When one of our accommodation in Bagni di Contursi moves towards the highway, builds directly on the front of a spectacular rock faces of the Monti Alburni. Because of their unique shape of the mountain range, the Dolomiti will campane (Campania Dolomites) and, like its northern counterpart, Italian limestone rich. Natural erosion and karstification provide a wealth of natural caves, we count about 400, including the most extensive in southern Italy, the Grotta di Civitavecchia and the Angels Grotto (Grotta di Pertosa). And what can be an anxiety-free 8-year-old in a superheated early summer to organize better, with a health badly dressed in a cool 16 degrees to descend the cave? Correct: nothing!

So get into the car and drove the few miles (36), Pertosa. The entrance to the slightly higher on the mountain south of Pertosa (the cave is well signposted) is located under water and can be reached only by boat. It also takes down comfortably and can be comfortable on the first 300 meters of the "black river" (fiume negro) gondeln through the cave - the temperature here at work pleasantly refreshing compared to the 40 degrees outside and will not until the end of the guide in "brrr ... overturn cold ". The short tour through the approximately 35 million old cave takes about 1 hours, it is also a more detailed tour available which takes about 2 hours. The currently accessible part of the spectacular limestone formations, is about 2.5 kilometers long - by a landslide but was by far the largest part of the cave impassable, where it is exposed in the future, this part again, it enlarges the accessible part of the cave to another 8 kms to the village of Polla. It is still not succeeded the way to localize the origin of the waters of the Rio Negro - the corresponding experiments with phosphorescent materials led to any results. Therefore we are currently working on a unique light installation, which provides with a changing, colors tuned the cavity with a very exciting atmosphere. Downstairs in the gallery, I have tried to capture the blue-lit cave lake once. I can only say that the whole of the original a hundred times more impressive effect.

Traces of human habitation can be traced back to the Stone Age, as the cave served as a refuge during air raids in World War II or the earthquake of 1980, which caused immense damage in the Vallo Diano, but the cave was spared. A scene from Dario Argento's film "Il Fantasma dell'Opera" was shot in the cave dell'Angelo. This summer will be in the Grotta di Pertosa incidentally mentioned Dante's Inferno, are visible in the photo gallery dug his hands and feet - like the light installation - a stage decoration. Although they are made of plaster, but represent a real highlight in the cave tour dar. All in all a lovely stalactite cave and a nice alternative for an extremely hot day in Südkampanien. On the official home page of the cave can be found under "Tour Fotografico" even more beautiful photos.

Links:
Official website of the Grotto dell'Angelo Pertosa
Short description of the grotto in German
The Grotta di Pertosa at Wikipedia
Photos and description in Italian
Campania-Cilento, Salerno and Guide (pdf)

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