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ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
Campo Imperatore from Sella di Monte Aquila (Walks 14 and 16)
It’s 7.30pm. You are standing on the tower of the isolated medieval castle, Rocca Calascio, set dramatically at 1500m on a narrow ridge in the heart of Abruzzo. Fading light is softening the seemingly endless ridges, peaks and valleys that lie in every direction; the silence is underlined by occasional barking from a hamlet below.
One other building stands nearby. The beautiful octagonal church of Madonna della Pietà is isolated against the dramatic south east face of Corno Grande, the apex of the Apennines, 16km to the north and 1500m higher still.
It’s early June. The day has been hot and sunny, although the hours on the trail were eased by a gentle breeze rising from the Adriatic. The air is still warm but it’s time for a light sweater.
This is the centre of the Gran Sasso National Park. The peak and west flank of Corno Grande blaze in the sinking sun while the steep, stark east wall has fallen into shadow. You think about yesterday, when you stood on that summit and fed sweetcorn kernels to the choughs. You felt that you could see from one side of Italy to the other, while all the mountains of Abruzzo were ranged around.
Now, slanting rays light up the ancient village of Carapelle Calvisio, lying on a lower ridge to the south. The forest has darkened, providing a fine background to the glowing tones of the beautiful old buildings.
The peace is extraordinary and the view immense. It is easy to understand why 10th-century barons chose this place to raise their fortress – the highest and surely the most picturesque in Italy.
Corno Piccolo from the west ridge of Corno Grande (Walk 14)
The soft clatter of an old tractor draws your gaze to the valley floor. It is moving slowly down a white lane through strips of lentil and potato fields, along the route of the famous Sentiero Italia – a footpath that runs from the Dolomites to the tip of Sicily. Not that you can imagine undertaking such a walk when there is so much to be explored in just the landscape you can see!
Imperceptibly, the far ridges turn to abstract layers of green, blue and purple, capped by the reddening sky. The peaks of the Maiella and the Abruzzo national parks, way south, grow a little larger as they become silhouettes on the horizon. Wispy cloud has gathered on the shoulders of Monte Amaro, the crown of the Maiella massif and, at 2800m, the region’s second highest point. You look away and then back – it has gone as quickly as it formed.
The Peligna basin, separating the three national parks, lies below the steep west slopes of the Maiella. It’s too dark now to make out Sulmona, the main town of central Abruzzo, but tomorrow you will walk towards it. In two days’ time you will arrive there, tired and a little regretful, to spend your last night before catching the train back to Rome.
A church bell tolls in Castel del Monte, a few kilometres to the north east. It’s one of the highest villages in the Apennines and gateway to the magnificent mountain plain of Campo Imperatore, which you spent most of the day crossing. It has been a memorable day, with the countryside carpeted in wildflowers and populated by semi-wild horses, flocks of sheep and creamy coated, ever-watchful Abruzzo sheep dogs. The four shepherds you greeted were the only people you met – more like a little corner of Tibet than Italy. It seemed a barren, wild place from the heights of Corno Grande, but as you wandered across the undulating pasture the early summer flora, recently emerged from beneath spring snow, was a rich surprise.
Thoughts of food and cold beer intrude on your reverie. Settling your pack for the last time, you watch the tower catch the last of the sun. In the west the long, darkening ridge of Monte Sirente, in the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, forms the final wall enclosing this secluded world of peaks and plains, hilltop villages, forests and ancient towns.
You stroll down to the cluster of stone houses and cobbled passages below. The once-abandoned hamlet is being brought quietly back to life by a few dedicated families who, with national park and regional support, are slowly renovating the tumbledown buildings. One of the first to re-open was Rifugio Rocca Calascio, where your meal, bath and bed await. Earlier you passed through the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, now almost fully restored to its Medici heyday. Abruzzo’s conservation and renewal policies are bearing remarkable fruit.
Children’s laughter and the smell of pasta sauce are the only directions you need. A fox sneaking across the hillside sets the dogs off again. This is a special place – an astounding protected landscape, criss-crossed with tracks and trails, waiting for adventurous spirits to discover it for themselves.
Abruzzo
Despite its central location and close proximity to Rome, Abruzzo is one of Italy’s least known and populated regions – a spectacular and harmonious blend of snowy mountains, grassy plains and forested canyons; of hillside olive groves, vineyards and long sandy beaches. Its natural riches are protected in three national parks, one regional park and many smaller reserves. Thousands of years of history are reflected in a multitude of abandoned castles, hilltop villages and ancient farmsteads; religious dedication echoed in splendid abbeys, silent churches and remote hermitages.
It’s a wonderful place to get to know. The Abruzzesi are resourceful, respectful and welcoming people – with a sure view of their global future but a firm sense of their history and tradition. Neither northern nor southern, the spirit of Abruzzo is its own.
