Writers and travelers from all eras have defined Abruzzo as a strong and gentle land. As strong as its mountains: Maiella, Gran Sasso, Sirente and Laga, the highlands of Marsica and Velino. As gentle as its hilly lanscapes and golden beaches that mark the borders with the Adriatic sea. As strong as its fortified villages, as gentle as the hospitality of its people. Abruzzo also means nature, forming a framework of great variety and suggestion that is possible to appreciate all year round, thanks to the existence of numerous parks, reserves and oases safeguard-ing nature and making it easily visited either by individual nature-lovers or groups. Abruzzo also means sea with its one hundred and thirty kilometers of uncontaminated, sandy beaches, extending from the springs of the Tronto, on the border with the Marche, to the springs of the Foro marking the southern frontier. Here the coast begins to rise up to form the evocative cliffs of Ortona, Punta del Cavalluccio and Punta Aderci, where the beach is no longer sandy but covered with pebbles, a prelude to the mighty mountain towering over the sea called Gargano that we can see outlined against the horizon.
Abruzzo National Park
It is one of the most important natural reserves in Europe and has numerous protected species such as the golden eagle, the woodpecker with a white back, the brown bear, the chamois from Abruzzo, the wolf. The territory of the park is almost entirely mountainous and offers numerous possibilities to take excursions, to go horse-riding, canoeing, free climbing and skiing.
Chieti
The tyranny of the mountains can still be felt in this part of the Abruzzi. Many villages are all scattered around on the high-grounds, with their neat, small squares, and steep alleys. Chieti welcomes its guests lazily, with a shrewd smile, conscious of the emotions stirred in the visitors by the sight of the splendid Cathedral of S. Justin, the elegant Marrucino Theatre, and the famous statue of the “Guerriero di Capestrano”. Leaving the highway and climbing uphill, the tourist will discover craftsmanship, gastronomy, traditional village fairs, customs handed down from father to son throughout the centuries. Atessa with is façades, its Churches, its flowered balconies in wrought iron, is no doubt most suggestive. Guardiagrele is a real treasure of art. Villa Santa Maria, the home of chefs celebrated every year in October, with the legendary “Sagra del Cuoco”. Fara San Martino, well known for its pasta which, thanks to the special flour, the clean air and the particular spring water, is appreciated all over the world. Lanciano is certainly one of the most attractive little towns, with the cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, a superb work of art built in the 14th century. Chieti has everything a tourist may wish: over 100 Km. of coastline, and ski slopes on the Maiella, at Passo Lanciano-Mirastelle and at Gamberale-La Forcella; wind-surfing is practiced on Lake Bomba, where the most dynamic tourists may enjoy a very active holiday, and the lazy ones can relax in the magic silence of its green valleys or go for a trip on the characteristic <>. The waters of Lake Bomba are rich in fish and here, every year, on the 6th of May, the Italian championship for sporting fishing is held.
L’Aquila
Impressing landscapes, small towns built in white marble where history left its ever-lasting mark throughout the centuries, and the impousing mountains of the Gran Sasso – a journey in the countryside of the Abruzzi, really must start from L’Aquila. The town has some of the most outstanding examples of the local architecture, marked by a strong religious influence.
L’Aquila and around
Avezzano, in the centre of the Marsica, the land of the Orsini, Colonna and Torlonia families, bears witness to its noble past. Sulmona, small and splendid, Balsorano, Barisciano, Corfinio, Ocre, are extraordinary villages that look like cribs. Celano, famous for its Tower. Here lie the major mountain peaks of the Apennines: the Gran Sasso, that includes Mount Corvo, Pizzo Intermesoli, Corno Grande, Mount San Franco, Mount Ienca, Pizzo di Camarda and Mount Pratello; Campo Imperatore, Monte Cristo, Campo di Giove, Cappadocia, Ovindoli-Magnola, Pacentro, Passo San Leonardo, Pescasseroli, Pescocostanzo, Rivisondoli Montepratello, Campo Felice-Rocca di Cambio, Roccaraso Aremogna, Scanno-Collerotondo-Passo Godi, Tagliacozzo, Marsia, are winter resorts that offer the best opportunities to those who love mountain sports. Skiers can enjoy a variety of slopes, from the easy sunny plains to the most difficult ones.
The National Park
Italy’s third largest national park, the Parco Nazionale dell’Abruzzo is a hunter-free haven for wolves, brown bears, chamois and eagles. There are 150 itineraries for ecological tourism inside the Park, and here the publicity slogan <> is a splendid reality.
Pescara & The Coast
Pescara is a modern, lively city that you can easily find your own way around: it has wide roads, elegant shop-windows, and a seafront promenade for when you want to get away from the bustle of the town centre. In the surrounding areas you can visit the magnificent Abbey of Santa Maria Arabona, with its Gothic Cistercian shapes, the ancient bare and enchanting façade of the San Liberatore a Maiella Abbey, the Abbey of San Clemente a Casauria (871 AD), with walls revealing the signs of Romanesque-Gothic style. The Abbey of Santa Maria del Lago preserves the gorgeous and almost intact “ambone di Nicodemo” that dates back to 1159; the Hermitage of Santo Spirito (1000 m.) is carved into the rock and was the solitary abode of Pietro da Morrone and later of Pope Celestino V. These are places of immense beauty, which is further embellished by the gleaming fruit trees, olive trees and vineyards, gently sloping hills skirted by peaceful farmhouses and ancient ruins of ivy covered towers. The province of Pescara is scattered with seaside resorts: from Città S. Angelo, Montesilvano, to Pescara, there is an endless succession of beach services to satisfy even the most sophisticated tourist. At Passo-Lanciano-Maielletta, the modern winter sports centres have been well planned. But Pescara has even more to offer. At an altitude of 700 m., in the Orfento Park, you can find the town of Caramanico, with its sulphur spring, containing sodium and bromide. It is among the most important in Europe for its high hydrogen sulphide content. With its beneficial waters, its climate, its splendid natural scenery, and its fine ancient churches this little town is the ideal place for the treatment of body and soul.
Vasto
This was originally a Frentano settlement and later became a Roman town (Histonium) and eventually a city by Imperial decree in 1710. It is situated on a high hill (144 m.). The upper part of the city contains ancient architecture such as the Roman Porta Nuova, the medieval remains of the church of Santa Maria, the remains of a thermal bath and the amphitheatre (Piazza Rossetti). Remains of Augustan villas and traces of late medieval settlements are to be found within the city walls and also in the immediate vicinity. Besides its harbour, its castles and its churches, visitors will also be delighted with “scapece”, a local fish dish flavoured with vinegar. This is the only regional dish in Abruzzo in which the saffron grown in Aquila is used.
Lanciano
A gracious town which preserves beautiful ancient areas, just like Civitanova, with the suggestive Santa Maria Maggiore church, in a Gothic-Cistercian style, with its magnificent portal (14th century). The Sant’Agostino (14th century) and San Biagio churches, started in 1059. The Dome is called “of the bridge” because it was built above the arches of the Diocleziano bridge. Ripa Sacca, the Hebrew ghetto, was a busy trade centre during the Middle Agest, the period of greatest prosperity in Lanciano.
