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About Abruzzo
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Lush valleys, sun-baked beaches and majestic mountains offer a romantic distraction from a daily routine. The countryside awash with vines and olives, villages teaming with historic charm, welcoming smiles and curiosity, yet around every corner finer examples, ever more breathtaking.
Food becomes a familiar theme. Fresh, delicious and simple cuisine dominates, accompanied with local wine, and brought to a close with a shot of warm coffee and lemon liquor. The subsequent “passeggiata” amongst the elegance and pride of the locals is almost uncivilized without a smidgen of home made ice-cream on a wafer cone.
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The kind and determined (forte e gentile) nature of a typical Abruzzi has been moulded by their deep respect for tradition and culture. All generations participate together in farming, social and family activities. The generation gap promotes respect to the elders and equal participation from the youngsters. The streets are safe, crime is rare and binge drinking unheard of.
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Abruzzi know how to live and they do it so well. Their towns and cities are focal points to a host of festivals and celebrations, some with the strangest of origins, and often kept alive because it’s just so much fun. The eventful social calendars are fuller through the summer period where it seems every evening somebody is letting off a fabulous firework display. Don’t forget the other months, however, for some really spectacular shows that will stop you in your tracks. Once the long summer is over the weather changes and the mountains fill with snow. When winter finally comes, the fun starts again when the skiing season kicks-off. It doesn’t have to be hard work though, walking through the fresh snow, sipping hot chocolates can be what it’s all about.
The big problem with Abruzzo is going back home. I gave in to that pain, and I now call Abruzzo home.
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About Abruzzo
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Abruzzo
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Abruzzo is a region to discover, it is famous for
being the green region of
Europe. Few regions in the
world offer both mountains and sea within an hours drive.
Abruzzo has something to offer all year round - summer
beaches, winter skiing and long warm days in the spring and
the autumn to walk around the hills and lakes. |
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Mountains |
The “Appennini” mountain range stretch along the
boarder
between Abruzzo and Lazio. The mountains are
3000
meters high, so in the winter there is
a long skiing season and in the summer you can escape the
city heat and enjoy fresh cool air. |
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Sea
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The Trabocchi coast stretches from Pescara south to Vasto. A “Trabocco”
is a wooden fishing hut that sits in the Adriatic sea connected to the
land by a, sometimes precarious looking, peer. They are protected and
unique to Abruzzo. Large areas of the coast line are natural reserves.
Abruzzo in 1805 had more European blue flags for beach quality than any
other region in Italy. The Trabocchi coast in Abruzzo has both pebbled
and sandy beaches. Some beach resorts are busy and organised and others
are secret coves. |
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Typical village |
Many of the surrounding villages enjoy spectacular views and then
hidden in the woods you might find a medieval hamlet.
For example
Civitella Messer Raimondo is a small village at the foot of the
Maiella |
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Natural Parks and reserves
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Abruzzo is the European green region with four Natural parks and
twenty protected areas, where it is possible see bears, wolves,
eagles, wild boars…
For
exmple Oasi of Serranelle is a WWF protected area in Casoli.
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Lakes
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There are various lakes in Abruzzo. Lake Bomba is well organised and has
three tourist resorts and a famous village just off its banks, Villa
Santa Maria. Villa Santa Maria is famous for its cooking schools. Since
1805 Lake Casoli has received large investments from the region to
develop its banks and tourism offerings. The lakes in Abruzzo offer a
range of sports and activities for all ages for example hiring boats,
canoeing, rafting and fishing. |
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Castles and Ancient buildings
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Abruzzo is full of places of historical,
cultural and religions interest. At Fossacesia there is a spectacular
Gothic Abbey. In Lanciano the Cathedral was built on a bridge and is
equally spectacular inside. There is also the Eucharistic miracle in
Lanciano. In Roccascalegna a castle has been built on a dormant volcano.
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Festivals |
Many of the Abruzzo cities have still kept their historical roots and
cultural flair. They have regular festivals through the summer and
insure that from May to October something is going on. The festival at
Lanciano officially lasts four days, but for August to the middle of
September is a period where each day there seems to be more and more
happening. See if you have the energy to watch the opening ceremony
firework display at 4 am September 14th which lasts about
half an hour, followed by a brass band procession, pizza and a quick
trip to the sea to watch the sun rise. |
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People and weather |
Even with all this to offer, what stands out are the people.
Hospitality, warmth and time is something they have in abundance.
The
weather in Abruzzo is fantastic, warm enough to go for a swim five
months a year, skiing for four months a year, and a generally mild
temperature all year round. |
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