| Calabria region | |
| Capital | Catanzaro |
|---|---|
| Residents | 1.947.131 (2019) |
| surface | 15,221.9 km² |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | |
| location | |
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The region Calabria located in Southern Italy and represents the "toe of the boot".
Regions
Calabria consists of the five provinces of Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio di Calabria and Vibo Valentia.
The landscape of the region is dominated by mountains and the plains in between by isthmuses. In the north the southernmost foothills of the Pollino reach as far as Calabria, the Sibari plain extends to the Ionian Sea, to the Gulf of Corigliano. The Catena Costiera mountain ranges run along the Policastro Gulf to the west, while the Catena Costiera rises further to the south Sila, the entire region (from the north Sila Greca, Sila Grande, Sila Piccola) was placed under protection, the Catena Costiera stretches along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the south, followed by the isthmus with the plain between the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia (at Lamezia Terme ) and the Gulf of Squilace; further to the south rise the Aspromonte Mountains, to the west the Gulf of Gioia Tauro and the Stretto, the Strait of Messina between Calabria and the island of Sicily. Reggio is located on the western slope, here in the southernmost part of Calabria only the land near the coast is flatter, in the interior it rises rapidly and mountainously.
- Sila (Botte Donato, 1,930 m) in the province of Cosenza in the north.
- Aspromonte (Montalto, 1,956 m) in the south
Both mountains are separated by the Lamezia plain, which stretches as an isthmus between two bays:
- the Gulf of Squillace in the east and
- the Gulf of Santa Eufemia in the West.
places
- Catanzaro - the capital of the region.
- Campora San Giovanni
- Cosenza, in the province the towns Castrovillari, Cassano allo Ionio, the Italo-Albanian village Civita, over the Ionian Sea the cities Corigliano Calabro and Rossano
- Crotone - Capital of the province of the same name
- Reggio di Calabria - the former capital and seat of parliament
- Sant 'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio
- Scalea
- Tropea - a town near the Capo Vaticano on the west coast / tyrrhen. sea
- Vibo Valentia - the provincial capital near Tropea
Other goals
- Pizzo
- archaeological sites as witnesses to the Greek colonization of Magna Graecia: Sibari, Crotone with the Capo Colonna
- Sila National Park
- Pollino National Park, here including the Italo-Albanian community Civita with the Gole del Raganello gorge
- Cerchiara di Calabria
background
Calabria is the economically least developed region of Italy, there is mainly a lack of larger industrial locations, the planned establishment of industrial locations in the 1970s turned out to be a failure in several places.
In ancient times Calabria belonged to "Magna graecia", the coast was settled by Greek colonizers. The area later became part of the Roman Empire and was the scene of clashes with the Carthaginians. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area came under the influence of Byzantium, was attacked by Arab conquerors and then conquered by the Normans coming from the north. Many fortresses and Catholic places of worship and monastery complexes date from this time. Under the Angioviners, the Aragonese and the Burbons it was from Naples ruled from as part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and came to the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
This diversity is reflected, among other things, in the languages of the region. There are still small towns in which Italo-Albanian is spoken, as well as some villages in which a special form of ancient Greek is colloquial.
The rich history of the region can also be traced back to the more or less well-preserved buildings from over 2000 years. Churches of all architectural styles can be found, from the Norman-Romanesque to the predominant Calabrian baroque and classicist buildings, which replaced historical buildings damaged by the earthquakes.
language
- Italian. In tourist places sometimes English and often broken German. In the country: Exclusively Italian, mostly with a strong regional tongue (Calabrian).
getting there
- With your own vehicle: after the end of the toll motorway
at Salerno take the 
which runs through Campania and the mountainous region of the Parco Nazionale del Pollino descends into the Sibari plain between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. Without any significant inclines, it continues to Cosenza, then the motorway climbs back into the mountains and after another mountain stretch leads down into the isthmus Lamezia Terme and further after Reggio di Calabria.
- Use of the motorway is free of charge (costs from Northern Italy to Salerno approx. € 65).
- By plane: Calabria's international airport, which is also served by low-cost airlines, is that of 1 Lamezia-Terme (daily from e.g. Munich and Düsseldorf).
- By train: direct daily connections with the Frecciargento high-speed train from Rome to Reggio di Calabria (Travel time from Munich to Central Calabria: around 18h)
mobility
- the coastal area of Calabria can be explored by train. A railway line laid out for strategic reasons circles the entire coastline, and most of the small and very small towns along the coast have a train station; a regional train line runs with numerous stops through the mountains from the regional capital Cosenza to Catanzaro. In the mountainous interior of the country, however, it looks different, the narrow-gauge line from Cosenza to Crotone was never completed and the one from both sides in the Sila leading branch lines shut down. Almost all places can be reached by buses that are operated by various companies (and some of them as long-distance buses "Pulmann" also connect the major Italian metropolises with provincial towns, the connections are not so easy in internal traffic).
