Abruzzo is one of Italy's best-kept secrets: a region where the highest peaks of the Apennines drop sharply to a long Adriatic coastline, and medieval hill towns feel untouched by mass tourism. It offers the food, scenery, and authenticity that Tuscany and Umbria are famous for, but without the crowds and inflated prices. For travellers seeking genuine local culture and striking landscapes in late June, Abruzzo hits a rare sweet spot.
The birthplace of the poet Ovid and the historic centre of confetti (sugar-coated almonds), Sulmona sits in a wide valley ringed by mountains. The medieval aqueduct cutting through town, the Complesso della Santissima Annunziata, and the proximity to the Majella mountains make it an excellent base. The town has a real working-town feel rather than a museum atmosphere.
Market: Piazza XX Settembre — lively Wednesday and Saturday market for produce, cheese, and cured meats.
Walking: market, aqueduct, Complesso SS. Annunziata all within ~400 m.
Getting there: Regional train only — direct Regionale from Pescara (~1h) or from Rome on the scenic Rome–Sulmona–Pescara line (~2.5h). No Frecce service, but both routes are direct without changes.
A tiny stone village perched above a turquoise heart-shaped lake (Lago di Scanno), reached by a dramatic gorge road from Sulmona. The women of Scanno were historically known for wearing distinctive traditional dress, and the village attracted photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Mario Giacomelli. Narrow alleys, artisan workshops, and a genuine mountain-village pace of life.
Lake — Lago di Scanno: turquoise heart-shaped mountain lake just below the village. Swimmable in summer (water warms to ~20–22 °C by late June), no motorboats, clear water, free shore access.
Walking: village street ~600 m through the historic centre — park up high, walk down, taxi back. Lakeshore separate (~2 km below village); carpark within 100 m of water.
Getting there: No rail. TUA regional bus from Sulmona (~45 min) or car via the gorge road.
Abruzzo's largest city and main transport hub. Not a beauty queen but has a long sandy beach, buzzing seafood-focused food scene, and the best train connections in the region. The lungomare (seafront promenade) is worth an afternoon. Use it as a gateway rather than a base.
Beach: long sandy strip along the lungomare with paid stabilimenti and free sections.
Market: Mercato Centrale Pescara — daily covered market on the corso. Brodetto di pesce (Adriatic fish stew) is the must-try.
Walking: long lungomare promenade with beach-club drop-off. Mercato Centrale on the corso. Station has taxi rank.
Getting there: IC/Frecce station on the Adriatic line. Direct Frecciabianca from Bologna (~3.5h) and IC from Rome via Sulmona (~3h).
Set on a ridge overlooking both the Majella massif and the Adriatic, Chieti is one of the oldest cities in central Italy. It has a small but rewarding archaeological museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale d'Abruzzo), a fine cathedral, and almost zero international visitors. The views from the belvedere are exceptional.
Walking: funicular Chieti Scalo ↔︎ upper town. Once up, sights within ~400 m.
Getting there: Regional train from Pescara (~15 min) via a short branch line. Alternatively, Chieti Scalo station sits on the main Rome–Pescara line.
The regional capital, still rebuilding after the devastating 2009 earthquake, has a powerful atmosphere mixing Renaissance beauty with raw resilience. The Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio (pink-and-white facade) is stunning. The famous 99-spout fountain (Fontana delle 99 Cannelle) is unique in Italy. Evenings come alive when university students fill the restored centro storico.
Nearby — Lago di Campotosto: large artificial lake near L'Aquila, scenic but cool water (~18–20 °C in June). Better for views than swimming.
Walking: Collemaggio basilica and 99 Cannelle fountain at opposite edges of centro; taxi between. Centro loop in 400 m segments with café rests.
Getting there: Regional train from Sulmona (~1h) but slow. Much faster by bus from Rome (~1.5h, Flixbus/TUA). No Frecce service.
A fortified medieval hamlet inside the Gran Sasso national park, restored as an albergo diffuso (rooms scattered through historic buildings). With a population under 100, it is achingly picturesque and utterly quiet. Best visited as a day trip from Sulmona or L'Aquila unless you book one of the few rooms.
Walking: single main path ~300 m; park outside walls.
Getting there: No rail and no regular bus service. Car from L'Aquila (~30 min) or Sulmona (~45 min).
Home to one of the largest fortresses in Europe, perched on a dramatic ridge above the town. The narrow Ruetta (one of Italy's narrowest streets) and the panoramic views toward the Gran Sasso make this a memorable stop. Reachable by bus from Teramo.
