Banxhurna to Karnara Nature Walk

In May, the Municipality of San Paolo Albanese is organising the "Banxhurna ka Karnara" nature walk, a pleasant hike through the area where the peregrine peony grows on Mount Carnara.

Well attended by the community of San Paolo and the surrounding area, as well as by tourists visiting the Pollino region, the event is dedicated to the symbiotic relationship between nature and the local Arbëreshë culture.

The walk invites you to discover the ‘banxhurna’, a peony of vivid colours, passing through the Capillo woods to reach the Caprio fountain and from there continuing on to Mount Carnara, the natural habitat of this magnificent peony. A route through the farnetto trees of the Capillo woods, a guided tour, “told by many voices”, which takes in places and landscapes with a strong sense of identity: from the flowering areas of the peregrine peony to the Timpa della Guardiola viewpoint, from which one can see the iconic Serre, Dolcedorme, Ciavole, Crispo, Prete and Monte Pollino.

The initiative also serves as an educational and experiential workshop, with the aim of discovering, observing, appreciating, learning about, protecting and promoting the Monte Carnara peony (known in the Arbëresh language as “Banxhurna ka Karnara”) and the entire natural, cultural, historical and socio-anthropological ecosystem of San Paolo Albanese.