Trail name and description
- Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park
- Municipality of Rofrano (Province of Salerno)
- 40.214142, 15.418313
Level & Scale of difficulty used for hiking
E (For more info have a look here)
Duration
1,5 hours
Distance
4,5 km
Refreshing points
None – it’s possible to get refreshment in Rofrano that is 1,5 km far from the starting point.
Shelters
None
Best period for hiking
from Spring to Autumn
how to reach the starting point
the starting point is reachable by private car or public transportation.
Equipment and outfit required
Comfortable shoes and clothes for hiking/trekking, some sandals to walk in the water (if you want do it), a rucksack, a binocular, a camera and some water (depending of personal attitude and need).
We are in one of the most interesting corners of the territory of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The path leads the visitor to the gorge dug over several million years by the Mingardo River. The gorge, about 500 meters long, is characterized by a very wild condition. During winter it is possible to immerse oneself in the great spectacle offered by the rapid and rushing torrent, while in summer the walker/hiker is immersed in the peace created by the placid descent of the cool, clear water. The gorge is a kind of paradise for nature lovers!
The area in which the path allow to walk/hike is characterized by strong naturalistic value. The trail crosses woods of Neapolitan Alder, Black Alder and other trees of the Mediterranean Wood. The water running in the Mingardo River is the perfect environment for the Brown Trout and the Otter, thanks to the high quality of the nature.
Rofrano can be elected a perfect paradigm of the typical Cilento town of medieval origin. This characteristic is most pronounced here because its origins that are rooted in the 900s. The town was built around a Basilian coenoby, and the historic center still retains its urban structure dating from that period. Worth visiting are the three surviving churches: the parish church, the church dedicated to St. Mary of the Martyrs and the church dedicated to Our Lady of Grottaferrata. These buildings house mostly religious statues of fine workmanship. Other interesting side are the stone portals that adorne some noble palaces.
Typical inland Cilento gastronomy bases its quality on the use of seasonal meat and vegetables. Since the 1950s, Cilento gastronomy has risen to fame under the name Mediterranean Diet, which has been inscribed since 2010 on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. thanks to the studies promoted by Ancel Keys, an American scientist who related the quality of the diet and the longevity of the Cilento population. Among the many recipes to be enjoyed are definitely homemade pasta dressed with meat sauce, caciocavallo cheese, fresh or aged goat and sheep cheeses, salami, as well as seasonal vegetable soups.
- where the gorge begins or along the trail that runs along the river, it is also possible to have a picnic given the presence of several wooden tables with benches. The hours spent along this trail are regenerative thanks to the unspoilt natural environment. This trail was proposed to hikers over twenty years ago by the GET Cultnatura Association, affiliated to the Federazione Italiana Escursionismo. In order to spread awareness of it, the Association proposed a visit to the gorge by ferrying hikers (adults, families with children) inside the gorge in rubber dinghies. Thanks to this example of sustainable tourism, which met with enormous enthusiasm and success, the Emmisi Path has become a destination for all those who wish to come into contact with a still intact environment, where, for example, the Otter, an endangered mustelid, lives.
- best period to visit: whole year round
- useful links: www.gettrek.it www.cilentoediano.it