Places
Park·Easy·Family·Hidden gem
Piano Ruggio, Pollino
Basilicata
At around 1,550 m below the Serra del Prete, Piano Ruggio is a flat grass basin with the Rifugio De Gasperi at its edge. Easy tracks cross it into the surrounding beech; a short climb reaches the Belvedere del Malvento, a cliff edge over the Mercure valley with wind-sculpted Bosnian pines (pino loricato) on the rim.
Duration
2–3 hours
Distance
7 km
Elevation
+200 m
Best season
June – October
Parking · Free
Free parking at Piano Ruggio / Rifugio De Gasperi, above Rotonda.
Water
Spring at the rifugio; the plain is dry.
Highlights
- Flat beech-ringed upland plain
- Belvedere del Malvento cliff viewpoint
- Ancient loricate pines on the rim
With your dog
Off-leash tolerated on the plain away from grazing cattle and horses.
