The white Alburni Mount and the Valley of Calore River: emotions and surprises
The valley of Calore River is really luxuriant: the Calore River is a blue ribbon streaming from the Cervati Mountain and debouching into the Sele River in Roccadaspide, a region dominated by the high and impressive Alburni mountains covered by enchanting woods. Here the river is the setting of canoe championships. This wide area includes following towns: Albanella, Altavilla, Aquara, Bellosguardo, Campora, Capaccio, Castel San Lorenzo, Castelcivita, Controne, Corleto Monforte, Felitto, Giungano, Laurino, Magliano Vetere, Monteforte, Ottati, Petina, Piaggine, Postiglione, Roccadaspide, Roscigno, Sacco, Sant'Angelo a Fasanella, Serre, Sicignano degli Alburni, Stio, Trentinara, and Valle dell'Angelo.
These places always offer strong emotions and nice surprises, being charming and suggestive and also thanks to their important folkloristic traditions, a well developed handicraft, local products, and a genuine and delicious gastronomy. The path of the Calore River is immersed in a fascinating territory where nature is the queen: the clear waters of this river housing the otter cross one of the most spectacular territories of the Cilento region: the town Felitto dominates the river from a rock, like a natural fortress, between rocks and thick woods. Here nature offers unique geomorphologic scenarios: gorges, falls, and rocks carved by water and if you want to reach the still existing medieval bridge, you will face the most difficult part of the path accompanied by some birds of prey that fly showing all their beauty between sky and rocks, similar to canyons. You can also visit the Middle Ages castle with its seven towers. Felitto is the land of the "fusilli", a local typical handmade pasta, recently awarded with the IGP mark, and produced since the XVI century. During the summer festival dedicated to the 'fusilli', it is possible to taste them in various local and traditional recipes.
The territory of Val Calore reaches the archaeological area of Paestum which boasts the majestic Greek temples and the National Museum of Paestum. From there you can leave for a trip that will lead you in the most inner itineraries of the territory rich in several built-up areas, with chapels and noble palaces, full of flavours, smells, and colours. Tourists will love this high-quality offer, made of culture and traditions. Agriculture has always been the most important resource and thanks to it gastronomic traditions are excellent, made of taste and genuineness. With the grapes of some towns of the hilly region delicious wines are produced, such as the 'Val Calore' wine with DOC mark, and the excellent 'Colline Salernitane' oil awarded with the DOP mark is made with a selection of the best olives of the area. In Serre there is even a sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of the Olives, built between X and XI centuries.
Controne is the town famous for bean production. The bean of Controne is white, small and round with a very thin peel and is especially appreciated for its organoleptic quality and flavour. Even a festival is dedicated to Controne beans, an event made of traditions and gastronomy during which the ancient inns reopen, the characters from the past revive, such as the Abbot and the Baron and visitors can walk along the ancient roads, such as 'Giudea', 'Pavone', and 'dell'Osso' ad have the occasion to visit the ancient church dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari where the wood statue of the Patron and the Papal Bull of Pope Benedict VII can be admired.
Castelcivita, where delicious chickpeas are produced, is famous for its underground caves covering an area of more than 5 km with many suggestive galleries and extraordinary geological formations . The scenario offered by these caves is extraordinarily unique and hypnotic, the perfect setting for the mythological fairy tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, one of the most touching love stories ever written by an author. They are also named after Spartacus, because following the tradition he stopped here during his way to Rome while at the guide of the slaves in their rebellion against Rome.
The wide plains of the Alburno area are the ideal place for the cow pasture, whose meat is delicious and whose milk is actually used to produce the famous local cheese, called 'caciocavallo' or the tender ricotta cheese. Surrounded by wide chestnut groves of Sicignano degli Alburni you can admire the imposing Giusso Castle dominating and overlooking the area from a rock. These chestnut groves offer high-quality fruits and in the woods of Petina grow the small delicious wild strawberries, which you can taste in special recipes during the annual festival. Ottati is the land of a delicious fig, with an extraordinary flavour and while going round in Ottati enjoy a visit to the church dedicated to the Patron, Saint Blaise boasting three naves and a frescoed vault. Roscigno Vecchia, called "XX century Pompeii", is a Unesco World Heritage that with its alleys, the houses, the inns, and the stables is like an open-air museum.