Taking the road less traveled led Haid to explore Basilicata…. (She) participates in local festivals to honor saints, visits beaches, and explores the country's largest national park… There are descriptions of crispy peppers, truffles, and black chickpeas that will entice even the most particular of foodies…. As a solo woman traveler, Haid takes everything in stride, and her meetings with residents are the best parts of the journey. Visitors looking for an authentic experience need not look far—everything in Basilicata is authentic.
Verdict: An intimate exploration of an often overlooked region of Italy. Recommended to readers who appreciate all things Italian.
“Ideal for both the armchair traveler and the on-site visitor, Basilicata: Authentic Italy is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Impressively informed and informative, Basilicata: Authentic Italy deftly showcases both the famously well known and the obscure off-the-beaten-path sights to see, places to visit, and people to meet. Especially recommended reading for anyone contemplating or embarking on a visit to Italy, Basilicata: Authentic Italy will prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Italian Travel Guide collections and reading lists.”
Basilicata: Authentic Italy – discover the land in the instep of the Italian boot: nature, culture, traditions, Sassi di Matera & much more! The day has come. Basilicata: Authentic Italy, my new book about the unassuming region in the instep of the Italian boot is available! Years of planning, in-person research (the best part!), writing and production elements, and then, the date sort of sneaks up on you.
All about Basilicata, a fascinating region at the heart of Southern Italy. Author Karen Haid presents highlights of Basilicata’s magnificent natural beauty, rich culture and longstanding traditions. From the provincial capitals of Potenza and Matera to villages set in dramatic mountain landscapes and coastal beach communities, the small region surprises with its naturalistic diversity, historical depth and cultural wealth, all fit into the unassuming instep of the Italian boot. In the video, you will see precious artifacts from ancient Greece and Rome, medieval castles, impressive churches, distinctive cuisine, unique festivals, UNESCO World Heritage sites, outdoor adventure activities and the region’s welcoming people. Topics include the region's history, brigandage led by Carmine Crocco, Italian emigration, the Albanian people who settled in the Pollino Mountains, local culinary specialties such as peperoni cruschi and Aglianico del Vulture wine, and numerous towns and their offerings, including Venosa, Melfi, Castelmezzano, Pietrapertosa, Craco, Metaponto, Policoro and Maratea.
