Dante Gabriel Rossetti

If you love exploring enchanting medieval villages, you won't want to miss this stunning Calabrian village. Gerace is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy with its Byzantine Norman architecture and charming streets, alleys and churches. This place is a must-see if you're traveling through the southern part of Calabria. Gerace is situated northeast of Reggio di Calabria, on the side of the Ionian Sea, on a plateau at about 500 meters above sea level. It is inside the Aspromonte National Park, making it a gem within a crown of jewels. The easiest way to get there is by car. However, if you're on a budget and using public transport, here's what we did. Ciao! So today we're going to the city of Gerace and we are currently in Locri, which is a nearby town that is accessible by train. So as you know, we are trying to help you guys travel in an economical way. So we're going everywhere by train, but it is a bit of a challenge to be quite honest. When we arrived here in Locri this afternoon, what we did is we went to the bar that was closest to the station to find out if there was a bus that would take us up to Gerace. The guy didn't know, but he was able to point us to a travel agency down the road, which I will show you if ever you come and you want to have access to a taxi or any information about how to get up to Gerace. You can go straight to that little travel agency. They're super helpful. They offered us either a taxi for 25 euros, which we found was a bit too expensive for us, or the bus, which leaves today. It's a Saturday, it's leaving at 1.30. So we'll be getting on the bus. It's a 25 minute ride up to Gerace. And we can't wait to discover what's going to be up there. By the way, if ever you're lost in Italy, normally the bar that is closest to the train station, they're usually very helpful with like where to buy a ticket. Sometimes they even sell tickets, but in this case, they did not sell tickets. The tickets will be sold directly on the bus. So we better get over there. So we made it to the city of Gerace, and I had no idea how far up in the mountain it was. It is a bit of a ride to get up here, but it is gorgeous because on your way up here, you can see the Aspromonte Parco Nazionale, which is absolutely gorgeous, full of olive trees and hills. It was really beautiful. Our bus dropped us off at the highest point of the city, where there is a square called the Piazza delle Tre Chiese, the place of the three churches, where three churches make up three sides of the square. In fact, Gerace has been coined the Florence of the South for its stunning and plentiful churches. At one point, there were as many as 128 churches within this small enclosed area of Gerace, also giving it the name the Holy City. Today, about 20 to 30 churches remain, each one impressive in its own way. To make the best of your time in Gerace, here are some tips for you. Number one, visit the churches. I recommend you visit some of these magnificent sacred places. One of the most important and impressive ones is the Gerace Cathedral, also known as the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, which we visited. In fact, the Cathedral of Gerace is the largest cathedral in all of Calabria. You can also see the prison of the five martyrs, which dates back to the 11th century, a crypt and the diocesan museum. Another noteworthy church is the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi. Two, meander and marvel. We spent most of our day in Gerace, meandering the streets and narrow lanes of this gorgeous town, gazing at the majestic doorways, splendid views, as well as relaxing in the medieval town centre. I absolutely loved basking in the atmosphere of this special place and getting lost in the labyrinth of this charming time capsule. In fact, the beauty of the town, the breathtaking views in every direction, and the magnificent churches are the main attractions of the town. Three, relax in the town centre and enjoy the Calabrian hospitality. As part of our visit, I strongly recommend enjoying a meal or a refreshing snack. There are many places to enjoy excellent Calabrian dishes and engage in friendly conversation with kind locals. We did not expect the treat we got when we popped into Tocos Pasticceria and oh my gosh, what a delight it was. The hospitality paired with the delicious flavours were one of the highlights of this wondrous day. This kind man is letting us try his granites, which is made with ice. Lime, I know lemon, sorry. This one is strawberry from his own garden. This one he picked from his garden as well this morning. This is pink berries. This one is limone, which is lemon and pistachio. You need to try this. What an amazing treat that we just had here at Pasticceria Toco. Basically this man, Toco, he makes his own granita and granita is something you really need to try if you come to the south of Italy especially. That's where they make it the most, that's where it's from. It's basically like ice made with natural fruits and he makes all of his own fresh from his garden. It was amazing what he made us try. We were like freaking out. I had brain freeze the whole bit. I really recommend that you come here if you come to Gerace to sit down and refresh from the hot heat of the day. If ever you want to have a drink, this is something I like to order in Italy. It's called spremute. It's basically citrus fruit that they put in, they squeeze fresh and put in water for you. Mine is lemon and his is orange. So it's really a refreshing drink that you can also order spremute. If you are in the mood for something really refreshing, it's one of the most beautiful places that I have been to. It's really, really gorgeous. So make sure that you come here when you're in Italy in this region. One little disappointment is having missed the International Festival of Street Performers that lights up the place with light and magic every year at the end of July. So if you're interested in that, make sure to check the dates and plan ahead. Unfortunately, it was beginning a few days after we were there. So we'll just have to come back. Exploring Gerace is an opportunity to fill your senses with beauty and splendor and to travel through time to a moment where you might imagine a peaceful village life of simplicity and community sharing. At least that's the picture I created in my mind. When you get there, let me know what stories inspire your imagination. If you found this video helpful, please subscribe for more tips and ideas to help you plan your meaningful, budget-friendly trip to more of Italy's secret gems and off-the-beaten-path marvels. Also, if you're interested in traveling to Calabria, make sure to check out our other videos of this beautiful region. Ciao for now!