- By car: On the autobahn, you can get on quickly, so detours are often worthwhile. The larger state highways (SS) along the coast and the expressway
through the Sila are well developed, only the through-roads are sometimes difficult. Especially in the mountainous parts of the Sila, the National Park of Serre The state and provincial roads often lead in endless serpentines and along river valleys, making long stretches difficult to drive.
Tourist Attractions
activities
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- many stretches of coast with beautiful sandy beaches alternating with steep rocky coasts (especially on the Tyrrhenian Sea) land at the Swimming, surfing and Diving a.
- In the national park areas, routes from simple walks to mountain hikes are signposted, unfortunately, as everywhere in southern Italy, no current hiking map material is available, so that Internet map services often have to be used.
kitchen
Calabrian cuisine is generally considered spicy.
- Cipolle di Tropea: Red very mild onions (special variety, protected origin according to EU regulation, is only grown around Tropea)
- N'duja, a special typical Calabrian spicy spreadable sausage (pronounced N'du-scha or N'du-ja; depending on the region)
- Pizza (comes from southern Italy and has only been known in "rest of Italy" for less than 50 years): Usually large, from the stone oven and inexpensive (4 to 6.- €), sometimes also available in bakeries in sections.
- numerous variations of pasta, in Calabria every bigger place can have its pasta specialty.
- Mediterranean vegetarian food: aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, onions (every vegetarian will find something in every restaurant)
- Wild boar, mushrooms and chestnuts (chestnuts) are mainly offered in the mountain areas, for example in the towns of the Sila
- Fish dishes such as swordfish and tuna as well as seafood are almost only available in the coastal towns.
In general, eating is cheap in Calabria: a cafe (you get an espresso with this order) still costs around 1.- Euro, even in the motorway service stations the price for a cappuccino is a moderate 1.50 €.
nightlife
Many Calabrian cities were built in the Middle Ages on mountainous hills in the hinterland at a safe distance from invading pirates and malaria-infested swamps. It's quiet in these cities in the evenings, older men sit in the bars along the Corso or in the central piazza and discuss world affairs over a glass of wine or coffee. The coastal settlements of the cities (often referred to as Marina di ...) and the holiday resorts (Lido di ...), where there are eateries, beach bars, beach bars and discos - the season is usually short and There is a lot of activity, especially in August.
security
Although Calabria is considered to be the stronghold of the Ndrangheta, the Calabrian branch of organized crime, the visitor hardly gets any of it. Organized crime is less interested in the wallet contents of individual travelers (tourists shouldn't be scared off), but does business in the state-related environment, where millions are diverted for services not provided (such as illegal garbage disposal) or sloppily executed buildings.
Small crimes such as pickpockets or theft of valuables from the car must be expected, the situation does not differ from the rest of Central Europe, in the smaller towns away from the centers the risk of becoming a victim of theft or physical violence appears to be lower than in central European metropolitan areas . Many sights or park areas visited by tourists have only a few foreign visitors and you are warmly welcomed accordingly.
The driving style in Calabria often looks breakneck on the first impression; It is driven with great care and this is required of every road user. Anticipating maneuvers by other road users and a little flexibility means that few traffic accidents can be observed on the roads. However, you must not blindly rely on the fact that you are coming from the right and want to enforce your rights, but clarify the situation with flashing lights or eye contact, horns are rarely honored.
Speed limits are sometimes handled very flexibly, sometimes strictly adhered to, the locals know where on the SS106 radar systems are stationed that also flash, and where, despite the safety line, you can overtake a slower truck that rolls on the right side of the road and makes overtaking easier can - incorporating into the flow of traffic could be called the recommendation.
climate
Diverse due to the differences in altitude between the central mountains and the coastal regions.
- On the coast: In summer (June up to and including September) there is often no precipitation for weeks and over 30 ° every day, usually not under 20 ° at night. In winter rarely below 10 °, frost only very rarely and then only by the hour.
- In the mountains: In winter there is a lot of snow, especially in the Sila - there are also ski lifts and cross-country trails. Pleasantly "cool" in summer, below 30 ° during the day and below 20 ° at night.
trips
- to the Adriatic coast of Apulia and the Salento peninsula ("heel of the boot")
- to Tropea and to the beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea around that Capo Vaticano
- to Zungri
- Serra San Bruno
- Sila National Park
- Scilla with its beaches on the Stretto, the Strait of Messina
- With the ferry, which runs at least every hour, you can travel cheaply as a single passenger or by car within 30 minutes of Villa San Giovanni to Messina on Sicily translate
literature
Culture and Science (the following books are funded by the EU and mainly written by professors from Calabrian universities)
- Federico Bianchi di Castelbianco - Calabria, castles by the sea
- Francesco A. Cuteri - Forays through Byzantine and Norman Calabria
- Maria Gulli 'and Marcello Partenope - Calabria, itineraries through Greater Greece
- Francesco A. Cuteri - Routes in the anicent Calabria
Fiction:
- Kuno Raeber - Calabria - Travel Sketches
- Patric Marino - Nonno speaks