The wild and high Apennine ridges form the grain of the land. Two thirds of the area is mountainous and one third is protected. The claim to be the greenest region in Europe is well founded.
Ancient sheep droves run hundreds of kilometres from the coastal plain of Puglia northwards into the mountain pastures of Abruzzo – the traditional routes of the great bi-annual migration of flocks and shepherds known as the transumanza.
The mountains are home to marvellous and rare plants and animals. The highest peaks of peninsular Italy are here, their slopes supporting ski resorts and an extensive network of summer trekking and mountain biking trails. The mountains fall to the Adriatic, the intervening hills covered in vines, olives and orchards; the coastline itself is developed with resorts offering warm, safe bathing – beach bars, sun shades and loungers as far as you can see.
The region is divided into four provinces, each named after its capital town – L’Aquila, Chieti, Pescara and Teramo. L’Aquila is also the seat of regional government and Abruzzo’s cultural centre. Its university can trace its roots back over 500 years. It’s a refined and beautiful city situated high on the flanks of the Gran Sasso mountains and continuing ever more quickly to recover from the major earthquake of 2009. The largest settlement, though, is relatively modern Pescara, where over 120,000 live in new apartment blocks and villas on the long Adriatic shore.
Twenty-three of Abruzzo’s villages have been designated among the most beautiful in Italy – the highest number of all the regions of the country. Despite this, Abruzzo remains a largely unfashionable corner of Italy and the better for it. Spared overwhelming touristic icons (no leaning tower or grand baroque fountain), it has revealed itself slowly to the outside world. Development is at a steady pace. There are manufacturing industries, motorway connections, a large coastal city (Pescara, a favoured holiday spot of Italians), sophisticated restaurants and modern shopping malls but, mostly, low key. What can’t escape your attention, though, is the empty mountainous countryside – a magnificent unspoilt landscape to savour and explore.
Geological history
The Apennine mountains of Abruzzo are formed predominately of limestone and other calcareous sediments dating from the Mesozoic period in geological history – between 250 million years and 67 million years ago. The sediments were laid down in the warm, calm waters of the long-gone Tethys Sea and marine fossils are commonly found in the region. This was the age of the dinosaurs and their relics, too, have been uncovered.
Mountain building began very recently in geological terms and is a process that continues today. The tectonic make-up of peninsular Italy is complex but, essentially, the Adriatic plate is being dragged south westwards (subducted) beneath the adjacent plate, causing the sedimentary rocks above the line of subduction to be crumpled upwards, forming the Apennine chain. Long considered to be a result of the same event that created the Alps, it is now known that the Apennines are quite independent geologically and were formed much later. The area remains seismically active as the stresses built up during continuing plate movement are released with sometimes shattering consequences.
The grain of the land runs north west to south east – perpendicular to the direction of movement of the Adriatic plate. The upthrust limestone massifs have been sculpted by ice and water and eroded into sharp peaks and rounded plateaus, gashed by narrow ravines and separated by high grassy basins where once large lakes lay.
The upper part of the Celano gorge (Walk 35)
Human history
Human occupation can be traced back to Neolithic times. In the millennia BC, present-day Abruzzo was the home of many Italic tribes – notably the Frentani, the Vestini, the Marsi and the Paeligni. The tribes united to resist Etruscan and Roman attempts to annex their lands, forming a joint base at present-day Corfinio, near Sulmona, which they named Italia. After a final defeat during the Social Wars, the tribes aligned with the Romans to play an important role in the development and sustainment of their empire. (Ovid, the famous Roman poet, was born in Sulmona in 43BC.) The name Italia, however, lived on and was eventually adopted by the reunified nation in the 19th century.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity, the history of Abruzzo becomes complex and confused. Initially the area fell under the control of the Lombards, as a part of their Duchy of Spoleto, which was then given by Charlemagne to the church. This era saw the establishment of many religious houses – great abbeys and cathedrals as well as monastic retreats.
Then came the Normans, whose control reached to southern Italy. They established the Kingdom of Sicily, of which Abruzzo became a part. The Normans ceded the kingdom to the Swabians, who in 1268 were in turn defeated by the House of Anjou. During Angevin rule, Abruzzo became a part of the Kingdom of Naples. The University of L’Aquila was founded in 1458.
In the early 16th century, the Spanish arrived to take control. They merged the Kingdom of Naples into the larger Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. After 1700 Spain itself and its territories came to be ruled by the House of Bourbon. Bourbon rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies continued uninterrupted until the Risorgimento in 1860 – the unification of Italy, spearheaded by Garibaldi’s army, and the foundation of the modern state.
In the modern era, Abruzzo knew desperate poverty following the Second World War. During this time many thousands of families emigrated to North and South America, Australia and other parts of Europe, to be followed by relatively recent economic recovery and development. Abruzzo became a separate region of Italy in the 1960s and is now the most prosperous of all in the official south.
