Information, historical and travel guide Murge - Help for your accomodation Murge

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The Murgia (or Murge) is a large Apulian sub-region that identifies itself as a rectangular-shaped karst tableau on mountains which detach from the Lucanian Apennines and go on through the inland of Bari towards the Peninsula Salentina. The name stems from the Latin word “murex”, which means “ sharp stone” (like the murex shell), dry-stone wall. The great number of karst phenomena gave rise to great caves called “dolina” (sinkholes), gullies or torrential girdles, (ravines or swamps) that now are tourist destinations. In 2004 the Alta Murgia National Park was set up: we find 67739 hectares of favourite land that corresponds to a part of the largest Special Protection Area set up to protect the Grass Steppe, natural habitat of the Lesser Kestrel. The Murgian economy is based on agriculture and sheep farming. The most prevalent crops are olive groves, vines, almond groves, orchards and vegetables in a smaller quantity. Other important activities are marble mining industry in the North and the industrial district of the padded furniture in the area of Altamura, Santeramo in Colle and Matera.