Minervino Murge

Minervino Murge launches at 514 m in Puglia, right next to the restricted zone of the Alta Murgia National Park, a thermal and soaring site with wind from the south-west, west or north-west. The launch area itself is small, and its proximity to the park is the defining fact about this site: flying is not allowed here from 15 February to 31 August, a long seasonal closure that covers most of spring and all of summer, presumably tied to protecting wildlife during breeding season in the adjoining park. That leaves a real but narrower flying season — essentially autumn and early winter — for pilots planning a visit, so checking the calendar before heading out matters far more here than at a site with no seasonal restriction. Outside the closed months, Minervino Murge offers straightforward thermal and soaring flying with a reliable south-west-to-north-west wind window, but the closure dates are the first thing to check, not an afterthought.

Launch & conditions

Small launch area next to the restricted zone of the Alta Murgia National Park.

Local rules & hazards

Flying is not allowed from 15 February to 31 August, a long seasonal closure tied to the adjoining national park.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Minervino Murge, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Minervino Murge with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.