses that go along the narrow Mill Valley, its narrow streets, some of which covered, the corners of which are lined with historic mansions and medieval architecture. On a high staircase dominates the facade of the Duomo, a native of the ninth century, was rebuilt in the Arab - Norman in 1203 and remodeled again in 700.
At about 7 km from Amalfi, Ravello lies, perhaps the most beautiful country on the coast, far from worldly splendor and surrounded by an aura of intellectual refinement.
There are many small towns and hamlets perched on a hill suspended between land and sea, offering stunning views and a tranquility hard to find so little distance from Naples.
Landscapes
One evening at sunset and enjoy the spectacle of Vesuvius dominating the Bay of Naples and Salerno, C. Dickens noted "the most beautiful land in the world opens before us" on the horizon ... Capri, with its steep cliffs and lush vegetation.
And yet Procida and Ischia, or taking a step back in history Pompeii and Herculaneum, Paestum, or to escape the noise of the crowd.
Before our eyes we discover a world of history, art, culture, nature and civilization that has few euguali in the world.
And Naples is the largest and most famous of the South, since the ancient metropolis, rich in history, culture, art of all time in an urban environment and social development of extraordinary interest.
Naples is situated almost central position in the gulf, between Vesuvius and the volcanic area of Campi Flegrei. His artistic and architectural heritage is protected by UNESCO, which in 1995 included the historic center of Naples, the largest in Europe, among the world heritage sites.
It was founded by the inhabitants of Cumae in 475 BC as Neapolis in a lower area than an earlier settlement, founded in the seventh century BC by Greek colonists. Counted among the leading cities of Magna Grecia, in the course of its history Naples has seen a succession of long and numerous foreign domination, covering an important position in Italy and Europe.
The historic city has been developing predominantly on the coast, the first nucleus of the town was formed from the island of Megaride, where Greek settlers gave start to the first trading post which involved the development of the modern city.
The Naples area is mainly composed of hills on which they were born real neighborhoods and / or historic districts, but also from the islands, inlets and peninsulas jutting out over the Tyrrhenian Sea.
A list of museums, historic buildings, the houses there to see occupy dozens of pages. From the most ancient civilizations until the time of the Bourbons, all the people that have taken place along the coasts of the Gulf have left important traces in the archaeological excavations that comes to life, the palaces and mansions, the beautiful churches, sometimes in a plot of derelict buildings yet preserving the majesty and grace of the original forms, which are finally coming to occupy their rightful place in the history of European culture.
To visit: monuments, religious buildings, military buildings, royal palaces, castles, among which we mention "the male Anjou", "Castel dell 'Ovo", "Castle Aselmeyer", "Castel Sant' Elmo," and again, defensive towers, civil architecture, palaces, villas, fountains.
The Islands of the Gods
At 17 sea miles from Naples, Capri rises, the island where time seems to run slower, sweeter than any other place.
A legendary name still on the international map of holidays where to rendezvous and refuge in the quiet of the villas. Each tour starts and ends in the square, where in 1938 he placed first Vuotto Raffaele outdoor seating, with its four bars enclosed in the Clock Tower, City Hall and the church of Santo Stefano. If Capri is synonymous with the sweet life and the island remains wild Procida, Ischia deserves the title of island of health and nature. Dozens of spas, a collection of mud and steam, and a luxuriant flora, hence the name of Green Island, framed by a first-class hotel. You add to all this the traces of a culture that originated from the Greeks and the small countries of which the island is full, each with its particular beauty to be discovered.
The Costa del Cilento
The high cliffs, dark caves where penetrating the sea and a few rays of sun that creates colored reflections, the rocky walls that assume strange and bizarre shapes and spectacular show openings, have fueled the imagination of men: in fact, many stories tell of legends , heroes and monsters, who have lived in these parts.
Among the caves is that of Polyphemus, the legendary giant with one eye that tried to sink the ship of Ulysses.
The most famous is, however, the Blue Grotto which opens into a recess in the rocky coast: numerous stalactites hang from the ceiling and at the hour of sunset, when the sun lowers on the horizon, illuminating the opening of the cave, the water becomes bluish color and exceptional transparency.
All the Cilento coast is covered with Mediterranean vegetation: olive centenarians, Indian figs and oaks form patches of different color, that make this coast one of the most beautiful in Italy.
Puglia Open Tour offers the following excursions:
- Naples;
- Salerno and the Amalfi coast: Vietri sul Mare - Amalfi - Positano
- Cilento National Park of Cilento - Paestum and its archaeological area - Agropoli - Marina di Camerota, the main town in the municipality of Camerota, Cilento overlooking the sea a few miles from the tip Infreschi, which marks the BEGINNING of the Gulf of Policastro .
- Palinuro;
And going down:
- Maratea, known for the shrine of the patron and the giant statue of the Redeemer that watches over the Gulf of Policastro Sapri - Acquafredda - Rotondella - Fiumicello Santa Venere.
- Castrocucco.
PUGLIA OPEN TOUR can customize your travel itinerary according to your needs.