THINGS TO DO
LOCAL AREA
The Hotel and Thermal Spa is surrounded by a crown of wooded hills and is only 1.5 km away from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The beaches are easily accessible, and there is a road that leads directly to the Scoglio della Regina (Queens Rocks, a rocky outcrop) only 1800 m away. There is also a path along the Acquappesa seafront and access to various pedestrian pathways along Guardia Piemontese Marina.
The spa town is fully serviced to provide everything you may need for a comfortable stay. (restaurants, pizzerias, bars, spa park, wellness center, shops, post office, pharmacy, cinema, church, hairdresser).
There are several neighbouring towns, each of which, especially in the summer, have many attractions, to round out your visit.
Visit Acquappesa
Acquappesa, an ancient village situated on a hill top with a welcoming beachfront below, offers itself to tourists to enjoy its historical, folkloristic and cultural characteristics.
Known since the 1700s as a tourist destination for its beautiful beach, good air and the cultivation of silkworms.
The name, an evolution of the Latin “Aqua pendens” hanging water, referred to the abundant water sources that once flowed from the cliff overlooking the village, in rivulets and waterfalls.
Due to some archaeological finds dating back to the sixth century BC it is believed that the village was founded by the ancient greeks.
Visit Guardia Piemontese
The Waldensian ethnic minority and history is the main attraction of the village; during the 12th and 13th century followers of Pietro VALDO fled the inquisition to Calabria. They were nicknamed the “Poor Men of Lyon”as they preached apostolic poverty as the path way to perfection. The Waldensians suffered persecution for heresy, and were almost wiped out in the 17th Century. In June 1561 a massacre of Waldensians led to the “Blood Gate” the name of the towns main gate, and the Piazza Chiesa Valdese honours that history.
It is pleasant to visit this town for the quiet, the climate, the Ethnic Museum and also for the views of the surrounding countryside.
TOURISTIC ITINERARIES
The Luigiane Baths are blessed to be near many possible destinations for short day trips: the Sila National Park and Mountains, many Byzantine villages and towns and the Magna Graecia Itinerary, we have created, amongst others.
Beyond Guardia Piemontese (8 km) and Acquappesa (5 km), the following places are interesting from an artistic point of view: San Marco Argentano – a Norman city 25 km away, with the Tower and the important remains of the Cistercian Abbey of La Matina or the religious Paola (16 km) and the Sanctuary of San Francesco. To view a picturesque landscape Isola di Dino and Maratea – 80 km away or you can enjoy the wooded area of Fagnano (18 km) with the two lakes. Other significant itineraries are proposed below for a more complete knowledge of Calabria.
Sila National Park
The best known and largest mountain plateau in southern Italy, spreads over an average altitude of 1400 m above sealevel with peaks that reach almost 2000 m (Monte Botte Donato). There are numerous lakes (Cecita, Arvo, Ampollino and other minor ones). The most important holiday centers, both summer and winter, are Camigliatello (75 km from the thermal baths) and Lorica (90 km).
San Giovanni in Fiore (95 km) is worth visiting for its rich fabric and goldsmith craftsmanship, for the Florentine Abbey (1220) of Abbot Gioacchino “gifted with a prophetic spirit” (Dante).
Fiumefreddo Bruzio
25 km
This medieval village, located atop a natural vantage point that has a sweeping views across the blue Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a treasure trove of history and nature and it preserves the characteristics of a typical fortified town. There are numerous buildings to visit including the ruins of the castle frescoed by the famous painter Salvatore Fiume.
Belvedere Marittimo
20 km
The town centre is made up of two parts: the medieval village, which stands on a rocky ledge about 150m above sea level, and the touristic beachfront.
Diamante
25 km
The “city of murals”, can be admired walking through the narrow streets and alleys, rises in the center of the Riviera dei Cedri on a rocky spur wedged into the crystalline sea. It is home to the famous “Peperoncino Festival”.
Cirella
30 km
The small island of Cirella, now a marine park, is characterized by wild flora and splendid backdrops. The ruins of the ancient village, perched on a promontory, offer evidence of ancient civilizations. At the Teatro dei Rueri archaeological park, home to summer shows, the view is splendid.
Byzantine Itinerary
Evidence of the Byzantine era are evident in the traces of Eastern Monasticism from the 6th and 7th Centuries in the architecture at Monastery of Santa Severina (125 km) and the Church of Stilo (210 km). The frescoes of Chiesa Sottera di Paola (12 km) and the mosaics at San Demetrio Corone (45km). Literary traces of the era can be found in the Codex purpureus Rossanensis – The Rossano Gospels and is one of the oldest surviving illuminated manuscripts of the New Testament, and can be found in the Cathedral at Rossano (75km).
Magna Graecia Itinerary
2500 years ago, the Magna Graecia towns of Sibari, Crotone, Locri were flourishing towns. Today you can admire the remains of these Hellenic civilisations through the archealogical scenery in Sibari (53 km), the imposing excavations at the Parco del Cavallo and the National Archeological Museum of Sibaritide. You can view the last standing column “Capo Colonna” part of a temple dedicated to Hera right on the coast in Crotone (145km). Immerse yourself in centuries old olive groves in Squillace (105 km) or visit the ruins of Roccelletta and the amphitheatre.
The museums are rich in evidence of the most refined arts: including the “pinakes” (votive tablets of painted wood) of Locri (185 km) and the Riace Bronzes, two full-size Greek bronzes of naked bearded warriors in the Reggio Calabria Museum (198 km).
Itinerary of Mixed Ethnicities
Calabria has been under the rule of many tribes and nations over the course of history and the signs of these people can be seen in our visual history; from the Albanians in Lungro (64 km) which was their capital in Italy, and the seat of the Bishop Eparch of the Greek Orthodox to the Waldensians in Guardia Piemontese (Terme Luigiane) where a Gallo-Provencal or “Occitan” dialect is still spoken and studied and the traditional costumes of the Angrogna Valley are still worn; to the Grecian, Gallician, Condofuri and Bova (RC) (230km).
In these centers the Hellenic language is still preserved today; the glottologist Rolfs, defined this”noble language” as a “treasure of life”.
