The dripstone cave of Castelcivita

In the northern hinterland of Cilento lies the Monti Alburni mountain range, whose name may be derived from the light colour of the karstic limestone rocks. Over millions of years, water has washed sinkholes, grottoes and caves out of the mountains, which today offer us spectacular natural spectacles. This is also the case in the Grotte di Castelcivita dripstone cave on the western slope of the Alburni Mountains in the Calore Valley, which has been made accessible to visitors and can be viewed on guided tours.

After visiting the medieval centre of Castelcivita, which offers a magnificent view over the Calore Valley, I’m looking forward to the refreshing cool of the cave with its chilly 18 degrees. The car park and entrance seem very tranquil, almost inconspicuous for one of the main tourist attractions, but on this hot summer day we wait for the tour with fortunately only a few other guests. For about 1.7 km, the paved path leads past impressive caverns, halls and passages with diverse dripstone formations that stimulate the imagination to various associations.