The Tre Portoni from Monte Focalone (Walk 8)
Animals and birds
The remoteness and height of the Abruzzo mountains, the depths of its native forest and the careful protection afforded by national and regional parks have created one of Italy’s most wonderful wildlife refuges.
Clinging on in the quietest corners of the Abruzzo National Park (and, perhaps, the Maiella and Sirente-Velino) is the Marsican brown bear. It is feared there may be just 50–60 individuals left, and you are unlikely to see one. Evidence of their passing might be encountered though – paw prints and scat. You are even more unlikely to meet a European lynx, but it has been spotted and is thought to have a reasonable chance of survival provided levels of protection are maintained. Wild cats and pine martens also live a rare and secluded life in the forests.
In the same areas, grey wolves are doing better. Although still rare, their numbers are slowly increasing (between 1500 and 2000 individuals in the Apennines, most of which are in Abruzzo), and tracks at least can be spotted in the more remote areas.
Easier to come across in all three national parks are Abruzzi chamois living in large family groups on the bare rocks above the tree line. Walks 1, 7, 8, 16 and 23 are recommended for a good chance of seeing them.
Family of chamois on Passo Cavuto (Walk 23)
Red deer and roe deer are relatively common throughout the forested areas. The magnificent sound and sight of rutting red deer stags in the autumn is unforgettable. Walk 23 offers a good prospect of the experience at this time of year.
If you are lucky, otters can be seen in the rivers of the Maiella National Park. The Orfento valley is a potential spot – see Walk 5.
The most common of the large mammals is the wild boar – since its reintroduction it has become well established. You may come across them in the forest (if they haven’t sensed your arrival first – they are shy).
In the skies above the wilder parts of the region, golden eagles drift on the thermals. The Celano gorge (Walk 35), Colli Alti (Walk 29) and the Fara San Martino gorge (Walk 1) are good spots for viewing. Peregrine falcons swoop and plunge above the cliffs where they nest – try the old quarries on Walk 33 which are a favourite haunt. In the woods, the cries of woodpeckers and jays are common, while on the high crags the sharp whistle of choughs is an equally frequent part of the mountain soundtrack.
Fox in the Val Chiarino (Walk 19)
Plants and flowers
The mountains and remoter parts of Abruzzo are a plant lovers’ paradise. The protected and relatively undeveloped landscape, the variety of habitats and the climatic conditions sustain a rich flora – from resin-scented Mediterranean scrub, through to magnificent beech and oak forest, and up to delicate, brilliantly coloured alpine meadows.
In the mountains, the retreating snows trigger an explosion of bright spring-time growth – crocus, mountain pansies, gentians, poppies, beautiful creeping alpines and, in places, the Apennine edelweiss. Lower down, the woods and valleys fill with a profusion of flowering plants and shrubs from the end of winter to late summer, with a variety of orchids prominent. The extensive beech, pine, oak and birch forests are a spectacle in their own right, and in the autumn present vivid fireburst shades of orange, red and yellow.
The compact Abruzzo National Park provides a home for over 2000 species, including the black pine and the characteristic but rare lady’s slipper orchid. Mountain, or mugo, pine grows thickly in places in the Maiella National Park. In the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, the purple Marsican iris stands tall in May and June, while the high plain of Campo Imperatore in the Gran Sasso National Park is tinted lilac by a vast carpet of crocuses every spring.
Wild flowers and ferns in the Maiella
Food and drink
The pleasure of walking in Abruzzo is perfectly complemented by enjoyment of the local cuisine – the freshest plate of antipasti, followed by the speciality house pasta dish and, if you have room, a meat or fish main course. The desserts can rarely be resisted, and the evening is best ended with coffee and a glass of the village amaretto. A visit to the local pizzeria or café will result in an equally satisfying experience – Italians take eating and drinking seriously!
A simple mix of mountain robustness, fertile hill country and the riches of the sea has produced a fine and varied regional gastronomy – the pasta, lamb, pecorino cheese and fish dishes are renowned throughout Italy, as is the characteristic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine. There are delights to be found in the village alimentari, in the next-door bar, on every restaurant menu and, especially, on market-day stalls.
Abruzzo is a famous pasta region, home to De Cecco and Delverde, two of Italy’s leading producers. Chitarra is a typically Abruzzese form – square-shaped strands made by pushing a pasta sheet through wires strung across a wooden box. Pasta and bean stew (pasta fagioli ) delicately flavoured with fresh herbs is a simple delight at the end of a long day’s walk.
From the flocks of mountain sheep come pecorino and riccota, among the finest in Italy. Both cheeses find their way into many regional recipes. Local production still plays an important role, and cheesemakers may be encountered on walks across the high plains. The traditional significance of sheep rearing is seen, too, in the local passion for arrosticcini – skewers of small lamb kebabs grilled over an open charcoal-filled trough. Roast pork (porchetta ) is also a regional favourite.
