Top Cosa Fare a Abruzzo

Abruzzo is Italy's most underrated adventure destination — a compact region where you can hike Europe's southernmost glacier in the morning, eat freshly caught Adriatic seafood on a wooden platform over the water at lunch, and explore a medieval hilltop fortress in the afternoon, all within a 90-minute drive. With three national parks covering a third of its territory, 130 kilometres of Adriatic coastline, and some of Italy's best-preserved medieval villages, Abruzzo packs an extraordinary range of experiences into a surprisingly small area. Whether you're a serious mountaineer, a wine enthusiast, a wildlife watcher, or someone who just wants to eat well and relax, here's everything you need to know about the best things to do in Abruzzo.

Gran Sasso — Conquering the Roof of the Apennines

The Gran Sasso d'Italia massif is the dominant geographical feature of Abruzzo and the highest mountain range in mainland Italy south of the Alps. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is a serious objective that rewards hikers with one of the most spectacular summit panoramas in Europe — on a clear day you can see both the Adriatic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea simultaneously, with the entire Apennine chain stretching north and south like a spine.

The standard route to the summit, the Via Normale, starts from the Campo Imperatore plateau (2,100 metres) and follows a well-marked trail through alpine meadows, scree fields, and a final rocky scramble to the Vetta Occidentale (Western Summit). The round trip covers roughly 12 kilometres with 700 metres of elevation gain and takes 5–7 hours depending on fitness and conditions. No technical climbing equipment is required in summer, but good hiking boots, warm layers, and plenty of water are essential — the mountain creates its own weather, and conditions can change rapidly even in August.

The Campo Imperatore plateau itself is a destination worth visiting even if you don't summit. Known as "Little Tibet" for its barren, windswept beauty, this high-altitude plain stretches for 25 kilometres beneath the Gran Sasso peaks, covered in wildflowers in spring and early summer. A tiny medieval church, the Madonna della Neve, sits alone on the plain, and the Campo Imperatore Astronomical Observatory — the highest in Italy — offers public observation sessions. The funicular railway from Fonte Cerreto, which once held the record as the steepest in Europe, carries passengers from 1,100 metres to 2,100 metres in just 20 minutes, but has been intermittently closed in recent years — check ahead before planning your trip.

For those who want a Gran Sasso experience without the full summit push, the Sentiero del Duca (Duke's Path) is a beautiful traverse across the mountain's western flank, offering dramatic views without technical difficulty, and the Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi at 2,388 metres is a spectacular place for an overnight stay, with bunks, hot food, and the kind of silence you can only find above 2,000 metres.

Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise — Italy's First National Park

Established in 1923, the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise is Italy's oldest national park and the country's most important conservation success story. Its 50,000 hectares of beech forest, alpine meadows, and limestone peaks provide sanctuary for some of Europe's most endangered species, including the critically endangered Marsican brown bear (only 50–60 individuals remain in the wild), the Apennine wolf, Abruzzo chamois, golden eagles, and wild boar.

The best time to see wildlife is at dawn and dusk, and the park's network of 150 marked trails makes it accessible to everyone from casual strollers to experienced trekkers. The Val di Rose (Valley of the Roses) in the Camosciara area is the park's premier wildlife-watching trail — a gentle walk through beech forest with frequent bear and chamois sightings. For a longer day, the Sentiero del Lupo (Wolf Trail) is a 12-kilometre loop through the park's most remote sector, passing through pristine forest where wolf howls are genuinely common at dusk.

The park is also home to Pescasseroli, the region's main town and best base for exploration. The visitor centre on the main square has excellent exhibits on the park's wildlife and ecosystems. Local guides offer bear-watching excursions in spring and autumn, wolf-tracking in winter, and photography workshops year-round. Even if you don't see a bear — and most visitors don't — the knowledge that you're walking through one of Europe's last truly wild landscapes is deeply moving.

The adjacent Majella National Park (Parco Nazionale della Maiella) is a separate but connected protected area, centred on the Majella massif, the second-highest mountain range in the Apennines. Majella is wilder and less visited than the Parco d'Abruzzo, with an extraordinary density of rock-hewn hermitages — over 50 medieval cave churches and hermit cells carved into the limestone cliffs by early Christian monks. The Eremo di Santo Spirito a Majella, the most famous, is a vast rock shelter with a functioning church, monastery, and museum. The Valle dell'Orfento is the park's most spectacular gorge, with waterfalls, limestone cliffs, and the river Orfento running through its heart — easily reached from the thermal town of Caramanico Terme.

