©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Abruzzo & Molise Why Go? Parco Nazionale del A stunning mountain region little known to foreign visi- Gran Sasso e Monti tors, Abruzzo is an area of unspoiled natural beauty and della Laga ..................624 back-country charm. Only an hour from Rome, it feels like Sulmona ....................624 a world apart with its great Apennine peaks, still, silent val- Parco Nazionale leys and pretty hilltop towns. To the south, Molise offers della Majella .............. 627 more of the same, albeit on a smaller, less dramatic scale. Scanno.......................628 The landscape is extraordinary. In the region’s three nation- al parks, thick forests and flowering meadows give way to high Parco Nazionale barren plains and snowcapped granite peaks, and wolves and d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise .....................630 bears roam free in the vast beech woods. A mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, it offers wonderful hiking, skiing and mountain Pescara .......................631 biking, while the coast boasts beautiful sandy beaches. Chieti .........................633 Across this verdant landscape, there’s a string of cultural Vasto ..........................634 gems to discover. Pescocostanzo’s baroque centre and Sul- Campobasso .............634 mona’s historic palazzi (mansions) testify to past glories, Saepinum ..................635 while isolation has ensured the survival of age-old customs such as Cocullo’s bizarre snake charmers’ procession. Isernia ........................635 Termoli .......................636 Albanian Towns ......... 637 When to Go L’Aquila °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm Best Places to Eat 30/86 8/200 ¨¨Locanda Sotto gli Archi 20/68 6/150 (p625) 10/50 4/100 ¨¨Hosteria dell’Arco (p626) ¨¨Ristorante Clemente (p626) 0/32 2/50 ¨¨Ristorante da Paolino (p628) -10/14 0 J F DNOSAJJMAM May Cocullo’s Jul Sulmona’s May, Jun & Sep Best Places to Stay unique snake square fills with Wildflowers, ¨¨Sextantio (p625) festival involves prancing horses pleasant summer a statue, proces- and jousting dur- sun – perfect ¨¨Locanda Alfieri (p636) sion and writhing ing this medieval conditions for ¨¨Le Torri Hotel (p628) nest of snakes. tournament. hiking. 622 Ancona (88km); Abruzzo Parco Nazionale Ravenna (226km) D dei Monti LE MARCHE & Molise Sibillini Ascoli Tronto ÷# Piceno Highlights ^# 1 Breathing in the pure mountain air of Pescocostanzo (p627), one of Giulianova #\ Abruzzo’s hidden jewels. UMBRIA #\ 2 Spending a night Roseto degli ¼/ Parco Nazionale ^# Teramo Abruzzi in the village of SS4 del Gran Sasso e Civitella Alfedena Monti della Laga ABRUZZO ÷# (p630), where bears, wolves ¼/SS4 and lynx inhabit the surrounding ¼/A24 mountains. Corno Grande #R4 #\ Penne 3 Driving or hiking (2912m) Campo #3 Imperatore the high windswept #\ Fonte (2117m) plateau of Campo Assergi #\ Cerreto Imperatore (p624), Italy’s ‘Little Tibet’. L'Aquila Santo ^# Stefano di #\ 4 Feeling the call of ¼/A24 Sessanio #7 Rocca Calascio the wild as you climb LAZIO Navelli the Corno Grande Plain (p624), summit of the Campo Gran Sasso and the Felice #\ AbruzzoApennines’ & Molise highest Ovindoli Popoli #\ peak. 5 Travelling back ¼/ in time as you walk A25 through the ancient #\ Carsoli #\ Celano Sulmona Roman town of Cocullo #] ¼/SS5 #] Avezzano #\ Saepinum (p635). 6 Driving through Gole di the breathtaking Gole Sagittario #6 &IS Mo H (p628) ¼/SS83 Lago di di Sagittario Scanno between Sulmona Scanno #\ L and Scanno. e Parco Nazionale 7 Marvelling at d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise I the many imposing GHLIGHTS #\ #÷ hilltop castles, such Pescasseroli Opi #\ as #2#\ Rocca Calascio R (p624). Monte Civitella Alfedena #\ Tranquillo D Sora (1841m) Rome (45km) ^# Frosinone Monte Cassino R (1669m) #\ Cassino LAZIO.