Pescara is the home of a large fishing fleet and the quayside market is a fine sight when the boats come in. Fish stews, risottos, soups and simple grilled fillets taste delicious when so fresh. Again, local recipes feature strongly in the region’s restaurants.
Other regional specialities are fine olives; saffron from the Navelli plain; red garlic and sugared almonds (confetti ) from Sulmona; lentils from Santo Stefano; polenta made from maize; truffles, chestnuts and porcini mushrooms from the forests; and cima di rapa – a green leafed vegetable prepared quite deliciously.
Wine production, too, is a regional obsession. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the local red wine and Trebbiano and Pecorino are the whites. Much of the production is on a small scale for family use but the commercial wineries produce many memorable bottles.
Nearly every village in the region has its festa, usually in the summer – a celebration of the local speciality food with music, wine and, at the end of the night, lots of fireworks.
Walking in Abruzzo
Abruzzo is wonderful walking country. It is one of the wildest and least populated regions of Italy, with 169 peaks over 2000m, long mountain ridges, high plains and deep gorges, huge forests of native beech, oak and pine and gentle fertile valleys. The highest points in peninsular Italy and the southernmost glacier in Europe are all here.
This beautiful natural environment is maintained to a remarkable extent in the region’s three national parks, one regional park and many smaller reserves. Almost a third of the entire region is afforded protected status of one form or other. The parks cover the four main mountain massifs; they correspond also to the main walking areas, although there are many fine routes throughout the region.
The Gran Sasso e Monte della Laga National Park covers an area of over 150,000 hectares in the north of the region, one of the largest national parks in Italy. Its spectacular high point is Corno Grande, at 2912m the highest point in the Apennines. In a wild corrie sheltered by the three peaks of Corno Grande lies the small and fast-disappearing Calderone glacier, the most southerly in Europe. From the foot of the mountain, the magnificent high plain of Campo Imperatore stetches away for 25km. With an average altitude of 1400m, the plain covers an empty 80km2.
The Maiella National Park lies in the south east and covers the area of the high and wild Amaro massif, the nearby Morrone massif and the ridges and plains that run up to them. Monte Amaro, at 2793m, is a barren and exhilarating place – the second highest point in the Apennines. The park is just 30km from the Adriatic, and the south east slopes are incised by a series of spectacular gorges. Ancient monasteries and hermits’ retreats are hidden away, blended into the remote cliff faces.
The long-established Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise National Park lies in the south west of the region. It’s a relatively small area but its high peaks and ridges and remote forested valleys harbour an internationally famous wildlife. Its biodiversity is as remarkable as its beauty. In the ancient forests and on the bare crags of the Upper Sangro and its side valleys live bears, wolves, chamois, boar, lynx and eagles.
The Sirente-Velino massif in the west of Abruzzo is (merely) a regional park, but you would be pushed to tell the difference. The management of its contrasting natural habitats – gentle meadows, deep gorges, high mountain walls and spectacular sub-alpine summits – has been equally effective in creating a rewarding walking area.
All the parks are covered by a network of established paths. In addition, lovely routes lie along the thousands of country lanes, tracks and droves and across open hillside and meadow, especially in the areas beyond the park boundaries.
Waymarks are usually paint splashes (red, or red and white) but can be cairns, signposts or even plastic strands tied to branches. A route indicated as ‘waymarked’ usually has good or adequate signing (when combined with the recommended map and route description), although occasionally it is poor. Marking can be inconsistent or old, especially where more than one authority is involved – perhaps the national park and the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) and the Corpo Forestale dello Stato (CFS) vying with different colour schemes! Be careful – but don’t be put off.
Rifugios (mountain huts) are spread across the upland area but most are locked or spartan bivouacs. Many are shepherds’ huts or, if operated by the CAI or park authority, have no guardian (warden) and the key (often available only to members) must be collected beforehand. There are some notable exceptions – see ‘Places to base yourself’, below.
When to go
Abruzzo is a coastal and upland region where seasons are remarkably varied. Overall the climate is typically Mediterranean, but altitude brings a big variation. Winter in the mountains is reliably cold. There are 10 ski resorts (little known outside Italy) and the main walking areas are deeply covered in snow well into the spring – fantastic for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing! Summer is reliably hot and dry; the seasonal rivers disappear and the hillsides turn tinder-brown. Spectacular lightening storms and localised downpours bring relief when the atmosphere becomes too charged. Between the two, spring and autumn are usually mild and can be damp.