Costa dei Trabocchi — Dining Over the Adriatic

The 70-kilometre coastline between Ortona and Vasto is unlike anything else in Italy. The trabocchi — ancient wooden fishing platforms built on Aleppo pine stilts over the water — are unique to the Abruzzo coast. Dating back to at least the 15th century, these extraordinary structures use a complex system of nets, winches, and long antenna-like wooden arms to fish without boats. For centuries they were the backbone of the local fishing economy; now many have been converted into over-water restaurants that serve the day's catch directly from net to table.

Eating at a trabocco is one of the essential Abruzzo experiences. The typical meal is a fixed seafood menu — multiple courses of whatever the local fishermen brought in that morning, from crudo di mare (raw seafood) to grilled fish to the famous brodetto alla vastese, a spicy seafood stew from Vasto. The setting is extraordinary: you're suspended over the water on weathered wooden planks, waves breaking beneath your feet, the scent of charcoal and sea salt mixing in the air. The best-known trabocco restaurants include Trabocco Punta Tufano near San Vito Chietino, Trabocco Pesce Palombo near Fossacesia, and Trabocco Punta Cavalluccio near Rocca San Giovanni. Prices run €35–50 per person for a full menu, which is remarkable value for this quality of seafood in a setting that has no real equivalent in Italy.

The Via Verde dei Trabocchi (Green Way), a 42-kilometre cycling and walking path built on a former railway line, runs the entire length of the Trabocchi Coast, passing through tunnels, over bridges, and directly in front of the most beautiful trabocchi. Bicycle hire is available in Ortona, San Vito Chietino, and Vasto, and the route is flat enough for casual cyclists and families. Allow a full day to cycle the entire length with lunch and swim stops, or break it into sections over several days.

Medieval Villages — Abruzzo's Borghi

Abruzzo has more hilltop medieval villages per square kilometre than almost any other Italian region. Many were built for defence during the Norman, Swabian, and Angevin periods, perched on impenetrable rocky spurs with natural defences on three sides. Some are perfectly preserved; others are haunting ruins that feel frozen in the Middle Ages.

Rocca Calascio, at 1,460 metres, is Italy's highest fortress and one of the most dramatically situated castles in Europe. Built in the 10th century and abandoned after a devastating earthquake in 1703, it sits alone on a rocky promontory above the plain of Navelli. You may recognise it from the films Ladyhawke and The Name of the Rose. The walk up from the medieval village of Calascio takes about 30 minutes and is best done at sunrise or sunset when the light turns the stone gold.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio is the most famous of Abruzzo's borghi — a perfectly restored medieval village in the Gran Sasso park, where every house, street, and square feels exactly as it would have in the 14th century. The Sextantio Albergo Diffuso spreads guest rooms through the village's restored houses, creating a hotel that is the entire village — a concept that has become famous worldwide. Even if you don't stay, the village is worth a visit for its artisan shops, tiny church, and spectacular setting beneath the Gran Sasso.

Scanno, an hour south of L'Aquila, is one of Abruzzo's most photographed villages, distinguished by its heart-shaped lake (Lago di Scanno) and the traditional costumes still worn by some of its older women. The narrow streets of the historic centre are lined with goldsmiths and lace-makers, and the lake below offers swimming in summer and ice-skating in winter. Sulmona, birthplace of the Roman poet Ovid, is a small city rather than a village, but its medieval centre is spectacular — the Piazza Garibaldi, one of Italy's prettiest squares, is surrounded by arcaded palaces and dominated by the aqueduct that feeds its central fountain. Sulmona is also the home of confetti, the sugar-coated almonds that are an Italian wedding staple, and the Pelino confetti museum on Corso Ovidio is well worth a visit.

Skiing — Central Italy's Winter Playground

Abruzzo is the skiing capital of central and southern Italy, with more ski resorts than any region south of Emilia-Romagna. The main resort, Roccaraso-Rivisondoli, sits at 1,250–2,140 metres and offers approximately 110 kilometres of slopes spread across several interconnected sectors. The skiing is predominantly red and blue runs suitable for intermediates, with a handful of black runs for experts. The resort has modern chairlifts, extensive snowmaking, and a lively après-ski scene with dozens of bars and restaurants. Day lift passes run about €45–55 — roughly half what you'd pay in the Alps.

