The (Alta) Murgia is a national park. It is an area with hills between Altamura and Corato/Andria. I happened to cycle through it on my way from Altamura to Corato.
The main sight is Castel del Monte, maybe better known as the castle on the 1-cent-coin of Italy. It is a weird, weird castle, but fantastic! It is built in the shape of an octagon (with a tower on every corner) and with a bit of mathematician-blood in my veins, I was immediately excited. From every site you watch you can see at least three towers. Everything is nice symmetric. And the piazza inside is the castle is an octagon as well. I was cycling towards it and it was already visible for hours, situated on top of hill, bright and white.
In front of Castel del Monte (also depicted on the 1 eurocent coin of Italy).
But the Murgia has more to offer. It is a natural reserve and filled with animals. I really thought I saw a wolf crossing the road, but I was later told it was more probably a wild dog. We saw a dead boar with its stomach ripped open. And two dead snakes, since I’m not really fond of snakes, I didn’t really mind them being dead. I actually preferred them dead. I once nearly peed on a snake and am still traumatized.
And then there is all the trees and bushes and plants, the local flora. As mentioned before I learned about wild asparagus, that was in the Murgia. (I did some filming about finding the asparagus, unfortunately my incompetent netbook has problems with anything that needs some processor capacity, like editing movies, so I will edit it when I come back home, probably in three months.) (edit 2018: still haven’t edited the asparagus movie)
Cycling through the Murgia
I was actually quite surprised that, when I went further North, not a lot of people had heard about the Murgia. You expect them to know the big reserves and nature areas of their country. A well, at least I now know it exists. And that it is definitely worth a visit.
Looking for asparagus in the Murgia.
Irina Versteeg 