Monte Amaro from a meadow on Walk 9
The walking season begins in late spring and goes into autumn – late April to late October. Ideal, perhaps, are the months of May, June and September, either side of high summer (which can be very hot). July and August can be very enjoyable too, and are (relatively speaking) the busiest times on the trail. April and October should not be dismissed as they offer solitude, often perfect conditions and the riches of the changing seasons. Even March and November can see spells of clear, settled weather.
Getting there
Abruzzo is easy to reach, both from other regions of Italy and from abroad, and its main centres are well connected by road and rail.
The airport at Pescara is served by several low-cost airlines that fly from countries in Europe and offer internal flights to destinations in Italy. For most of the year, Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies five days a week from London Stansted and Frankfurt, four days a week from Brussels and twice a week from Dusseldorf, Malta and Barcelona. Wizz Air (https://wizzair.com) flies twice a week from Bucharest, and Mistral Air (www.mistralair.it) flies four times a week from Tirana in Albania. Internally, Ryanair and Alitalia (www.alitalia.com) both fly twice a day from Milan, while Mistral Air flies twice a week from Palermo, Catania and Cagliari. Blue Air (www.blueairweb.com) flies three times a week from Turin.
Pescara airport is connected to the city railway station by a frequent bus service. For more information, visit the airport website: www.abruzzoairport.com.
Ancona airport is about 1hr north of Abruzzo by motorway and is connected by fast trains to Pescara. Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) connects Ancona daily with Munich, while Ryanair offers four flights a week from London Stansted and two a week from Brussels. Ancona is connected to Rome with two or three flights a day. For details visit www.aeroportomarche.it.
View down Valle Pagano from Monte La Meta (Walk 24)
Naples airport (www.aeroportodinapoli.it) is well served from many UK, European and worldwide destinations. The city is connected to Abruzzo (Sulmona, Chieti and Pescara) by express coach (www.satambus.it) that operates four or five times a day and takes about 3hr.
Accessing Abruzzo via Rome’s two airports, Ciampino and the bigger Fiumicino, is also simple and offers links to all corners of the world as well as Italy. easyJet (www.easyjet.com) uses Fiumicino for flights from Bristol, Luton and London Gatwick in the UK. Ryanair operates mainly from Ciampino and serves Edinburgh, Glasgow, East Midlands, Manchester and London Stansted in the UK. Liverpool is connected to Fiumicino by Blue Air, Manchester by Jet2.com (www.jet2.com), and Cardiff is connected by Flybe (www.flybe.com).
Both British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and Alitalia fly to Fiumicino from London Heathrow several times a day and can be competitive with the low-cost operators. British Airways also serves Fiumicino from London Gatwick.
Cork and Dublin are served directly from Rome. Major cities in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are all connected to Rome.
The best start point for flights to Rome is a visit to www.adr.it.
Rome is connected to Abruzzo by road and rail. The drive on the A24 motorway from the Rome orbital motorway to the Abruzzo border takes about 40min. To continue to L’Aquila takes a further 40min; to Sulmona a further 1hr or to Pescara a further 1hr 30min. Coaches between Abruzzo and Rome are operated by TUA – the region’s bus company. Services depart from Tiburtina station in Rome. There is an hourly service to L’Aquila. Pescara and Sulmona are both served directly about six times a day. The full timetable and details can be seen at www.tuabruzzo.it.
Prontobus (www.prontobusitalia.it) operates a very useful direct coach service from Rome’s airports to several towns in Abruzzo including Avezzano, Sulmona, Chieti and Pescara.
The train from Rome is a lot slower but offers a very picturesque journey and is surprisingly cheap. It takes about 3hr to reach Sulmona and 4hr for Pescara. The train to L’Aquila involves changing at Terni, taking 3–5hr depending on whether the service to Terni is fast. Most leave from Tiburtina station but some depart from Roma Termini. L’Aquila, Pescara and Sulmona are each served about five times a day. The timetable and online booking are available at www.trenitalia.com.
Getting around
There is a good public transport network within Abruzzo, again provided by TUA and by Trenitalia. The websites above provide details of all services. While the bus network is extensive, the train is limited to the line between Rome and Pescara (via Avezzano, Sulmona and Chieti) and the line between Terni and Sulmona which passes through L’Aquila. The Adriatic coast fast line also passes through Abruzzo, linking Pescara with Ancona, Rimini and Bologna to the north and Foggia, Bari and Brindisi to the south.
Unfortunately, once you have arrived at your destination, getting to the start of walks by public transport is either a challenge (with a few noted exceptions) or impossible. Buses can be infrequent and not well timed for early starts or late, unpredictable finishes. A car is usually the only practical option. The major hire companies are at Pescara and Rome airports and the railway stations. Car hire is also available in L’Aquila, Avezzano and Sulmona. Rates are reasonable if booked in advance and offers are frequent.
Finally, Abruzzo is wonderful cycling country (mountain and road are equally good). If you take or hire a bike, depending on your base, it can solve the problem of reaching the start point.
