Abruzzo

Abruzzo is located in central Italy — in the east. It is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea, the Molise, Lazio and Marches regions. The land here is mountainous and hilly — great for skiing. With the Adriatic Coastline, there are quite a few fine beach resorts too. The main towns in the region are L’Aquila, Pescara and Chieti. The national parks and nature preserves add to the pristine natural beauty of the area. If you like trekking/walking there are plenty of paths to follow (paths that at one time were used to move sheep from one area to another). Abruzzo truly is a region with many treasures. It is one of my favorite regions if only for the wonderful castles that dot the countryside. Many cool castles in one region — unbelievable! The wild, harsh topography of the area makes for some fabulous castle locations (half the fun is getting there)….not to mention the setting of some really charming towns.

Abruzzo is not an area that tourists flock to, but it is an area worth taking time to explore or at least sampling (you’ll be back). The area is quite well known for its handcrafts and you’ll find some fine lace, ceramics, jewelry and metalworks here. The food and wine of the area is delicious and strong (so are the people) — cheese, truffles, saffron, salami, red pepper, olive oil, fine pasta and wines like the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Controguerra. You must try the maccheroni alla chitarra, the pasta con aglio-olio e peperoncino (hot), the brodetto pescarese and the lamb in a variety of recipe styles while in Abruzzo.