When everyday life becomes too stressful, and all you can think about is getting away from it all, where does your mind take you? Somewhere hot where you can spend your days lying on a beach soaking up the sun? Or maybe you prefer taking long walks exploring the surroundings and culture of the area you are visiting.
When you’ve decided what type of Italian holiday you want, it can be time-consuming searching for the ideal destination. Whatever your perfect holiday looks like, we’ve done all the hard work and have found the place that can offer you it all – sun, sea, sand and skiing. That place is Abruzzo in Italy, also known as one of Europe’s Greenest Regions, which is situated in a relatively undiscovered region, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to explore and discover the local Italian culture and the ‘true Italy’.
Abruzzo is a traditional Italian region that can be found in central Italy on the western border. Stretching from the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, Abruzzo is situated in a unique location that offers beautiful mountainous areas as well as long, sandy beaches – all within easy reach.
With Abruzzo being unfounded by the mass tourism industry, you will be able to experience Italy as it should be, and you will have the feeling you’re staying in an exclusive location. This is one of the many reasons why people choose to stay in Abruzzo rather than a more touristy area of Italy. They want to experience traditional, unspoiled Italy and they want to meet friendly locals.
There is so much to do in Abruzzo, as well as enjoying the sun, beaches and mountains of course, including skiing and snow activities in the winter season, playing golf or exploring local attractions such as churches, festivals and National Parks.
You can also easily drive to Rome in about two hours maximum if you want to visit the Italian capital and plenty of historical sites like the Coliseum (the emblem of Rome), Pantheon or St. Peter’s Basilica. However, with all the stunning views to savour and culture to explore in Abruzzo, we wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t want to leave there at all!
It might also be surprising that while Abruzzo has a Mediterranean climate on the Adriatic coastline, it also has the perfect winter climate for an exceptional ski destination. And with not many people knowing about the Abruzzo ski resort, you will be able to enjoy skiing in luxurious surroundings at a very reasonable price compared to a holiday in the Alps, for example.
There are many ski runs available to choose from including both downhill and cross-country circuits. Both experienced and novice skiers will be challenged by the ski trails, as you will be able to find ones with gentle plateaus and also steeper runs.
The Apennine mountains of Abruzzo
If you are a nature lover and would prefer to learn more about the local area, why not visit the Lazio e Molise National Park in Abruzzo. The National Park is famous for its work in nature conservation and environmental protection. Some of the species it helps to preserve include the Italian Wolf, chamois and Marsican Brown Bear. The park is around two-thirds beech forest, and many activities can be found here such as horse riding, trekking and bird watching
One of the best ways to experience Abruzzo is to rent your own place or stay in an Agriturismo B&B; there are plenty of them in the region and many internet web sites for you to discover. You can go for individual web sites by searching something like [Agriturismo in Abruzzo] or pass via those big portals that mention a list of the majority B&B in the Abruzzo region, though some of them are not the best way to really appreciate whether a property really fits your needs.
Another option to enjoy Abruzzo is to rent your own place because it can make it feel like home whilst you are on holiday. There are many different alternatives on this side. Both apartments, semi-detached or even villas are available for your Abruzzo holidays. Although the majority of them are available only off-line, many of them can be found in the same way of Agriturismo.
Whilst renting your own place in Abruzzo, you can enjoy the freedom to eat at the time you prefer, going to sleep when you want and wake up at the time you prefer. And if you don’t want to cook every meal – and why should you, you’re on holiday after all! –normally a short stroll will let you stumble across plenty of local bars and restaurants (according to where you are) where you can enjoy delicious and typical Italian food.
Pescara in this regard is amazing. It offers not only plenty of history and lovely places to visit but also mouth-watering Italian food at any time of the day. Or simply sit out in the sun with a refreshing drink – absolute bliss.
If you love history you will want to take a trip to the castle of Crecchio which is situated in the province of Chieti. The castle is part of the most recent Italian history: in 1943 the last King of Italy – Vittorio Emanuele III – with his staff while escaping from Rome spent their last night before leaving Italy boarding from the Ortona harbour.
With so much to see, do and discover in Abruzzo, so much more than we can mention here, you really must visit and experience the delights this traditional Italian region has to offer.
I have friends who have moved over there and they keep telling me how wonderful the place is. Hoping to visit them soon….
Let us know what you think of it when you visit Helen :)