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Castellana Caves, 25 miles from Bari, are considered the most important speleological complex in Italy and Europe.

The caves are the result of the erosive action of an ancient underground river that has dug and shaped the limestone rock of the centuries-old Murgia Plateau around Bari. Their discovery dates back to 1938, by the speleologist Franco Anelli.

The visits to the cave (a local guide is absolutely mandatory), take place at an average depth of 230 ft., following two different routes (the first is 0.62-mile long and takes about 50 minutes, the other is 1.86-mile long and requires 2 hours): both of them offer plenty of wonderful sights.

The section of the caves accessible to the public is made of very different environments, also regarding their shape and size. There are colossal stalactites and stalagmites, columns, precious corals and large caverns with different shapes and colours: the “Cavern of the Altar”, the “Cavern of the Dome” and the “Passage of the Crib” are absolutely spectacular; the latter is where visitors can stare in awe at a stalagmite named “Madonnina delle Grotte” due to its resemblance to the Holy Mary.

The “Grave” cavern, is the first and the largest while being the only part naturally connected to the outside: it’s 328-ft long, 164-ft wide, and 197-ft deep.

The last and most beautiful cave in this underground network is the “White Cave”: it’s extremely rich what’s probably the shiniest alabaster in the whole world.

The constant temperature of the underground rooms is about 64.4 F°, while humidity is higher than 90%.

ACTIVITIES

Inside the cave, several events take place throughout the year, such as film and theatre performances, special celebrations at Christmas, and choir recitals. They are all paid events and reservation is strongly recommended.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)