Whether you're looking for adventure, beach life or culture - there's something here for everyone…
Majella National Park
If you love nature experiences and outdoor activities, you've come to the right place. Majella National Park is a unique wilderness environment with ravines and rivers in a mountainous area with 30 peaks at over 2,000 meters in height. In fact, this is Europe's southernmost alpine environment.
In the Majella National Park you will find some of the very best hiking trails in all of Abruzzo. Mountain biking, climbing and horse riding are also extremely popular here. Keep an eye out for some of Abruzzo's native species, including the golden eagle, the Apenine wolf and Marsican brown bear. Abruzzo has 75% of the flora and fauna species in Europe and here is sustainable tourism of importance.
Enjoy unique nature experiences such as wolf tracking (there is about an 80% chance of seeing wild wolves) and overnight stays in the wilderness with professional guides.
Abruzzo has many hermitages but the Eremo di San Bartolomeo in Legio, located in Majella National Park, is one of the most spectacular. The history of its foundation must be tracked back to the Middle Ages. Reachable by car and a 30 minute walk in a beautiful, natural landscape.
Wintertime, you can enjoy plenty alpine activities. Abundant snow falls here, which has attracted ski enthusiasts from all over Europe. Nearest ski resort is Passo Lanciano, straight up the mountain from our B&B.
If you're looking for slightly bigger challenges, it's just over an hour's drive to Roccaraso - one of Italy's largest ski resorts. The ski season runs from October to April. Why not combine a morning up in the mountains with an afternoon on the beach?
Roccaraso ski area is also known as Alto Sangro and is the largest ski area in Central Italy – in fact one of the biggest in the whole of Italy! There are over 110kms of fantastic groomed pistes and state-of-the-art snowmaking facilities to rival many in the Alps. Altitude – 1,325m – 2,142m.
The
Adriatic coast
When you're tired of heart-rate-raising activities, it can be nice to take it a little more leisurely. The Abruzzese Adriatic coast is characterized by long and sandy beaches to the north and pebbly beaches to the south. It’s perfect for catching some rays and spending sunny days lingering under the summer sun, then cooling off with a fresh dip in the sea.
From our B&B it takes only 25 minutes by car to Francavilla al Mare. There you can stroll along the promenade and enjoy a cooling beer at one of the countless beach bars. And from Francavilla al Mare it is not far to Pescara, the capital city of the Italian province of the same name in the Abruzzo region.
Pescara is tremendously known due to its bustling nightlife and an abundance of architectural attractions. Many also visit Pescara for the wide range of shops and snow-white sandy beaches with clear turquoise water.
Wander through the city and sunbathe on the 16 kilometer long beach, enjoy fresh fish by the water, cool off with a refreshing drink and dance for hours in the lively bars.
If you are a golf enthusiast, there is a really good course just outside Pescara.
Francavilla al Mare (above right). The entire coastline of Abruzzo is pretty much one long, lovely sandy beach. Further south you find the Trabocchi coast. Here the coastal strip is rockier (Vasto, to the right) and you find trabocchis (fishing machines on piles). The conversion of some trabocchi into restaurants, being able to admire the Coast of Trabocchi from another perspective while eating good fresh fish.
Historic nearby towns and villages
A little further away, about 20 minutes by car, is Chieti which is a lively city with festivals and concerts. The historic center is adorned with arcades, palace-lined streets and spacious piazzas to enjoy. There is an active theater for shows, and plenty of cafes and shops. The city´s archaeological museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale) is awarded several times. The masterpiece in the collections is “The Warrior from Capestrano”, a grave statue from the 5th century BC.
Around Fara Filiorum Petri (within a ten minute drive) are several picturesque mountain villages to discover such as Pretoro, Rapino and Guardiagrele. Here you can visit markets, museums and enjoy the local specialties in cozy restaurants. For example there is a Wolf Museum in the historic center of Pretoro, in the Purgatory Church. The museum is full of particularities on the tradition that links the figure of the wolf to the territory.
A nice day trip is to visit the towns and villages on the other side of Majella.
For eample, you can start with spectacular Roccacasale amd Pratola Peligna. Then on to Sulmona (one of the oldest towns in Abruzzo) and Pacentro with its narrow streets and cozy alleys. During the entire journey you are surrounded by imposing mountains.
Finish the trip around Majella with a stop in an ancient and very beautiful village 1400 meters above sea level. This makes Pescoconstanzo one of the highest situated communities in all Italy. Here, hidden in nature´s masterpiece, a small world opens up with monuments and cultural heritage from the Baroque and Renaissance. The town center is completely intact and the village origins of the first settlement fate back to tenth century.
Since you are in the area, if there is time you should make a visit to Scanno and Scanno di Lago. Here you are really thrown back in time and the village is a favorite among many recognized talented photographers.
Chieti (above), with the Maiella mountains in the background, is amongst the most ancient of Italian cities. According to mythological legends, the city was founded in 1181 B.C. Lago di Scanno (above right)
Fara Filiorum Petri (right) is a small town in the heart of the Abruzzo region. The city's origins date back to the early Middle Ages and one of the sights is the Chiesa di San Salvatore where many relics are kept, including fragments from the cross of Christ. Here, on January 16, according to tradition, a festival is held every year, which has its roots in the French invasion of Abruzzo in 1799, which attracts visitors from all over the world.
