Winter In Italy: A Window Into the Slow Life of Cilento

After checking in at the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Unless specified otherwise, the majority of transportation will be provided via motorcoach thereby necessitating ascending and descending a few steps. All meals include wine and water. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We’ll then enjoy a welcome cocktail together at the hotel before dinner.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow road scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the full day ahead.

At the hotel.

We'll begin with a lecture at the hotel with our Group Leader on the introduction to Castellabate. Leaving the hotel, we will set out on a walking field trip exploring Castellabate. a charming medieval jewel recognized by UNESCO. The historic center of Castellabate offers a unique experience, with its cobbled streets and winding alleyways that wind through the ancient walls. Walking along these evocative paths, you can admire the authenticity of the past, with the stone houses that overlook the streets and the noble palaces that bear witness to the history and nobility of the place. One of the most evocative viewpoints is Belvedere San Costabile, a terrace overlooking the sea that offers a spectacular view of the Gulf of Salerno. We will board our motorcoach and ride to a local winery where will learn about the local wine grape growing traditions and visit the cellars.

At the winery.

We will return to the hotel. We will meet at the hotel with the local people to learn about their lifestyle, their experiences, their habits, their traditions, the ancient local crafts.

On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will board our motorcoach and ride to Roscigno Vecchia. Our Group Leader will give us an on-site lecture on the ghost of Roscigno Vecchia. We will embark on an expert-led walking field trip of an ancient village, a UNESCO world heritage site, now populated only by memories and suggestions which preserves a dignity made of simple things and a fragrance of the past. We'll find the urban structure of the Cilento villages almost intact, with the palaces, the elegant chapels, the poor houses once inhabited by farmers and an eighteenth-century church. It is a very suggestive and ideal place for photography lovers and for those looking for a unique and unconventional experience. We will visit the Museum of Rural Civilization. We will then board our motorcoach and ride to Teggiano, an astonishing village, which seems suspended in time, built on a small plateau overlooking the Vallo di Diano. Its historic center is full of labyrinthine streets, splendid views, churches and ancient buildings. We will walk by the best-preserved castle in all of Italy and gives the town a unique appearance. You will feel like you are taking a dive into the past!

On your own in Teggiano. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

We will return to the hotel. Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will board our private motorcoach and ride to Paestum. We’ll stop en route to a local cheese factory and learn how to make the "mozzarella di bufala", It follows a mozzarella cheese tasting. We will then continue our ride to Paestum. We will begin our learning adventure with an expert-led walking field trip through the archaeological park. Paestum was a major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, it comprises three of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in the world. We'll ride to the Masseria Eliseo for a cooking demonstration of traditional recipes of Campania with the Baronessa Cecilia Baratta.

At the masseria, we will enjoy the meal we observed being prepared.

We will return to the hotel. Free time.

On your own.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will board the motorcoach and ride to Padula for an expert-led walking field trip of town. We will visit the Certosa, founded in 1306. It is the large Carthusian Monastery in Southern Italy. It comprises three cloisters, a garden, a courtyard, and a Church. We will then board our motorcoach and head to a local farmhouse for lunch.

At a farmhouse in Padula

Ater lunch, we'll ride to Pertosa Caves, which are located in an attractive natural amphitheater. Recent research dates the origin of the cave to about 34 million years ago. We will visit the caves one must cross an underground river. A small boat wisely guided into the depths of the earth for some 200 meters, in a silence which is broken only by the sound of water and exclamations of surprise. After a few minutes the boat berths and the enchantment begins. A wonderful waterfall created by the Black River echoes distant times, stalactites and drapes of candid alabaster hang from the vaults of the caverns, stalagmites of strange shapes capture incredulous gazes. We will return to the hotel.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

Via motorcoach, we will ride to Prignano Cilento for a “white fig” experience at a local factory followed by lunch. We will learn the history, traditions and art of producing and transforming “figs”. We will admire the innovative architecture of the place and the natural beauty of the landscape.

At the fig factory.

We will return to the hotel. Free time.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel depending on departure time. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!