Italy’s most underrated places, Abruzzo is really amazing!
Today let’s explore Abruzzo, a region often overlooked by travelers seeking more popular destinations. It’s located in the center of Italy, bordering Lazio, Marche and Molise. However, this region offers great experiences for those who want to explore new places. From picturesque landscapes and mountains to charming medieval towns, Abruzzo has it all!
There are a lot of things to do in this region all year round. In this article I want to make a list of places I think are worth visiting.
Let’s begin!
Campo imperatore, Gran Sasso d’Italia
Campo imperatore is a large plateau located in Gran Sasso National park, one of the three National Parks of Abruzzo. Located at 1800 m high, it’s an amazing place for those who love mountains.
A wild, almost desert-like landscape. When I see this landscape, two words come to my mind: vastness and silence. Not by chance, Italian alpinist Fosco Maraini called Campo Imperatore “the Little Tibet” and it’s known like this until now.
The highest peak is “Corno Grande” (2912m). From the top, you can enjoy a 360° view of the valley below. You can do many hiking trails, from easy ones ( Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi, Monte Aquila…) to more challenging ( Pizzo Intermesoli, Corno Grande, Corno piccolo, Monte Camicia). Most of the them start from Campo Imperatore Observatory.
This place is famous in Italian history because it was the last prison of Benito Mussolini in 1943, before being liberated by the Germans.
Moreover, several movies has been made here. The most famous are “They call me Trinity, Trinity is still my name…” with Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. You can find the location where the scenes were filmed here: 42.40760728245672, 13.72442031972534.
Where to eat :
- https://www.ristoromucciante.com, Fonte Vetica
In this place you can eat a typical food of this region, “Arrosticino Abruzzese”. This is a meat skewer usually made with ovine meat. Since is a butcher’s shop you can find many kinds of meat. However, there are tables for eating, they will also prepare the fire for the BBQ. This is a famous stop point for many people, especially for bikers.
How to get there:
Highway A1/E45 and A24, exit to Assergi, follow indications to Campo Imperatore
There are two ways to arrive at Campo Imperatore Observer: cable car from “Centro turistico Gran Sasso” or by car. If you go by car, don’t stop at “Centro turistico Gran Sasso” but follow the road.
Where to Sleep:
- https://ostellocampoimperatore.com The highest hostel in Europe (2115m)!
Rocca Calascio and Santo Stefano di Sessanio
Not far from Campo Imperatore there is Santo Stefano di Sessanio. Although it’s a small town, it is one of the most picturesque in the park. It has old stone houses, narrow streets, and amazing mountain views. It doesn’t take long to visit it, but it’s a nice stop to do.
Unfortunately, Santo Stefano di Sessanio was hit by the 2009 earthquake. As a result, some of the town’s buildings were seriously damaged. Now, many historical buildings such as Torre Medicea have been reconstructed, so you can visit it.
There are several shops where you can buy typical products, such as clothes made from local wool. You can also taste some typical foods.
Just 15 minutes by car from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, you can visit Rocca Calascio. This is a ruined medieval castle. It may sounds not so interesting. After all, there only are ruined walls. However, the location of the castle and its structure have made it one of the most famous castles in Italy.
Centuries ago, the building was used for defensive purposes. It was also an important point for trade for people who lived there. Undoubtedly, the castle is in a very scenic location, dominating the surrounding valley. And it’s a very well known place for landscape photographers. You can take amazing shots from this place.
To sum up, you must go there!
Where to sleep:
Scanno, Abruzzo National park
Let’s move to another part of Abruzzo, less wild but no less beautiful.
Scanno is a little but characteristic town immersed in the amazing Sagittario Valley. Although is not that big, like most towns in these areas, it’s worth a visit. Explore the small streets and squares and taste local specialities.
This town is close to Scanno lake, famous for its heart-shape. In fact, looking at the lake from above, it is shaped like a heart.
To see it, you can do an easy hiking trail which starts from the base of the lake. The trail it’s accessible all year but in summer can be very hot and crowded. So it’s important to take water with you and leave early.
Eremo di San Domenico, Gole del Sagittario
After visiting Scanno, you should go to San Domenico lake, just 10 minutes by car from Scanno lake. Another must-see place in this zone. This is an artificial lake, built in 1920s. Despite is not natural, it’s very beautiful and deserves a visit.
On the shores of this one there’s the monastery of which the lake takes the name. During middle ages, the Benedictine monk Domenico da Sora lived in a cave here.
You can enjoy the view of San Domenico monastery on the shores of this lake. There is a bridge that connects the two sides of the lake.
During summer, this place could be crowded. So it may be difficult to find parking. For this reason, it’s convenient to visit it early in the morning.
In my opinion, the best season to visit is in Autumn, during foliage. You can enjoy the colors of autumn. In addition, this season is not crowded at all, so you can visit all places in relax. These places have nothing to envy the most famous places in Northern Italy.
San Domenico lake, Gole del Sagittario
Where to sleep:
Pescasseroli
Pescasseroli is the main town in the Abruzzo National Park. It attracts many tourists all year round. During summer, many Italians come here to spend their vacations. With its architecture, you will feel as if you are in a traditional Alpine village. The city is very well maintained and you can take a walk among the beautiful streets and corners it has to offer.
Moreover, the city can be a starting point to visit other towns in the surroundings (Opi, Villetta Barrea, Civitella Alfedena).
You can also visit the natural reserve “La Camosciara” where is the possibility of seeing chamois. Furthermore, there are a lot of activities you can do here. You can rent a bicycle, go hiking, horse riding and even more.
During winter, Pescasseroli is a popular destination for skiing.
Here you can taste typical sweets such as Pan Ducale and Bocconotti. Pan Ducale is a sort of plum cake with chocolate, almond and various flavorings. Bocconotto is a pastry filled with grape jam or chocolate. There are several bakeries and shops where you can buy them.
If you want to eat something, I recommend you go to the bakery ‘Il vecchio Forno’ for a very good pizza.
Where to eat:
Where to sleep:
Costa dei Trabocchi
The Trabocchi coast is a piece of coast on the Adriatic sea, in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo. The name derives from Trabocco which is an ancient fishing machine built on pieces of wood. It was used by fishermen as an alternative to boat fishing. The coastline is rugged and has lovely sandy beaches.
Here there are some cities you can visit:
- Ortona. Its coastline is about 20 km long and there are wide golden sandy beaches but also small bays with wilder environments. Some beautiful beaches are Lido Riccio and Lido dei Saraceni. Punta dell’Acquabella is a beach famous for its beautiful water. You can visit Trabocco Mucchiola in Ortona.
- Rocca san Giovanni. It is part of the Club “most beautiful villages in Italy”, it has excellent coastlines that have been awarded with “Blue flag title”. There are three beautiful Trabocchi here: Trabocco Punta Cavalluccio, Trabocco punta Torre, Trabocco Spezzacatena.
- Punta Aderci belongs to Vasto territory. It is a promontory that is home to the Punta Aderci Regional Nature Reserve. It has beautiful scenery with beautiful sand beaches. Finally, the town of Vasto is home to the Trabocco di Punta Aderci, which is immersed in a truly wonderful environment.
Where to sleep:
There are other places to see in this region but I’ll tell you in the next article.
See my other articles here: Best blooms in Italy. Spend a day in Castelluccio di Norcia; Explore the Hidden Gem of Anagni: A Unique Tour Near Rome!”
See you soon!
Beautiful places!