Total Distance: 74,4 Km

 

The departure is from the state railway station (Ferrovie dello Stato) of Potenza Inferiore, here we go on coasting Basentana road, then exiting to Vaglio turn we take the state road ‘Appia’, going away from noises of the town and dipping us in the silences of the country and in the smells of nature. We gain height going up along the sides of Serra San Bernardo, on whose top the archaeological area of Serra del Vaglio is situated. Passing through the Appia street, we reach the Cupolicchio forest and after several ups and downs, towards Campomaggiore.

One of the most beautiful parts of the route with a breath-taking view on the peak of the Lucanian Dolomites begins from here.

Finally we reach Campomaggiore, a small centre lengthened on a sort of plateau. On the return a declivity along the provincial road is particularly pleasant for the tracing with curves and hairpin curves, and for the particular beauty of the landscape of the Basento Valley, of the Gallipoli-Cognato Forest and of the Lucanian Dolomites.

The slope ends at Balzano bridge, from where the ascent towards the second and most difficult part of the route, towards Accettura. On the way to Accettura we find Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, places that we advise to visit in order to observe the landscape wonders.