Abruzzo - Central Italy's Untouched Wilderness 9 Days

Just an hour's drive from Rome is one of the most spectacular and unspoiled natural areas in Italy, Abruzzo. The mountains of central Italy belong to the Apennines, including several peaks over 2000 m such as the Corno Grande and the Gran Sasso (2913 m). This wild mountain world is still home to wolves and bears. The nature here is overwhelming and is now protected by the establishment of three very different national parks. You will visit the Gran Sasso National Park, the wild Maiella National Park with its remote medieval monasteries and the Abruzzo National Park, one of the oldest protected areas in Italy. Our hiking routes take you through this lush nature, including the ascent to Corno Grande! You will hike through the spectacular Orfento Canyon, discover the Lama Bianca nature reserve and hike the Camosciara trail, where you can observe wild chamois. You cross colorful mountain meadows of cyclamen and wild orchids and follow small rivers through dense, centuries-old beech forests. However, there is not only nature to discover in Abruzzo. You will pass through medieval hilltop villages and admire beautiful frescoes in historic monasteries. On your hikes, you will explore abandoned villages and old fortress ruins and take a lunch break where the film "The Name of the Rose" was once shot. You will also spend the night in beautiful Sulmona, birthplace of the Roman writer Ovid and the famous Pope Celestine V, who is mentioned in Dante's "Divine Comedy".