Pescocontstanzos (beneath) and Pacentro from above (beneath, to the right)
Pretoro (left) has the appearance of a small nativity scene nestled in the mountains, listed as one of the "Borghi Più Belli d'Italia" (Italy's most beautiful villages). It is a labyrinth of narrow streets and stairways - a wonderful place to explore and photograph. Be sure to visit Nick´s bar at the summit of the town for refreshments. You can see the village from our B&B.
For culture lovers, there are beautiful velvet-draped opera houses in Sulmona, Teramo and Chieti that offer a host of concerts, operas and shows. The number of churches and museums is many, adorned with excellent works of art. Guardiagrele (right) and Sulmona (beneath).
Tourist attractions
The Trabocchi Coast is one of the most beautiful and evocative sights in Abruzzo. These wooden structures, resting on the waters of the sea, were once used for fishing. Today they are mainly dedicated to catering and allow you to taste the typical local seafood delicacies. The Trabocchi Coast is also home to one of Europe's longest bike paths by the sea - a 42 kilometer route built on the old decommissioned railway line from which the most stunning views can be admired.
The Grand Sasso Nationalpark is the Giant of Appennines, a big mountain chain visible from all the summits of Central Italy. It is a paradise for outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking and horse riding. The views are fantastic and it is easy to access. The Central Massif includes the highest summit of the range - Corno Grande (2912 m).
Santo Stefano di Sessanio, a medieval village in the Gran Sasso Nationalpark, is the result of an oustanding conservation project. The village had been abandoned for over 40 years due to urbanization and earthquakes, but in 1999 the Swedish-Italian millionaire Daniele Kihlgren appeared on his motorcycle.
For years he had been looking for places where the landscape had not been exposed to exploitation and destruction. He fell in love immediately, begun buying up houses all over the village and renovating them carefully and respectfully. The result was the Hotel Sextantio, which is not a hotel in the usual sense. The different rooms are scattered over the entire village wich is small. Today, Santo Stefano di Sessanio is a popular tourist destination with cobbled, quirky streets, arches, tiny passages, adorable restaurants and shops.
In Abruzzo, you can experience the wings of history not only in many of the villages mentioned, but there are also old fortresses and castles to visit. One of them is The Castle of Roccascalegna, 35 km south of Fara Filiorum Petri.
Abruzzo has a long history of pasta making and has been producing handmade spaghetti alla chitarra for more than 200 years. Fara San Martino (30 minutes from our B&B) is a charming small town situated on the outskirts of the Majella National Park with a big reputation in the world of pasta (the town is known as ‘La capitale della Pasta”).
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (above). The Castle of Roccascalegna (right), a 45 minute drive from Fara Filiorum Petri . Covering 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres), Gran Sasso National Park (beneath) is a wild land of mountain peaks, rivers, lakes, gorges, valleys and waterfalls. There are many beautiful and dramatic hiking trails, including along the valley with 'The Hundred Waterfalls'. In Gran Sasso, the plateau 'Campo Imperatore' is worth a visit. Here there are a number of well-marked hiking trails and always a restaurant or two at the end of the trails.
A short drive from Santo Stefano di Sessanio is one of the oldest standing forts in Italy, the spectacular Rocca Calascio (left). The castle is the highest located in all of Italy (1460m above sea level). It is possible to park quite close to the fortress. However, it is far more enjoyable to use one of the earlier car parks and take one of the easy-to-follow tracks that wind their way up the hillside.
Food, wine and culture
Italy is of course very much associated with culture, food and drink. With smaller crowds, Abruzzo offers plenty of recreational activities along with a regional culture deeply rooted in gastronomy, literature and music, and ancient architecture.
Exciting traditional festivals are held in almost all Abruzzos towns and villages. You can taste local cuisine, see amazing parade, performance amd lavish fireworks.
The stunning beauty of the region has captivated several filmmakers, making cinema one of the most relevant industries and contributing to the thriving film industry in Abruzzo. If you visit Italy in November, you may have the chance to see the Sulmona International Film Festival, which is dedicated to short films.
Abruzzo is Italy´s fifth largest wine region after Sicily, Veneto, Puglia and Emilia-Romagna.
The well-known green trebbiano d´Abruzzo grape and the blue Montepulciano dÁbruzzo grape (distinct from the Sangiovese grape used to make the Tuscan Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) are grown here. Wine enthusiasts don't have to travel far. Just 8 minutes by car from Fara Filiorum Petri is the high-lying castle Castello di Semivicoli with a breathtaking view. Here you can try locally produced olive oil and wine from the internationally renowned winery Masciarelli in their proper environment.
One of the oldest vineyards in the region can be found in Nocciano. Here, in addition to tasting local olive oils, cheeses and salumi, you can follow the entire winemaking process from weighing to pressing and a visit to the cellar where hundreds of thousands of bottles are stored.
There are countless wineries to visit. Why not spend a day on a wine safari by bike or vespa?
