Fenix Tours
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The Alta Murgia plateau is a karst geologic formation that forms the backbone of the ancient Terra di Bari. For over three millenia thousands of sheep and goats have run across it and many sheep-tracks ran through . The first route of Via Appia, the Roman consular road that led from Rome to Brindisi and therefore to the East, passed through here.
Traditionally, pastoralism is not very environment friendly. The Mediterranean Forest has been the great victim and disappeared almost entirely from the Murge. On its place another plant community called Mediterranean steppe settled down. Despite sheep farming has almost completely disappeared, a beautiful landscape remains.
Castel del Monte is the pearl of the park but also Altamura and Gravina above all, have a lot to offer.
By clicking on the images you open the destination sites
Altamura was founded in the 13° century by Frederick II over an ancient Peucetian settlement abandoned in the aftermath of Hannibal wars in the III century BC. It has been crowned "Bread Capital" for the excellent quality of its bread. Nevertheless all of Alta Murgia towns produce a very fine bread quality (Matera, Gravina, Santeramo, Laterza..). The Pulo, the Dinosaur Quarry and the Altamura man are among the highlights of this beautiful and attractive town.
Gravina developed along the banks of the river Gravina which is not the same as Matera. Gravina is a name given to canyon formations that is very common along the Ionian-Tarentine arc that extends from Gravina in Puglia to Tarentum and beyond. In many respects Gravina resembles Matera even if on a small scale. However, while for the Sassi of Matera there are no historical and archaeological evidence before the seventh century A.D. (there are no links between the Neolithic and Bronze Age villages scattered around the countryside of Matera with the latter), Gravina can boast a historical continuity from the Neolithic to the present day. It is also the administrative centre of the Alta Murgia National Park.
Enigmatic castle built by Frederick II , with its octagonal shape and overlooking the Adriatic sea from the Murgia plateau, it is indeed a "must" place to visit. The reason of its construction is a mystery and many have tried to decipher. Standing in beautiful solitude, the castle can tell many stories but only if you are willing to listen to them.
Please do not forget to read the Terms & Conditions before booking. The reservation is valid after the payment of the advance or the full amount.
For the same tour there are two prices based on the number of people. For groups of more than 8 people, please contact us.
After deciding which excursion you want to do, click on the booking button that will open a partially pre-filled e-mail. You must indicate the tour, the date, the number of participants and your special requests. Probably it will take more than one e-mail to define the excursion but as soon as you receive our confirmation email, you can make the payment (in advance or in full).
To make payment after clicking down payment or full payment button, a new window will open with several button
The upper buttons let you choose whether to pay with your Paypal account (if you have one), by credit card or any other online payment method existing in your country that is affiliated with Paypal. This alternative changes depending on the country.
If your currency is not the euro (€), it is advisable to pay via the Wise or XE platforms. Paypal applies commercial exchange rates (those of the bureaus of exchange for example) very unfavorable, while Wise and XE apply the official rates with very low fees. Simply open a Wise or XE account and make the payment via the mobile app or PC by making the transfer to the bank account of Fenix Tours. The bank details will be communicated to you in the confirmation e-mail
The balance can be paid either with Paypal, Wise and XE or at the latest, at the start of the tour by credit card or cash (euro).
The tour of a day despite the limitations imposed by the time available allows you to choose the most varied combinations. Take into account that to visit the historic centers of Gravina or Altamura it takes at least half a day. You can then concentrate on one of the two cities with the complementary sites of the vicinity or go to visit the mysterious and beautiful Castel del Monte and complete the day with some complementary sites of the Parco dell'Alta Murgia. Altamura and Gravina are relatively close to Matera but the visit to Castel del Monte takes more time to get there. In addition to the castle itself you can visit the quarry of bauxite, the necropolis and church of San Magno, the Jazzo Tarantini, not reported on any map there are also the remains of settlements of age not yet specified on the heights of the Murgia and much more. An intense day that can be magical if you choose well the places to visit
| 1-3 people | 4-7 people | ||||
| Full Price | Down Payment | Balance | Full Price | Down Payment | Balance |
| 600 € | 180 € | 420 € | 840 € | 252 € | 588 € |
The two-day tour compared to the one-day tour because of the more time available allows you to choose more varied combinations. Take into account that to visit the historic centers of Gravina or Altamura as well as Castel del Monte it takes at least half a day each. So there are many alternatives: you can concentrate on the two cities with the complementary sites of the vicinity or go to visit the mysterious and beautiful Castel del Monte and complete with some complementary sites of the Parco dell'Alta Murgia. The itinerary Altamura and Gravina are relatively close to Matera but the visit to Castel del Monte takes more time to get there. In addition to the castle itself you can visit the bauxite quarry, the necropolis and church of San Magno, the Jazzo Tarantini, but not reported on any map there are also remains of settlements of age not yet specified on the heights of the Murgia and much more. In a nutshell, you can try to put together different sites by exploring the Alta Murgia National Park at will. Two intense days that can be magical by choosing the places to visit
| 1-3 people | 4-7 people | ||||
| Full Price | Down Payment | Balance | Full Price | Down Payment | Balance |
| 960 € | 288 € | 672 € | 1344 € | 403 € | 941 € |
Being three the main destinies, every day is dedicated to each of the three localities: Altamura, Gravina and Castel del Monte.
Altamura: historic center with its Cathedral and its cloisters, Pulo di Altamura, Altamura Man, Dinosaur Cave...
Gravina: historic center, archaeological park of Botromagno, villages and rock churches, Pulicchio di Gravina...
Castel del Monte, the pearl of the Alta Murgia National Park, we are in the heart of the National Park: necropolis of San Magno, jazzo Tarantini, the bauxite quarry... The order of places to visit is not fixed but adjustable, as well as the activities to be carried out.
| 1-3 people | 4-7 people | ||||
| Full Price | Down Payment | Balance | Full Price | Down Payment | Balance |
| 1260 € | 378 € | 882 € | 1764 € | 529 € | 1235 € |
