Exploring Abruzzo – an emerging Italian tourist region
Abruzzo is not a name that many people would be familiar with when thinking of Italy. For most people, the regions of Tuscany and Lazio are traditionally some of the most popular tourist areas in this country. However, Abruzzo has recently experienced an increase in tourism as large numbers of holidaymakers take advantage of the substantially cheaper prices on offer here.
Abruzzo is one of the most rural regions in Italy. It hosts the tallest mountain south of the Alps, the Corne Grande, which is 2,848 metres above sea level, located in the Apennines mountain range. The region offers an excellent coastline with the most popular seaside resort being Pescara, which sits on the Adriatic coast. There are hundreds of country walks to be enjoyed in this region and numerous hiking opportunities in the stunning Gran Sasso plateau, which hosts some of the best mountain scenery in Italy. The city of L’Aquila is a popular cultural centre with a number of museums and historic monuments. It was recently affected by a severe earthquake which struck Abruzzo on April 6, 2009. However, since then there has been substantial repair and restoration work due to the large international response to the quake.
There are a number of luxury villas in Abruzzo, many of which are surprisingly cheap and about the same standard that one would expect out of an established resort such as val d isere ski. One such place is ’Villa Degna’, where I stayed in August 2009. It is about a 40 minute drive from the resort of Pescara. Visitors here can admire beautiful sunrises from the terrace and the large garden which is home to many species of lizards. It was a very enjoyable experience, despite the heatwave that was taking place at the time. The villa is out in the open and quite a distance from any other buildings. The views of the hills and mountains from my bedroom window were particularly special.
Comments are closed!