Parco Nazionale dell'Aspromonte

Calabria


Most Italians think of the Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte as a hiding place used by Calabrian kidnappers in the 1970s and ’80s. It’s still rumoured to contain ’ndrangheta strongholds, but as a tourist you’re unlikely to encounter any murky business. The park is startlingly dramatic, rising sharply inland from Reggio. Its highest peak, Montalto (1955m), is dominated by a huge bronze statue of Christ and offers sweeping views across to Sicily.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Calabria attractions

1. Castello Ruffo

12.51 MILES

An imposing fortress surmounting the headland commanding Scilla, this castle has at times been a lighthouse and a monastery. It houses a luntre, the…

2. Museo Nazionale di Reggio Calabria

13.94 MILES

Over several floors in Southern Italy's finest museum you'll descend through millennia of local history, from Neolithic and Palaeolithic times through…

3. Museo Nazionale del Bergamotto

14.27 MILES

Housed in Reggio's former covered market, this museum, which opened in 2018, showcases the interesting 300-year-old history of the region's bergamot…

4. Aragonese Castle

14.44 MILES

Only two towers, restored in 2000, remain of the Aragonese Castle damaged by earthquake and partially demolished in 1922. The site is used for events and…

5. Madonna della Lettera

18.75 MILES

Guarding Messina's harbour is the soaring golden statue of the Madonna della Lettera. A good spot to admire it and the harbour is from the seafront…

6. Museo Nazionale di Locri Epizephyrii

18.83 MILES

Situated 3km south of modern-day Locri, the Greek colony of Locri Epizephyrii was founded in 680 BC, later subsumed by Rome and finally abandoned…

7. Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare

18.96 MILES

Messina's redeveloped regional museum is one of Sicily's lesser-known highlights, with an extensive collection of fascinating art and archaeology. Its…