
Upper Tyrrhenian Cosentino · Riviera dei Cedri
Papasidero
A Pollino village on the Lao river, famous for the Grotta del Romito and its Palaeolithic art.
Papasidero is a town of about 570 inhabitants in the province of Cosenza, in the heart of the Pollino National Park.
Geography
The territory, ranging from 75 to 1,463 metres, is crossed by the Lao river, where rafting is practised, and includes the Lao River Valley nature reserve, established in 1987.
History
Human presence in the area dates back to the Palaeolithic, as the Grotta del Romito testifies.
What to see
The Grotta del Romito is one of Italy’s most important Palaeolithic sites. The Sanctuary of the Madonna di Costantinopoli dates to the 17th–18th century.
Getting there
By car via the A2 “del Mediterraneo” motorway; by train on the Tyrrhenian railway line; the nearest airport is Lamezia Terme.
Places
What to see around here.
Itineraries through here
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3 daysWellness & spaNature and Pollino in three days
Three days among spa, Palaeolithic cave and mountains of the Pollino National Park.
6 stops4 townsMarch–NovemberSee the stops -
4 daysWellness & spaNature and Pollino in four days
Four days among spa, cave, mountains and river in the Pollino National Park.
8 stops5 townsMarch–NovemberSee the stops
Frequently asked questions
- A Palaeolithic site in Papasidero, famous for the rock engraving of an aurochs (Bos primigenius) dated between 14,000 and 12,000 years ago.
- Yes, along the Lao river, in the Pollino National Park.
What is the Grotta del Romito?
Can you go rafting in Papasidero?
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