Monticchio's Lakes

After the long walk in the village of Melfi, we decided to spend the afternoon at the Monticchio Lakes, about 15 km away (half an hour by car due to the number of bends). There are two lakes, one called Grande and the other Piccolo, based on their size and water flow. The lakes are located on Mount Vulture, in the past it was an active volcano, and today the lake has covered the crater.

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Being a public holiday and there being also a festival just a few km away, we expected to find a large number of tourists. We therefore decided to park on the street, a few hundred meters before the area with restaurants and shops. Our choice was excellent because the closer we get to the tourist area, the greater the traffic and chaos.

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Along the entire circumference of the lake there are several restaurants and pizzerias, although somewhat isolated from the tourist area. It is possible to walk around the lake along a well-defined path, very pleasant to do on foot but for those who do not feel like it, you can rent bicycles or rent pedal boats directly for pedaling on the lake.

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It is possible to take a narrow road uphill until you reach the Abbey of San Michele, in the past a convent for Benedictine monks, where there is the cave of the Archangel Michael with frescoes dating back to the 11th century AD Many tourists have decided to sit in the woods for a picnic or by the lake, in the appropriate spaces. A nice walk around the lake takes about an hour and, though tiring, it definitely has a regenerating effect.

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There is a magic that seems to surround the lake, which envelops you and wipes out all negative thoughts. I can only imagine how the monks could live in peace centuries ago surrounded only by nature and by the many animals that inhabit the forest.

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