Places to base yourself
There are excellent hotels, B&Bs and self-catering apartments throughout the region. A good start point is the regional tourist organisation’s website, www.abruzzoturismo.it. Useful sources for self-catering accommodation are www.holidaylettings.co.uk/abruzzo and www.tripadvisor.com.
Your choice of base will depend on whether you focus your trip on one or two of the parks or whether you intend to visit them all.
Sulmona (www.comune.sulmona.aq.it) is a fine town to stay in or near as it is centrally located between all four parks and is easy to reach. It is a beautiful old place that will keep you diverted on rest days as well as providing a good choice of restaurants, bars and places to sleep – new and traditional hotels, B&Bs and self-catering. Smaller towns in the Peligna basin are Popoli, Pratola and Raiano, and a number of beautiful villages lie around the edge of the basin, including Pacentro, Pettorano, Introdaqua, Bugnara, Anversa and Roccacasale.
If you intend to concentrate on the Gran Sasso and perhaps the Sirente-Velino parks, then L’Aquila (www.comune.laquila.it) is an obvious choice. Easy to reach, especially from Rome, it is a captivating and historic place. L’Aquila was badly affected by the earthquake of 2009, although services are now almost back to previous levels – and perhaps even better. Access to parts of the city may still be restricted, but the return of visitors is vital to its economic recovery.
There are many smaller towns in the north of Abruzzo that are good alternatives. Celano, Ovindoli and Rocca di Mezzo are well placed for the Sirente-Velino, while Teramo offers good access to the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga from the east. A number of villages within the Gran Sasso park have small hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation and at least one restaurant. They include Santo Stefano, Calascio, Ofena and Castel del Monte in the south, and Pietracamela, Campotosto and Assergi in the north. Farindola offers access from the east. The villages of the Aterno valley between the Gran Sasso and the Sirente-Velino are also well situated – the main ones are San Demetrio, Fontecchio, Santa Maria del Ponte and Acciano.
If walking is to be centred on the Maiella National Park, then four small towns lying between the Amaro and Morrone massifs will each meet your needs. The largest, Caramanico Terme (www.comunecaramanicoterme.it), is an old spa town well served with accommodation and restaurants. To the north lies San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore, and to the south is Sant’Eufemia a Maiella. Furthest south is Campo di Giove. A number of small towns lie along the east flank of the Maiella, providing good access to the eastern gorges. They include Palena, Lama dei Peligni, Fara San Martino, Guardiagrele and Pretoro.
The end of the day at Rifugio Campitelli (Walk 24)
Within the Abruzzo National Park is the small town of Pescasseroli (www.comune.pescasseroli.aq.it). Its pretty centre and surrounding area offer many accommodation and eating possibilities. Other villages in the park with places to stay and eat are Barrea, Villetta Barrea, Civitella Alfedena and Opi. Just outside the park at its south eastern end is the small town of Alfedena. Castel di Sangro in the south of the region would be a good place to stay if you wanted to explore both the Abruzzo and the Maiella parks, as would the ski resort villages of Roccaraso, Rivisondoli and pretty Pescocostanzo.
Special mention needs to be made of the Italian institution that is Agriturismo – rural accommodation, often based on farms or smallholdings, offering meals made with the produce of the establishment or locale. Agriturismo is well established in Abruzzo and there are lovely places to stay. A good resource is www.agriturismo.it.
Campers are reasonably well provided for in Abruzzo. Most sites are traditional Italian style, with fixed pitches amongst camper vans, caravans and semi-permanent holiday huts, and are popular with large holidaying families. There are a few ‘wilder’ sites in the national parks. Good lists can be found at www.camping.it.
Finally there are a number of alpine-style mountain huts in the most popular higher areas. These can be special places to spend the night, and they allow an extended walk in remoter parts. They provide simple sleeping platforms (take your own bag), a cooked evening meal and breakfast. The CAI website (www.cai.it) has a full list (including unmanaged huts), as does the Abruzzo tourist organisation website and individual park websites. Worth particular mention are Rifugio Franchetti, Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi and Rifugio Giuseppe Garibaldi in the Corno Grande massif, and Rifugio Sebastiani in the Velino.
Rifugio Garibaldi (Walk 16)
Daily essentials
Italy is one of the world’s most developed economies, and prices are similar to the rest of the Eurozone, the UK and North America. Some things, however, are typically cheaper – wine, coffee, dinner in a village restaurant, train tickets, shoes (you never know) and going to a football match.
Most shops and offices, including banks and post offices, are open from 8.30am to 1pm and then again from 3.30pm to 7pm. Even village cafés often close for lunch. Supermarkets, though, are increasingly open throughout the day. ATM machines are easily found in towns and quite often villages. They usually recognise foreign debit cards and will dispense euros. Credit cards are often not accepted by B&Bs and restaurants – keep topped up with cash.
