Castellana Caves

In the stunning Land of Bari, about 1,5 km from the city center of Castellana Grotte, there are the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana /, a natural spectacle of karst origin.

Those 3348 meters of caves became famous worldwide because they were the most important speleological complex in Italy and Europe.

Indeed those wonderful cavities can be visited each day of the year supported by several multilingual guides.

Do you want to go deep into those caves? Scroll down and enjoy the ride!

stalagmites in the caves of Castellana Grotte

Legends of Castellana Caves

“La Grave”, the entrance of the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana /, was a place that always frightened everyone that passed nearby.

It could happen to see, emerging from the depths, bats, insects of all kinds: there is the belief that the souls of suicides, found dead in the Grave, tried in vain to climb to the sky in the form of vapors.

a wide view of the caves of Castellana Grotte from the inside

The uniqueness of the Castellana Caves

The first explorations of the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / are dated back to 1938: the Provincial Tourist Board of Bari asked the Italian Institute of Speleology of Postumia for the intervention of an expert speleologist to survey those caves, already known for their tourist use.

Over the years, through various speleological expeditions, carried out in particular by Franco Anelli and Vito Matarrese, were discovered 3 km of quarry with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites multiform and multicolored.

The temperature inside the caves is around 16.5 ºC, because of the depth of the surroundings that can reach up to 122 meters.

The Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / are rich in fauna: there are crustaceans, scorpions, beetles, grasshoppers and five different species of bats.

Hell in the Caves

As already mentioned, the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / have aroused fear and have been covered with an evocative atmosphere.

So, what better way to exorcise it than to use it to realize a sensational show?

From this brilliant idea comes the show Hell in the Caves, with 115 artists that perform in different shows, more or less 100 days each year.

The numbers reached are shocking: in those days restaurants and hotels welcomed more than 1 million visitors with a turnover linked to entertainment activities of millions of euros.

statue of franco anelli in the caves of castellana grotte

Tips:

Hell in the Caves is a huge event but did you know that in the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / are organized many other events (including collaborations with other local authorities, for example the MARTA of Taranto)?

Check this link to find out more!

Thanks to a dedicated team, special visits and some tools such as the Grotte di Castellana app available on Apple Store and Play Store who also has LIS language, it is possible for everyone to live the emotions that the hypogeum guarantees: there are no barriers of any kind!

In Puglia there are a lot of amazing caves.. click here to discover the stunning Zinzulusa Caves!

Isn’t it great?

You just have to equip yourself with everything you need and….

See you in Puglia!