A few kilometers from the city of Melfi, in Basilicata, there is a place that attracts thousands of tourists and nature lovers every year, the lakes of Monticchio. These are lakes born inside a now extinct volcano, the Vulture, and this explains why the surrounding soil is very dark, of lava origin precisely.
There are two lakes, divided by a small stretch of land, and are respectively called Lake Minore and Lake Maggiore based on their size. The territory is very rich in water sources and this has allowed the creation of some establishments such as the Gaudianello, the Leggera and the Toka. The water that flows from the rocks is a natural low mineral content and has a very light taste. Reaching the two lakes is not very simple: being located inside a volcano, it is necessary to travel along winding, narrow roads with various slopes. But the spectacle offered by this journey into the Lucanian vegetation and woods is truly unique.
Thanks to a particularly dull and cold day, the lakes gave a solemn, a bit dark, aspect in absolute silence. The wind blew through the branches of the trees, emitting relaxing and at the same time a bit dark sounds, a sort of warning to have respect for the nature in which we have entered. Parked the car in the special parking area, we set off along the path that runs alongside Lake Minore. The wind created slight ripples on the surface of the lake and here and there you can see air bubbles coming from the bottom, signals that the waters are inhabited by many fish, in addition to the frogs and toads that here and there jumped from one side to the other, on the lakeshore.
The landscape is really very characteristic and deserves to be observed carefully: the trees descend from the sides of the mountain and the long branches converge towards the lake, as if they were long arms in search of water. In this heavenly place there are the remains of an old monastery, dating back to the X-XIII century, of which today the ancient ruins are preserved, as a sign of respect and prayer.
Along the shores of the lake there are many benches, facing the water, on which tourists can sit and enjoy the view, perhaps reading a good book. In periods of greater tourist attention, some structures rent pedal boats to enjoy a ride directly on the lake, in close contact with its creatures. Along the shore there are also different structures such as restaurants, bars and various gift shops. If you are looking for a place to leave bad thoughts out and relax your minds, there is nothing more beautiful than walking in nature, our natural medicine
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