Unusual Abruzzo

Departure is an exciting time for many travellers. It marks the beginning of an adventure. Today you will start to be part of a community, which will give you a rewarding travel experience. You will have the chance to turn a simple trip into an opportunity for personal growth, cultural enrichment, Globest welcomes you to ROME. After your welcome at the airport, we will head to the Hotel to present the rich and exciting program of the week. Typical dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we will leave for Loreto Aprutino medieval village surrounded by olive groves. We will admire its characteristic historic center: the Castle Chiola, the colorful churches, a Bell decorated with glazed terracotta of various colors and over five hundred pieces of maiolica Abruzzese produced between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the late morning visit of an ancient olive oil mill and tasting. Typical lunch in farmhouse. In the afternoon we will reach Atri, an elegant town rich in works of art, such as the Cathedral that preserves a cycle of 15th century frescoes, Palazzo dei Duchi, the medieval fortress of Capo d’Atri, … the Domenico Martella viewpoint that will offer us a magnificent panorama on the calanques surrounding the city and on the massif of the Gran Sasso. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will leave for Lanciano, a splendid medieval town on the Adriatic coast and visit its historic center, divided into four ancient districts that rise on three hills, a landscape overlooking the entire Adriatic coast. We will walk along a panoramic road that runs along one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in Italy: The Trabocchi coast, an alternation of beaches and beautiful cliffs, with buildings called Trabocchi, Wooden, stilts that from the beach extend to the sea and support a large net in which fish are caught: “fishing machines”, as Gabriele D’Annunzio called them, today mostly restaurants with a true cuisine of fish. Lunch in a overflow (including visit to the overflow). In the afternoon, we will continue to Ortona, a beautiful town overlooking the sea and visit its picturesque old town. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will reach Chieti, also known as “the Terrace of Abruzzo” and considered one of the oldest cities in Italy with a historic center that preserves a unique historical-artistic heritage. Guided tour of the old town with its maze of cobbled streets, rich in ancient monuments, historic shops, stately buildings, churches and squares. After lunch we will visit the Abbey of Santa Maria Arabona, jewel of the Cistercian architecture of the end of the 12th century, probably built on a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Bona, from which the name, and the Abbey of San Clemente di Casauria (subject to opening), Benedictine complex, whose foundation dates back to 871. Continuation to Sulmona, accommodation in hotel, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will leave for L’Aquila, a city of many facets, born, according to the legend, from the union of 99 castles in Abruzzo. The castles in the beginning were 100, but in the end one withdrew and so 99 squares with 99 churches and 99 fountains were founded. This is the mythical past of the capital of Abruzzo. We will visit the historic center that preserves, although devastated by the earthquake of 2009 splendid monuments. Lunch. In the afternoon we will stop at Bominaco and visit the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria Assunta, splendid testimony to the Romanesque style of Abruzzo and the small oratory of San Pellegrino (12th century), entirely decorated with extraordinary frescoes. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we will go to discover the National Park of Abruzzo, one of the oldest national parks in Italy. In this oasis of nature and peaks, have found protection some very valuable animal species such as the Brown Marsican bear, the Abruzzo chamois and the wolf, and plant species recognized as UNESCO World Heritage. Mattinata dedicated to the visit of Pescocostanzo and its historic center, characterized by ancient noble palaces, beautiful basilicas and antique workshops specialized in the processing of precious metals and iron. Departure in the direction of Pescasseroli, main town of the Park. Lunch along the road. In the afternoon we arrive at the town, we will walk through the historic center characterized by narrow streets, stately buildings and workshops of artisans that produce articles of local tradition, and visit the Natural Museum that will introduce us to the knowledge of the park through diorami, plastic, light panels, thematic exhibitions and projections of naturalistic films. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will visit Sulmona, birthplace of Ovid, famous for the production of confetti. We will visit the historic center: the Cathedral of San Panfilo, the Holy House of SS. Annunziata (outside), the Church of S. Maria della Tomba with its Romanesque-Gothic facade and the Confetti Museum (admission is currently free). Lunch in Sulmona and departure for Tivoli, a privileged resort, , of rich Romans who built their villas here first among all the same Emperor Hadrian and visit the Villa d’Este that will leave you stucco for the beauty of its rooms and its magnificent garden, which contemplates an impressive concentration of fountains, caves, water games, waterfalls and caves immersed in lush nature (entrance included). In the late afternoon, hotel accommodation in the Rome area, dinner and overnight.

On this day of return, nostalgia for the places visited and enthusiasm for returning home mix. We will accompany you to the airport to help you with boarding logistics. Today we close a chapter and open a new one, we will say goodbye, but you are part of our Community, you will carry with you the promise of new future adventures even more extraordinary.  As you wait for your flight, reflect on the extraordinary experiences you will experience during your journey: from delicious dishes to natural wonders discovered along the way. You will be prepared to face the daily routine with new energy. Have a good trip home.