Mobile phone coverage is good in Abruzzo, although you will be out of touch in the remoter valleys. There aren’t many public phone boxes – the telefonino (mobile phone) has become an essential. The internet, too, is just about everywhere. 4G data network coverage for smartphones is good and there are internet cafés in all of Abruzzo’s main towns. Wi-fi connections are usually available in hotels and B&Bs and can often be found in cafés. Some town centres, such as Sulmona, are covered by a municipal wi-fi network.
There isn’t a great deal of English spoken in Abruzzo, but someone can usually be found, particularly in a restaurant, hotel or even a mountain hut. You can enjoy a walking holiday with a basic grasp of Italian or none at all. In the summer there are more English speakers around – diaspora Italians visiting the home region. Don’t worry if you thought you had some Italian but still don’t understand – it’s the Abruzzo dialect. Speak Italian and people will switch. For a selected Italian-English glossary, see Appendix C.
Note that menus are rarely translated and sometimes don’t exist – the day’s dishes are listed by the waiter. But you can always manage, and unless you have a pretty restricted diet it can be fun.
Maps
There is no comprehensive mapping of Italy for walkers. Published maps of Abruzzo are patchy, both in coverage and quality, but the maps listed in the table below are recommended and cover most walks:
| Map | Name | Scale | Publisher |
| 1 | Majella – Carta Escursionistica | 1:25,000 | Parco Nazionale della Majella/D.R.E.SM. Italia |
| 2 | Maiella National Park – Tourist Map | 1:50,000 | Monte Meru Editrice |
| 3 | Majella | 1:25,000 | Edizioni il Lupo |
| 4 | Gran Sasso d’Italia | 1:25,000 | Edizioni il Lupo |
| 5 | Gran Sasso d’Italia | 1:25,000 | Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) – Sezione dell’Aquila |
| 6 | Monti della Laga | 1:25,000 | Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) – Sezione di Amatrice/SER |
| 7 | Monti Marsicani | 1:25,000 | Edizioni il Lupo |
| 8 | Abruzzo National Park – Trekking | 1:50,000 | Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise/S.E.L.C.A. |
| 9 | Monti Marsicani – Mainarde | 1:25,000 | Edizioni il Lupo |
| 10 | Monte Genzana, Monte Rotella | 1:25,000 | Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) – Sezione di Sulmona |
| 11 | Velino-Sirente | 1:25,000 | Edizioni il Lupo |
| 12 | Simbruini | 1:25,000 | Edizioni il Lupo |
The sketch maps in this guidebook should suffice for shorter walks below the tree line, but you should take the recommended sheet map as well. You should definitely take a sheet map for routes that visit peaks, ridges and open mountainside.
The recommended map for each walk is given here and also in the information box at the start of each route. A lesser alternative is given in brackets (it might not, for example, cover the whole route).
Maps can be difficult to obtain, especially outside of the region. In Sulmona, try Susilibri on Via Panfilo Manzara or the tourist information office in the Annunziata on Corso Ovidio; in L’Aquila, try Agnelli on Corso Principe Umberto; or, near Pescara, the bookshop in the Abruzzo Centre shopping mall. Tourist information offices and park visitor centres often keep a small selection, and maps may also be found in bars, restaurants and newspaper kiosks. Keep an eye out! Maps 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 can be bought online at www.edizioniillupo.it. Other suppliers include Standfords (www.stanfords.co.uk) and The Map Shop (www.themapshop.co.uk) – both of which are based in the UK but deliver by post worldwide.
ViewRanger is an online route mapping service for walkers and cyclists. Its mapping of Abruzzo is good and can be accessed via an app on a GPS-enabled smartphone when you are out and about. It can be considered a good backup to the paper map. You can create an account at https://my.viewranger.com.
Using this guide
The 40 walks in this guide are for people who want to experience the beauty, and perhaps the challenges, of a quiet and remote part of the European upland. The routes, all of which have a grade for difficulty, vary from gentle strolls to serious expeditions in the mountains. Most start and finish in a village with a bar and shop.
About a quarter are easy-going – a half day or a relaxed full day, generally suitable for young and old alike. Averaging 7.5km in length, with modest amounts of up and down, they visit woods, gorges, lakes, hill tops and old villages.
Another quarter or so are of moderate difficulty – a full but straightforward day and not too taxing; suitable for occasional but fit walkers. Averaging 16km in length, with climbs and descents (some big but simple), they visit forests, mountainsides and some summits (one over 2000m!).
The rest, however, are long walks and mountain treks for those who enjoy a full day out. Usually about 17km in length, they involve a good climb (average 1300m), often on open mountainsides and along ridges. They visit 34 peaks over 2000m, including 11 of the region’s 18 summits over 2500m. They also visit the three highest points in the Apennines. A few have one or two moves of easy scrambling and a distinct alpine feel, including one (Walk 15) that involves a section of via ferrata, for which appropriate equipment is required. Others stay lower, crossing plains and passing through woods and villages. Almost all can be shortened according to time, energy, weather and personal preference.
