Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa

The two villages sit among the Lucanian Dolomites, jagged sandstone pinnacles eroded into blades and spires, with houses built into and against the rock; Pietrapertosa has a Saracen fortress cut directly into the crag above it, and Castelmezzano keeps a rock-cut stair climbing to a Norman lookout. Since 2007 the Volo dell'Angelo has linked them with two steel cables strung across the valley, on which a person in a harness crosses lying face down at speeds reported above a hundred kilometres an hour. A footpath called the Path of the Seven Stones also connects the two on the ground.

What you actually see

• The rock pinnacles - eroded sandstone blades around both villages.
• The Volo dell'Angelo - two cables crossing the valley in a harness.
• The Norman stair - rock-cut steps to the lookout at Castelmezzano.
• The Saracen fortress - defences cut into the crag at Pietrapertosa.

When to go

May to October; the zipline runs seasonally and closes in wind or rain, and requires booking. Winter closes it entirely and the mountain roads can be icy.

Honest expectations

The zipline is weather dependent, ticketed for both directions and books out. Villages are steep with stepped streets. Roads in are narrow and winding.

Nearby

Potenza lies west; Matera is east.