Attractions and Places To See around Ussassa/Ussassai - Top 20

Great view. Beautiful area.

A uniquely shaped, towering tower, a natural monument, symbol of Ogliastra, and a key morphological feature of central-eastern Sardinia. Perhaps once a gathering place for the Nuragic peoples, it later became, in popular legend, the entrance to the underworld. It protrudes from the earth like a giant finger reaching toward the sky and, especially in this wild area, is a landmark visible from afar for hikers. Perda 'e Liana is an extraordinary rock formation declared a natural monument in 1993. The peculiar "mountain," known in Sardinian as Taccu or Tonneri, rises in the Gairo Sant'Elena area: it is the greatest witness to the erosive effects of weathering that have been affecting the vast limestone cover of Ogliastra on the border with Barbagia di Seulo for several million years. Erosion gradually isolated the "tower," forming its base. It is the highest (1293 m) of the numerous Ogliastra limestone mountains, the northern foothills of the Tonneri plateau, about two kilometers away, to which it is connected by the s'Arcu 'e su Pirastu Trottu pass. Perhaps in ancient times, they formed a single mountain ridge. Source and further information: https://www.sardegnaturismo.it/de/entdecken/perda-e-liana

The German-language television series "Treasures of the World - Heritage of Humanity" – which I highly recommend – dedicates a 15-minute segment to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the "NURAGHI" in Sardinia and the traditional shepherds' song known there as "Canto a Tenore." The accompanying text for the program states: "Over seven thousand round towers made of stone blocks weighing several tons are scattered throughout Sardinia. Often, only the stumps of these megalithic structures, called nuraghi, remain. The first were built around 1400 BC. Small stones were placed between the massive blocks, a construction method that made the stone towers resistant to collapse." This article (episode 413 of the series) is available in the ARD Mediathek at the following link =>> https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/schaetze-der-welt/sardinien/3sat/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS8xNTg4MzM5MA

Not a Nuraghi, but a wonderfully maintained rest area!

In October 1951, the old town center, now called Gairo Vecchio, as well as the historic castle complex were almost completely destroyed by flooding[2] and were later abandoned in order to rebuild new houses above the half-destroyed village and on the coast. In contrast to Gairo Vecchio, today's place is also known as Gairo Nuovo or Gairo Sant'Elena. The current municipality of Cardedu emerged from the settlement on the coast in 1984, which explains the year in the town's coat of arms.

6 euros entrance fee, which is really worth it. Opening times: Only with a guided tour, approx. 45 minutes - at the following times: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m https://www.escursionisadali.it/ There are 5 rooms to visit. In contrast to the well-known grottos, the lighting is more temporary and the paths are more adventurous. The following legend surrounds the grotto: The cave is called “Is Janas”, which is a Sardinian name for “fairies”. According to a legend, three fairies lived in this cave. The fairies loved food and enjoyed cooking. This is also how you cook during Lent. A priest surprised the fairies while they were eating and was hanged by them (broken stalagtite in the first room). As punishment, God turned the fairies into three stalgmites (room 2). In the fourth room the skeleton of a "Prolagus Sardus" was discovered as well as ceramic shards from the Neolithic period (3000 BC) which can be viewed in the Museum of Caglari. Geological and historical information: The cave dates back 5 million years and was discovered in the 19th century. The cave is approx. 240 meters long and has a constant temperature of 12° and a humidity of 99 - 100%. The colors of the cave are: red (iron oxide and clay), gray (manganese) and black (guano - bat excrement).

The German-language television series “Treasures of the World – Heritage of Humanity” – which I fully recommend in my opinion – devotes a quarter of an hour to the UNESCO world cultural heritage of the “NURAGHI” in Sardinia and the traditional shepherd’s song there, known as “Canto a Tenore”. The text accompanying the program says “Over seven thousand round towers made of stone pieces weighing tons are scattered all over Sardinia. Often only the stumps of these megalithic buildings, called nuraghi, remain. The first were around 1400 BC. Built. Small stones were placed between the mighty blocks, a construction method that made the stone towers collapse-proof.” This article (episode 413 of the series) is available in the ARD media library under the following link: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/schaetze-der-welt/sardinien/3sat/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS8xNTg4MzM5MA

Once a lively town, now just a collection of ruins. The name "Gairo" comes from the Greek words "ga" and "roa" meaning "flowing earth" and is a reference to the sad history of the village. In October 1951, the old town center, today called Gairo Vecchio, and the historic castle complex were almost completely destroyed by flooding and later abandoned in order to rebuild new houses above the half-destroyed village and on the coast. (Sources: Editors Pecora Nera, Wikipedia)