The route descriptions all start with a box that provides information about the walk – GPS coordinates for the start point, the likely walking time (not including rests), difficulty, distance, high and low points, total ascent and descent (often a lot more than the difference between the low and high points). Difficulty is graded as 1, 2 or 3 (1 is a straightforward wander that may involve a climb; 2 is suitable for a fit walker with reasonable experience of the hills; and 3 is for those comfortable with mountain conditions, exposure, physical demands and route finding). Several of the grade 3 walks can be made grade 2 – see route descriptions for more details. The information box also includes advice on reaching the start point, where to park and which sheet map covers the route. Additional access information is given in Appendix B.
A general flavour of the walk is provided by way of an introduction, and this is followed by a detailed route description. To aid navigation, the route description shows in bold places along the way that also appear on the sketch map.
GPX tracks
GPX tracks for the routes in this guidebook are available to download free at www.cicerone.co.uk/978/GPX. A GPS device is an excellent aid to navigation, but you should also carry a map and compass and know how to use them. GPX files are provided in good faith, but neither the author nor the publisher accepts responsibility for their accuracy.
Advice for the trail
Weather
Summer, even in the mountains, is usually hot, with midday temperatures commonly in the mid-30s (°C). A lot of walks are exposed to the sun, wind and possible afternoon thunderstorms. Be prepared. A weather forecast for every village in Abruzzo can be obtained from the ‘Meteo’ section of La Repubblica newspaper (www.repubblica.it). It is in Italian, but the symbols and numbers are self-explanatory.
Managing the heat
Carry all your water for the day. Springs and fountains are often dry in summer. For the bigger climbs and longest routes you’ll need three litres on a warm day. Keep the sun off your head. Really hot days are best avoided or made manageable with a very early start. Daybreak is a special time to begin an ascent – with a little night chill still in the air.
What to take
Take insect repellent – flies sometimes fill the sheltered, vegetated valleys. They rarely bite but can be persistently irritating. Repellent around your hat brim will help. (Bugs largely disappear above the tree line.) Don’t forget a small pair of binoculars, your camera and a field guide to trees and flowers.
Especially if you are going above the tree line, take full mountain kit – strong boots and windproof hooded jacket, windproof quick-drying trousers, extra fleece, compass, whistle, map, rations and first-aid kit. Walking poles are very useful.
Sheep dogs
Sooner or later you will encounter a flock of sheep with attendant dogs. The dogs are likely to approach and bark at you (it’s their job), but will essentially keep their distance. The best option is to avoid the flock if you can. If not, walk calmly and purposefully, taking a wide, skirting line without looking at the dogs. They will desist and go as soon as they realise you are leaving and not a threat. If retreat seems the best option, keep your head lowered, don’t turn your back and don’t run.
Sheep dog and its flock
Rockfall and blocked paths
The mountains of Abruzzo are high, steep, forested and, in places, unstable. They are also covered in thick snow in winter. Every spring there are rockfalls and avalanches, and very occasionally there may be a landslip or rockfall later in the year. Although the chances of witnessing such collapses are very small, they may affect you indirectly by bringing down trees and rubble that block paths and minor access roads. Blocked paths may remain so for a long time afterwards.
The route descriptions account for all known blockages up to the end of 2017, but others will occur in due course. Be aware of the possibility and, if you find your route barred, don’t retreat straight away – it’s often localised and possible to pick a way around.
Treat the mountains with respect
Thunderstorms and mists can form very quickly and are frequent on hot afternoons. Leave notice of your intended route and parking location. Remember that the Abruzzo mountains are very large, wild and empty places – treat them with care and respect.
Remember, too, that the forest is dense and extensive – stay on a good path and always know where you are. It’s easy to become disoriented, especially on cloudy days.
In the winter, snow down to 500m is common, so paths will be obliterated and rocks icy, and there are of course fewer daylight hours. Avalanches occur every year. Don’t go out unless you are fit, experienced, well clothed and equipped (walking axes and snowshoes). You should start at or before dawn, know how to navigate and assess avalanche risk, and consult a good forecast. That said, a calm day with an azure sky, crystal air and sparkling snow is an amazing thing – don’t be too put off!
Mountain rescue
Despite all your preparation and attention, unexpected circumstances can arise and accidents do happen. If you find that you need help, call the mountain rescue service (Soccorso Alpino) on 118. (The Italian general emergency number is 113, and the European general emergency number is 112.) It is recommended that prior to travelling you buy travel insurance that covers hill walking and mountain rescue as well as the normal travel and medical risks.
