Parco dell’Uccellina, Italy by Rik & Ste

While consisting as an animal reserve today, the area where Parco dell’Uccellina has been inhabited since the Lower Paleolithic Era. There has been evidence uncovered which dates the first human settlements in Parco dell’Uccellina back 500,000 years ago. Other artifacts have been uncovered which dates back to the Wurm Ice Age which occurred 90,000 years ago.

There are a number of caves in Parco dell’Uccellina which were inhabited by Neanderthals. The most important of these caves is the Fabbrica Cave in which a number of High and Medium Paleolithic Era artifacts have been uncovered. Then there is the Golino Cave in which artifacts dating back to the Medium Paleolithic Era were uncovered back in 1865. Finally, there is the Scoglietto Cave in which some of the oldest known discoveries were made.

In Parco dell’Uccellina, near the city of Grosseto, you will find the ancient San Rabano Abbey which dates back to the 9th or 10th century. There are many other monuments, and churches which can be found throughout the region which dates back to the 13th century.

Countless people make their way to Parco dell’Uccellina to not only see some of Italy’s wildlife in their natural habitat, but to also see some of the oldest known human settlements in the country. There is a lot of history hiding in and around the natural reserve of Parco dell’Uccellina that is just waiting for you to explore and experience firsthand.

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Vikos Gorge is 20 km long and 400 m wide but at some places it is only a few meters wide. Its walls are high in some places over 1000 meters. Due to its size, the Vikos Gorge ranked the world’s deepest canyons and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Onno Zweers

Part of the Vikos Gorge is covered by the National Park Vikos-Aoos, which was founded in 1973. Except of canyon, there is also Tymfi mountain, river Aoos and several villages. The main part of the gorge stretches from village of Vikos to the village of Monodendri. The river Voidomatis flows through the canyon which constitutes the breathtaking scenery. Along the gap there are several view-points, offering breathtaking views. In the local unspoilt countryside there are many species of plants and animals such as bears, deer and foxes, which are protected by park.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Onno Zweers

The area around the Vikos Gorge is ideal for many sports. Among others, climbing, mountain biking and of course hiking, which is the most popular. It is better to hike with a guide as it is very easy to get lost here. There are ongoing organized excursions, including a tour through the Zagori picturesque villages and famous stone bridge.

You can get to the Vikos Gorge e.g. by public bus transportation service. The journey from Athens to Zagori takes about 7 hours.

View Vikos Gorge in Greece in a larger map

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