Sette Pietre Trail

Castelmezzano is known for its outdoors adventure and high-strung zip line, but if you want to keep your feet planted on the ground, this trail is for you. Called the Sette Pietre (seven stones) trail, it descends and climbs between Castelmezzano and its neighboring town, Pietrapertosa, passing seven stone works of art in the process.

It is just over two kilometers long, but has a steep ascent (and then descent!) along its climb up to Pietrapertosa, the highest town in the Basilicata region. (No wonder it is known for its star-gazing!)

The path starts about 800 meters outside of Castelmezzano, near the cemetery. The natural beauty surrounding you is breathtaking, with the two towns that seem to just have grown organically from the rocky mountains. There are seven stops with works of stone art, each accompanied by a soundtrack that recounts a story based on a specific word for each sculptural piece - destiny, spell (or charm), enchantment, witches, fly, dance, delirium. You can linger, or press on, depending on your interest in the works.

There is no water source along the trail, so bring plenty of water, especially in summer; many underestimate this because they think the trail is short but forget about the elevation changes and the dry summer heat. Wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots.

Naturally, the trail can be done in reverse (from Pietrapertosa to Castelmezzano) but since there are no buses or shuttles between the towns, you'll need to walk back, have a ride arranged, or fly back to your starting point (on that zip line! ;)