Alta Murgia

Alta Murgia National Park is located in the Puglia region of southeastern Italy, protecting 68,077 hectares of distinctive karst plateau landscape between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains. Established in 2004, the park encompasses rolling highlands characterized by rocky grasslands, Mediterranean scrub, ancient agricultural landscapes, and impressive karst formations including sinkholes, caves, and underground aquifers. The Murgia plateau rises to modest elevations of 400-680 meters but its unique geology and position create habitats supporting remarkable biodiversity, including one of Europe's most important lesser kestrel populations. The landscape is profoundly shaped by millennia of human activity, with Paleolithic sites, medieval cathedrals, shepherd paths, and traditional stone buildings (trulli and jazzi) blending into the natural environment. Unlike mountainous parks, Alta Murgia's beauty lies in its vast horizons, subtle topography, and the interplay between natural processes and sustainable land use traditions. The park represents a rare example of successful conservation in a long-inhabited Mediterranean landscape.