San Roberto: Hiking at Laghetto Rumia
Accommodation in San Roberto
San Roberto combines hiking routes and natural attractions with local history and cultural traditions. If you are looking for a hotel in San Roberto, you can plan your trip around these different interests: from the old trail to Passo del Falco and Laghetto Rumia to the Telesia Museum and the patron saint festival, Festa di San Giorgio. This makes it easier to decide whether the trails in the Aspromonte or local culture should be the focus of your visit.
Hiking trails and nature around San Roberto
An old, scenic trail leads from San Roberto to Passo del Falco in the green heart of the Aspromonte. From there, you can enjoy views of the Strait of Messina. Laghetto Rumia is another destination for hikers: the artificial lake lies within the municipality of San Roberto at an altitude of about 1,300 metres and is considered an important hiking destination. It is also equipped for trout fishing.
The Sentiero Garibaldino also begins at Laghetto Rumia. It leads through beech forests and the fragrant broom of the “carbunari”. The natural attractions therefore offer different experiences: the lake combines a high-altitude hiking destination with trout fishing, while the Sentiero Garibaldino takes you along a route through forest and broom. The old trail to Passo del Falco, with its panorama of the Strait of Messina, is another point of reference if you would like to experience the landscape from a different perspective.
Another trail in the municipality is the Sentiero del Mulino De Salvo, Calamona e Grazia. It was inaugurated on 16 June 2024 at Parco viale delle Mimose in San Roberto. This date refers to the inauguration; when planning your visit, check current information rather than assuming that conditions on the trail today can be inferred from the inauguration date.
History and crafts
San Roberto was probably founded around the middle of the 14th century as a hamlet of the Barony of Fiumara and shared its feudal fortunes. Throughout its history, the town served as a central link between the production areas of the Aspromonte and the trading centres on the coast. This role gives the town’s history an economic connection to the surrounding region. Basket weaving is also one of the Calabrian craft traditions particularly practised in San Roberto.
Telesia Museum and Festa di San Giorgio
The Telesia Museum is housed in a Liberty-style building that is itself of considerable artistic interest. The museum displays more than 300 works donated by Italian and foreign artists and collected by the master Riccardo Ghiribelli. Visits are available Monday to Friday by appointment, booked by calling 347/4519916, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Check these visiting arrangements again before your trip.
The patron saint festival, Festa di San Giorgio, usually takes place on the first Sunday in August; a procession passes through the town on the following Monday. Its route runs from Via Mulino towards Colelli, reaches the FunicĂ bridge and then continues through the streets of San Roberto. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the date for the year of your visit.
Different ways to experience your visit
The hiking destinations offer several distinct points of interest: the lake at an altitude of about 1,300 metres, the trail to Passo del Falco with views of the Strait of Messina, and the Sentiero Garibaldino through beech forest and fragrant broom. The museum and festival, by contrast, offer a way to experience the art collection and local life. This distinction can help you choose the focus of your trip without treating the different trails or cultural offerings as interchangeable.
Discover more destinations: Villa San Giovanni, Tritanti, Polistena, Portigliola, Bagnara Calabra, Bocale, Cosoleto, Delianuova
For the main travel overview: Reggio Calabria.
