Grande, Gran Sasso
Our summer respite from the oppressive Tuscany heat is our home in Abruzzo. While Tuscany is favored by tourists the world over, Abruzzo is wild, untouched, nature is abundant and it is generally host to few tourists. We are somewhat reluctant to share our little secret Italy, but it is too beautiful not to share.
Abruzzo is designated the Greenest Region of Europe with 36% of its entire surface covered by three national parks, a regional park, and more than thirty nature reserves. Magnificent rocky mountains with pastoral green fields and some of the countries most picturesque coastline. In fact, as of this writing, Abruzzo has 14 coveted Blue Flag or Bandiera Blu beaches which are awarded to Italian beaches with excellent water quality and high environmental standards. In a single day, it is possible to hike the cool, crisp air of the glorious Gran Sasso and finish your day on a beach recliner sipping an aperol spritz after a dip in the Adriatic Sea.
Within the Apennines, which are nicknamed ‘The Spine of Italy’ (as they run the better length of the country), lies the imposing Gran Sasso. The mountain hosts the second largest peak in all of Italy, the Corno Grande, and in its shadow, is Campo Imperatore. Campo Imperatore is home to the first alpine ski resort in Italy and a hotel that once imprisoned Mussolini during WWII. In Spring, Summer and Fall, the pastures on the the slopes surrounding Campo Imperatore are covered with field grasses, meadowland wildflowers and are grazed by large flocks of sheep as well as herds of cattle and wild horses. The park is also the habitat for diverse wildlife of rare species, many protected and being rehabilitated by the World Wildlife Foundation.
All of the above is of course technical information about the Gran Sasso, but to experience it is hard to put into words. While we have ventured into the more famous (and frequented) Dolomites, the Apennines, and most notably, the Gran Sasso, is a world of its own. Soft green pastures punctuated with hard white-grey rock, the bluest of skies with fluffy clouds resting within arms reach, and a calming silence interrupted only by cowbells is unique to this triumphant peak. The meditative and restorative properties hit you most immediately and penetrate deep within your soul. Nature has a way of setting the world right, but our Abruzzo mountains are special, perhaps because they are overlooked by tourists and feel as though they are ours and ours alone.
Our adventures into the Gran Sasso always include a long walk through its pastures, a sit in the sun, lunch (the famous Abruzzo Arrosticini, and a search for the wild horses that roam the open terrain. It is restorative in every way imaginable. We often reflect about how this mountain range, the Spine of Italy, holds up the country physically and metaphorically. But while the physicality and location of the mountain range presents as ‘the backbone’, we know the mountain’s secrets. To us and those that are in the know, it is the wild heart of Italy. And it has our hearts.
If you are interested in learning more about our Abruzzo or if you are looking for your next off the beaten path adventure, contact us at The Conciergist and we will plan the perfect holiday comprised of the mountains, sea, wine, and of course, Arrosticini. We will even let you twirl and sing on the mountain a la The Sound of Music. No judgements.
