Abruzzo Parks, Mountains, Food, Beaches

By Enrico Massetti

Book by Enrico Massetti with 99 color images
Abruzzo holds a record: environmental laws protect 30 percent of its territory, and no European region can boast as much. It is not without good reason. It is the region of parks, the ideal target for a naturalistic vacation. There are three national parks, one regional park, and many protected sites and nature reserves: in a region like this, it seems natural that the provincial capital is called L'Aquila (The Eagle).
This guide lets you visit Abruzzo, starting from L'Aquila, and see Gran Sasso and Maiella. It includes a detailed list of the resources available to visit the Parks with local guides and encounter the local wild fauna.
It has a list of local guides and of the services they provide.
It covers Abruzzo cuisine with a section on the specialty Foods of Abruzzo and lists many regional recipes with active links to the recipe pages. It also contains local wines.
It includes a comprehensive section on Abruzzo's history, from the pre-Roman age to the historic Roman era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and the Modern Age. In addition, it includes photos and descriptions of the attractions and travel info.
The guide has many reviews of the restaurants in the localities covered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Enrico Massetti
• Release date: Apr 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311846891

Enrico Massetti

Enrico Massetti nació en Milán, Italia, donde vivió durante más de 30 años, visitando innumerables destinos turísticos, desde las montañas de los Alpes hasta el mar de Sicilia. Ahora vive en Washington, Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, visita regularmente su ciudad natal y disfruta recorriendo todos los lugares de su país, especialmente aquellos a los que puede llegar en transporte público. Puede contactar con Enrico en [e-mail].

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Enrico Massetti

Table of content

Enrico Massetti

Table of content

Abruzzo

Abruzzo mountains

L’Aquila Province

L'Aquila

L’Aquila – how to get in

L’Aquila – How to Get around

L’Aquila – What to See

Where to eat in L'Aquila

Rocca Calascio

Where to eat in Calascio

Abruzzo Sheep farming

The main sheep tracks between Abruzzo and Puglia

Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso

Tours in Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso

Guides and companions

PESCOCOSTANZO

Majella National Park

How to get to Maiella National Park

By car

By train

By bus

By airplane

Guides and companions

Abruzzo Parks

Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga

Parco Nazionale della Majella

Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise

Parco Naturale Regionale Sirente Velino

Other Parks

Park Guides

Majambiente

Majellatrekking - Associazione Culturale Magna Mater

Majellatrekking. Small groups' genuine experiences

Slow Maiella Pacentro

Il Grande Faggio

National Network of CEA of Legambiente.

il Grande Faggio Hostel

Naturavventura - A summer camp for kids

Education and training

Excursions

Information Center

The fauna area

Volunteer camps

Our Majella

Società Cooperativa Majella

Cooperativa Majella Services

Visitor Center of Majella National Park

il Vecchio Asilo hostel

Equituristic Park Majella - Morrone

Stop&Go Agency

Bikelife Live Your Passion

Pescocostanzo

Visitor Centers

Visiting center Caramanico Terme

Visiting center and museum Fara San Martino

Visiting center Maurizio Locati Lama dei Peligni

Visiting center S. Eufemia, a Majella

Centro di Bolognano

Campo di Giove Center

Modern era

Campo di Giove Center

Lettomanoppello Center

Lettomanoppello Center

Wildlife areas

Gamberale Deer Faunal Area

The Orfento Valley

Caramanico Terme: Otter Wildlife Area

Lama dei Peligni: Chamois Fauna Area

Pacentro Chamois Fauna Area

Pretoro

Information Education Center Il Grande Faggio.

Serramonacesca: Area faunistic del Capriol (Roe deer)

Palena: Area Faunistic dell'Orso

Abruzzo’s old villages

Where to eat in Pizzoferrato

Where to eat in Scanno

Where to eat in Anversa degli Abruzzi

MOM - Museum of the Marsicano Bear

Other museums

Excursions and trekking

In the Maiella Park by mountain bike

Center Location Telephone

In the Maiella Park by Road Bike

Botanical Garden Michele Tenore

Botanical Garden Daniela Brescia

Guided tours

C.E.A. LA PORTA DEL SOLE - FARA SAN MARTINO

MAGNA MATER CULTURAL ASSOCIATION C. di Giove (AQ)

COOPERATIVE MAJAMBIENTE - Caramanico Terme

COOPERATIVE MAJELLA - Lama dei Peligni

C.E.A. IL GRANDE FAGGIO - Pretoro

COOPERATIVE STELLA ALPINA - Pacentro

STOP & GO AGENCY - Palena

The path of Celestino

Sea-trekking Tremiti Islands

Itineraries – seacoast

Abruzzo seacoast

Northern itinerary

Giulianova

Where to eat at Giulianova

Alternative future route to get to Pescara

Around Pescara - Miglianico

Where to eat in Pescara

Where to eat in Miglianico

North - central Coast

Center - South

Where to eat in Francavilla al Mare

Where to eat in Chieti

Where to eat in Ortona

South Chieti's coast

Where to eat in Fossacesia

Where to eat in Torino di Sangro

Shopping

Confetti of Sulmona

Chieti

L’Aquila

Antique Shopping

Centro D’Abruzzo

Get to Abruzzo

Food & Recipes

Specialty Foods of Abruzzo

Abruzzo Typical Food

Abruzzo Recipes

Abruzzo Wine

Abruzzo Skill, Savors

History pre-Roman

History - Roman age

History - Middle Ages

History Renaissance, Baroque

History - Modern age

Accommodations

Other tourism guides

italian-visits.com

The Author

Travel books of the same author:

Things to Know

Index

Abruzzo

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Close-up of the Marsicano bear - Marco Tersigni CC BY 2.0

Abruzzo includes two very different areas: the mountainside province of L’Aquila includes three National Parks and the highest peaks in Central Italy, while the seacoast balsam in the sunshine.

