Abruzzo trip planner

Gran Sasso in the Abruzzo region of Italy
Gran Sasso in the Abruzzo region of Italy. (Photo by Idefix)

Taking a trip to the Abruzzo (Abruzzi) region of Italy

The Abruzzi mountains that form Italy's green spine rise from the plains less than an hour's drive from Rome, yet the peaks are snowcapped year round (and offer quick ski getaways for Romans in winter).

Large swathes of the Abruzzo are covered by one of two vast national parks: the 2,014 km2 (777 mi2) Parco Nazionale Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga (www.gransassolagapark.it)—one of the largest protected areas in all of Europe, dominated by the mighty, snow-capped peak of the 2,912-meter (9,554-foot) Gran Sasso massif (deep under which is burrowed one of Europe's top physics laboratories)—and the 496 km2 (192 mi2) Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo (www.parcoabruzzo.it), which is so big it spills over into Lazio and Molise.

So just leave Rome and head into the mountains. Exit off the autostrada (highway) and just meander along the back ways into the heart of the mountains where narrow roads barely wide enough for one car cling to one side of a narrow, twisting canyon 800 feet above the surging waters of a mountain stream.

Featured articles

blog: Babes in the woods - When I was 13 and living in Rome, I was a Boy Scout in Troop 236. Now, a lot of the boys in the troop were diplomat brats, or the children of wealthy folks, and other groups who carry more clout than painting professors—though Dad did have mucho clout when it came to the troop, since he was Scoutmaster. Through the connection of some boy's father, we got permission to go camping one weekend in a national park/nature preserve in the Abruzzi Mountains, a preserve that was normally severly off-limits to the general public... » more

Tips & links

Details Useful links & resources

Abruzzo tourism: www.abruzzoturismo.it

Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo: www.parcoabruzzo.it

Share this page

Intrepid Travel 25% off

Search ReidsItaly.com

AutoEurope
Details
Abruzzo tourism: www.abruzzoturismo.it

Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo: Parcoabruzzo.it


Useful links
TK
Train tix

Shortcuts to popular planning sections:

Airfares, Cars, Trains, Tours, Packages, Cruises, Lodging, Itineraries, Info, Packing, Prep, Comm

Follow ReidsItaly
Follow ReidsItaly on Twitter  Join the ReidsItaly fan page  Follow Reids Italy Adventures blog