Other resorts include Campo Felice and Ovindoli, both within an hour of L'Aquila and popular with Romans for day trips. Campo Imperatore offers the most dramatic setting — skiing directly beneath the face of Corno Grande at 2,100 metres, with views across the Adriatic on clear days. The ski season generally runs from early December to early April, with the most reliable snow in January and February. Weekend crowds can be significant as skiers from Rome (just 90 minutes away) flood the slopes, so midweek visits are strongly recommended.

Thermal Spas — Wellness in Abruzzo

Abruzzo sits on a geological hotbed of thermal springs, and the region has a long tradition of spa tourism dating back to Roman times. Caramanico Terme, in the Majella National Park, is the most famous spa town, with sulphurous springs that emerge at 25°C from the Orfento gorge. The modern Terme di Caramanico complex offers swimming pools, hydrotherapy, and medical treatments using the mineral-rich waters. Popoli, at the confluence of three rivers, has thermal springs that feed both a modern spa and the natural swimming pools of the Gole di Popoli — a spectacular limestone canyon with warm, mineral-rich bathing spots in the river itself. Roccaraso also has thermal facilities, ideal for post-ski recovery.

Food and Wine Experiences

No trip to Abruzzo is complete without a deep dive into its extraordinary food culture. Beyond the famous arrosticini (lamb skewers grilled over charcoal) and maccheroni alla chitarra (square-cut pasta with ragù), the region produces some of Italy's best wines. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the flagship red — a dark, cherry-infused wine with soft tannins that pairs perfectly with the lamb-heavy local cuisine. Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, made from the same Montepulciano grape but fermented briefly as a rosé, is one of Italy's most distinctive pink wines. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo is the main white, crisp and mineral-driven with excellent ageing potential from top producers.

The major wine zones are around Ortona and Tollo on the coast, and the Peligna Valley around Sulmona in the interior. Notable producers worth seeking out include Emidio Pepe (one of Italy's most legendary wineries, producing wines that age for decades), Valentini (an almost impossibly rare Trebbiano that wine collectors chase around the world), Masciarelli (the largest and most accessible quality producer), and Cataldi Madonna (excellent value for everyday drinking). Many offer tastings by appointment — the Pepe cellar in Torano Nuovo is especially worth the pilgrimage.

Food festivals (sagre) are a summer and autumn fixture across every town and village. The Sagra della Porchetta in Campli (Teramo province) in August, the Sagra degli Arrosticini in Villa Celiera in September, and the truffle festivals of Sant'Agapito and Frisa in November are highlights. Check local tourism websites for dates, as they vary year to year.

When to Do What — Seasonal Guide

Spring (April–June): Best for hiking in the national parks, wildflowers on Campo Imperatore, and visiting medieval villages without crowds. The Madonna che Scappa festival in Sulmona on Easter Saturday is one of Abruzzo's most dramatic religious events. Hotel prices are 20–30% below summer peak.

Summer (July–August): Peak season on the Adriatic coast — beaches are busy, water temperatures reach 26°C, and trabocchi restaurants are in full swing. The mountains offer a cooler alternative with temperatures 8–10°C below the coast. July and August are the best months for hiking Gran Sasso's summit trails when the snow has fully cleared.

Autumn (September–November): The best season overall for food lovers — wine harvest, truffle season, chestnut festivals, and mushroom foraging. September and October offer ideal hiking conditions with warm days and low crowds. The autumn colours in the Majella and Gran Sasso beech forests are spectacular.

Winter (December–March): Ski season at Roccaraso, Campo Felice, and Campo Imperatore. This is also the best time for thermal spa visits, winter hiking on lower trails, and exploring villages with few tourists. Christmas markets in Sulmona and L'Aquila are charming. Hotel prices drop 30–40% outside the ski resort areas.

Practical Tips for Your Abruzzo Trip

Getting there: Abruzzo International Airport (PSR) in Pescara serves major European cities including London, Brussels, Frankfurt, and Milan, with connections through Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Volotea. Rome is 2 hours by train or 2.5 hours by car on the A24/E80 motorway. Naples is 3.5 hours. Once in the region, you'll need a car — Abruzzo's best villages and natural attractions are not well served by public transport.

Where to stay: For first-time visitors, the best strategy is to split your stay between the coast and the mountains. A few nights in Pescara or along the Trabocchi Coast gives you beaches, seafood, and nightlife, followed by a few nights at a mountain agriturismo near L'Aquila or Pescasseroli for hiking, wildlife, and medieval villages. Every booking through IMPT removes 1 tonne of CO₂ at the same price as Booking.com — with 8M+ hotels across 25K+ green-certified partners worldwide, you're never short of choices.

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