Abruzzo mountains

Abruzzo holds a record: 30 percent of its territory is protected by environmental laws.

No other region in Europe can boast as much. Not without good reason, it is known as the region of parks, the ideal target for a naturalistic vacation.

There are three national parks, one regional park and many protected sites and nature reserves: in a region like this, it seems natural that the regional capital is called L'Aquila (‘The Eagle’).

L’Aquila Province

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L’Aquila Province

Dominated by an imposing sixteenth-century castle (which houses the National Museum of Abruzzo), L’Aquila has splendid civic and religious monuments from the medieval and renaissance eras. On the coast of Abruzzo (which boasts popular bathing areas), one of the most popular locations is Pescara, the birthplace of Gabriele D’Annunzio. The house where he was born is now a small and evocative museum.

At Chieti, there is an important National Archeological Museum, well-known for the modernity and effectiveness of its exhibitions, for which it won several prizes. The showpiece of the museum is the Warrior of Capestrano, a funerary statue of the sixth century B.C., found in 1934 in the province of L’Aquila.

At Teramo, the stunning fifteenth-century Antependium inside the cathedral, made by Nicola da Guardiagrele, the great goldsmith of Abruzzo, should not be missed.

Abruzzo is also surprisingly rich in architectural and artistic treasures, almost as much as it is full of natural treasures and folk traditions, such as the festival of the serpents in Cocullo, which brings thousands of people to this tiny village on the first Sunday of May.

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A Trabocco in Fossacesia © Adobe

We shall risk a slogan for this small and charming region of the southern Adriatic: Pay a visit before it becomes trendy.

Ah yes, because it is not difficult to predict the mass discovery of this land where everything still has the flavor of old times: from the splendid landscapes to the folk traditions, from the gastronomic attractions (fabulous cheeses, among the many other typical products) to the community life, from the hospitality of the inhabitants to the unspoiled sea, from the craftsmanship (the bells of Agnone are famous) to the quiet life in the villages of the interior. It is a genuine pleasure to visit.

The region, and in special mode the city of L'Aquila, has been devastated by an earthquake in 2009, the reconstruction work will take many years to restore the original architecture. Visit the region is still recommended as many locations as possible, especially the mountains and the sea resorts, have survived the earthquake without damages, and the tourist's money is needed for the local economy.

L'Aquila

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L'Aquila - View - Lasagnolo9 CC BY-SA 4.0

L’Aquila is the capital of the province of Abruzzo and is in the northern part of the province.

It is a small, pleasant city that is surrounded by high mountains. The city was established by the German Emperor Frederick II in 1242.

According to legend, Frederick gathered the population from 99 local villages into one city.

Each group of villagers in-turn created their own church, resulting in a city of 99 churches. Unfortunately, only a very few remain.

L’Aquila – how to get in

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Rome to L’Aquila 1 hour 34 min, 118 km

There are three main ways to reach L’Aquila. The first is to travel by car taking the A24 (the autostrada connecting Rome and Teramo) that passes to the north of the city. L’Aquila can also be reached by other, smaller provincial highways.

The second method is by bus. There is an intercity bus (Pullman) that travels directly from the Rome Tiburtina Railway Station to the main bus terminal found at the northern end of the city. The third way is by train. The city has no airport, so it is usually most convenient to fly to either the Ciampino or Fiumicino airports in Rome before traveling on to L’Aquila.

L’Aquila – How to Get around

L’Aquila is small enough that it is quite easy to walk from one end to the other.

L’Aquila – What to See

There are several attractions for travelers to visit. There are at least six churches to visit including the Duomo (the city’s main church), located on the Piazza del Duomo, and Santa Maria di Collemaggio (located outside the city walls). The final confrontation scene in the movie Ladyhawke was filmed in this church.

Other places to see include the Museo Nazionale d’Abruzzo, which is in the sixteenth century Castello at the north end of the city.

The castle was designed by the Spanish architect Don Pirro Aloisio Scrivà and is one of the most impressive castles in central Italy and possibly one of the earliest types of this kind constructed.

The Museo Nazionale Abruzzo has several different sections including paintings, and Roman finds, but its most famous feature is the skeleton of a mammoth that was found in the local area.

There is also a daily market that is held each day (except Sunday) in the Piazza del Duomo.

There you can find a wide variety of goods including clothing on sale by small vendors. The market is open from 08:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

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Mascheroni of the fountain of 99 spouts - Sailko CC BY 3.0

Finally, there is the Fontana delle 99 Cannelle, which is located outside the western walls. The fountain has 99 jets of water that represent the 99 churches that were originally in the city.

Where to eat in L'Aquila

Restaurants in L'Aquila:

La Cartiera del Vetojo Ristorante