Monte Vulture
1,326 m
Italy
Also known as mont Vultur, ВультуреAlso known as
mont Vultur · Вультуре
- Elevation
- 1,326 m
- Prominence
- 696 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Summit not accessible
The summit is inside a fenced military zone with radio installations; walks end at Rifugio Monte Vulture just below it.
organizzazione.cai.it
Routes
1Sources differ: E (CAI) (CAI Potenza 2025; CAI Foggia 2016)
Woodland walk of about 550–650 m from the crater lakes of Monticchio and the cliff-side Abbey of San Michele (735 m) up the inner slopes of the extinct volcano to Rifugio Monte Vulture (1,283 m) and the 1,286 m second summit. The true 1,326 m summit lies inside a fenced military zone and cannot be visited.
This route ends at Rifugio Monte Vulture, about 500 m from the summit, which is not accessible. Distance, ascent and times are to that point.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +593 m
- −57 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,279 m
- Time Up
- 2h 46m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 04m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the Abbazia di San Michele above Lago Piccolo di Monticchio (735 m), or lower down at the car park by the ruins of Sant'Ippolito between the two lakes (about 660 m; add about 1.5 km along the Lago Piccolo shore). After a short stretch of tarmac, a marked woodland path climbs the steep inner flank of the old crater through beech, chestnut and Turkey oak to about 1,200 m, where it meets a paved service road. Follow the road uphill. The main 1,326 m summit, crowned with radio installations, is on your right, but it is a fenced military area with no entry. Instead continue past the derelict top station of the long-disused cable car to the second-highest of the Vulture's seven tops (1,286 m) and, a few metres on, Rifugio Monte Vulture (1,283 m), maintained by CAI Melfi. The view north over Melfi and towards Puglia and the Gargano is the reward. Return the same way, or make a loop down the west side via Femmina Morta, the Fontana Giumentari (1,005 m), the Fontana dei Piloni (911 m) and the Valle dei Melaggini back to the outward path (CAI Foggia: 12 km, about 650 m of ascent, 5 hours for the loop from the abbey). The longer CAI Potenza loop from Sant'Ippolito via the Belvedere and the Casone di Atella is about 17 km, 680 m and 6 hours. Paths also climb to the hut from Rionero in Vulture on the east side.
Start
Abbazia di San Michele743 m
- No regular public transport to Monticchio Laghi is documented in the sources; Rionero in Vulture and Melfi are the nearest towns.
- Parking at the trailhead
Waypoints
- Parking: Abbazia di San Michele743 m
Alternative start: car park by the Rovine Abbazia di Sant'Ippolito (40.93347, 15.60995)
- Hut: Rifugio Monte Vulture1,279 m
Practical high point of the walk; the 1,286 m second summit is beside it (not on route line)
- Waypoint: Rifugio Monte Vulture1,279 m
Summit not accessible beyond this point
Key Passages
- Steep woodland path up the inner crater slope above Lago Piccolo
- Paved road past the disused cable-car station
- Rifugio Monte Vulture and the 1,286 m second summit
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
An extinct stratovolcano (1,326 m) standing alone at the northern edge of Basilicata, with two crater lakes and a 10th-century cliff abbey at its foot. Walkers climb through beech and chestnut woods to Rifugio Monte Vulture; the true summit is a fenced military zone.
Monte Vulture rises east of the main Apennine chain above Melfi and Rionero in Vulture, its saw-toothed outline visible from the Murge, the Tavoliere and the Gargano. Volcanic activity began about a million years ago; the mountain itself was built around 500,000 years ago, and the last eruptions, around 40,000 years ago, produced the maars now filled by the two Laghi di Monticchio (Lago Grande about 656 m, Lago Piccolo about 658 m). Carbon dioxide and other gases still seep from the area. The summit caldera, the Valle dei Grigi, is thought to result from a sector collapse.
The mountain has seven tops. The highest, 1,326 m, carries radio installations inside a fenced military area that walkers cannot enter; the usual objective is the 1,286 m second summit beside Rifugio Monte Vulture (1,283 m), maintained by CAI Melfi. The slopes, within the Vulture Regional Nature Park, are covered in extensive chestnut, beech and Turkey oak woods, and are known for the rare Bramea moth (Acanthobrahmaea europaea).
The classic walk starts at the lakes and the Abbey of San Michele, built into the cliff above Lago Piccolo, and makes a 12–17 km loop of 650–700 m ascent. It is a pleasant, easy woodland day rather than a mountaineering objective, and combines well with the wine villages of the Aglianico del Vulture area.
Climbing Notes
Any reasonably fit walker can do it: about 550 m of ascent from the abbey to the hut, or 650–700 m for the usual loops, on CAI grade E paths and service roads. Allow 5–6 hours for a loop including stops. Ankle-high trekking boots and poles help on the steep woodland path; carry water, as springs on the route should not be relied on.
The best seasons are spring and autumn (chestnut season in October); summer is fine in the shade of the woods but hazy. Winter walks are possible, and CAI Potenza ran one in February 2025, but snow is likely on the upper slopes. Do not attempt to enter the military zone around the main summit. The opening of Rifugio Monte Vulture is irregular, so treat it as a landmark, not a place to eat or sleep.
History
The Abbey of San Michele was founded by the Benedictines in the 10th century on a grotto cut into the tuff where Italo-Greek monks had prayed; votive deposits from the 4th–3rd centuries BC were found nearby. It passed to the Capuchins in 1456, and after a period of decline it was revived in the late 16th century, becoming a much-visited pilgrimage site. A cable car once climbed towards the summit; its top station is now derelict.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Possible snow on the upper slopes
- Feb
- Winter walks are run by local CAI sections; snow possible
- Jul
- Hot at the lakes; shaded woodland on the ascent
- Aug
- Hot and hazy; busy at the lakes in August
- Oct
- Chestnut season and autumn colours
- Dec
- Short days; snow possible
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Monte Vulture is maintained by CAI Melfi and is not a regularly staffed hut; contact the CAI Melfi section for access.
- Rules
- The 1,326 m main summit lies inside a fenced military zone with radio installations; entry is forbidden
- Vulture Regional Nature Park and the Lago Piccolo di Monticchio regional reserve: stay on paths and follow reserve rules
- Getting There
Rionero in Vulture and Melfi (Potenza)
Bari (BRI)
- Car from Potenza: SS658 towards Melfi, exit Rionero in Vulture, then SS93 and SP167 to Monticchio Laghi; park at the Abbazia di San Michele or by the ruins of Sant'Ippolito
- Car from Foggia: SS655 Ofantina towards Monticchio Laghi
Hazards
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,283 m
Rifugio Monte VultureHutUnstaffed