Walking: fortress internal pathways exceed 500 m; drive up to the fortress carpark, then visit key bastions in segments.
Getting there: No direct rail. Bus from Teramo (~30 min); Teramo has regional trains from Giulianova on the Adriatic IC line (~30 min).
The most scenic stretch of Abruzzo's Adriatic coast, where wooden fishing platforms (trabocchi) jut out over the sea — many converted to restaurants. Pebble coves alternate with sandy patches. The former coastal railway has been converted into the Via Verde, a cycling/walking path connecting beaches between Ortona and Vasto. Vasto has a charming hilltop centro and broad sandy beaches below; Ortona is smaller, with a harbour and pebble beaches below dramatic cliffs.
Market — Vasto: lively local market in the centro storico.
Walking: Via Verde (rail-trail) covers the coast — rent an e-bike to bridge longer segments between trabocchi seafood platforms. Pebbly coves close to road parking.
Getting there: regional Adriatic line stops at Ortona and Vasto–San Salvo.
Mid-coast town on the Costa dei Trabocchi, ~6,300 inhabitants, in two distinct nuclei: the hilltop Fossacesia centro storico (~124 m, residential, panoramic) and Fossacesia Marina, a linear beach hamlet ~5 km downhill on the SS16 with the Via Verde rail-trail running along its lungomare. Connected by SP119 and a summer shuttle; taxi 5–7 min. The Marina is the practical base for the Costa dei Trabocchi: it sits in the middle of the 42 km Ortona–Vasto Via Verde, has the most reliable monopattino + e-bike rental on the coast (IXAGO), and the Trabocco Pesce Palombo (Verì family, since 1923) is walkable on the lungomare.
Anchor sight — Abbazia di San Giovanni in Venere: 12th-century Benedictine abbey on the Promontorio del Venere between centro and Marina, built on a Roman temple to Venus Conciliatrix. Cistercian-Romanesque sandstone-and-brick facade with the Porta della Luna portal, three-nave interior with raised presbytery and 13th-century crypt frescoes, sea-view cloister loggia. Free, 08:30–19:30 daily Apr–Oct. Parking 30 m from door, cloister + viewpoint < 200 m.
Beach — Golfo di Venere: light-pebble / shingle, Bandiera Blu, ~5 km arc, exceptionally clear water for the Adriatic. Mix of free tracts and stabilimenti (Sirenella, Levante with restaurant on sand, Galetta, Tempio di Venere mare).
Day-trip beaches reachable from Fossacesia (excludes large-stabilimento beaches — Casalbordino, Le Morge, della Foce, della Fuggitella; all distances crow-fly from Fossacesia Marina, all reachable by IXAGO e-bike along Via Verde or by short rail hop):
Wild / natural / no facilities:
Mixed: small private + free, with light service:
Trabocchi nearby: Pesce Palombo (Marina lungomare, 400–800 m walk), Punta Tufano (Vallevò, ~4 km N by Via Verde), Punta Cavalluccio (Rocca San Giovanni, ~5–6 km N, fixed €70 menu), Punta Rocciosa (further N, top-rated). All reservation-only.
Mobility hub — IXAGO (Via Lungomare 37, Marina): bici da passeggio, e-City Bike (Tenways, Buongiorno, air-28/30, Faram), e-MTB Focarini, e-Risciò 2 posti (pedicab), e-Risciò 4 posti (quadricycle), MTB adult + kids 16–27.5", rollerblade, child + dog trailers. Helmet + lock + action-cam included. Online booking via prenota.ixago.it. e-bike day rate €30, e-Risciò 4 posti day rate €99. Other Marina shops (BiciMania, Bike to Beach, Kikko Bike, Pedalate/TraBike) are bike-only. Phone +39 335 729 7802.
Market: Friday morning, Via Bachelet (centro).
Walking: Marina lungomare loop ~500 m between B&B cluster (Lungomare 100–108) and IXAGO at Lungomare 37; mini-market Vapoforno on lungomare. Centro–Marina = always taxi/bike (~5 km). Abbazia parking close to entrance.
Getting there: Stazione Fossacesia–Torino di Sangro on the Adriatic mainline + Sangritana branch (opened 2005). Located inland on the SS16 side (42.237, 14.5229): ~1.5 km to the nearest Marina edge but ~3 km by road to the north end of the lungomare, ~5 km from centro — NCC/transfer to either (no taxi rank at station). ~8 regional trains/day each direction. No IC/Frecce stops at this halt. 2026 trip uses a rental car instead (round-trip Vasto–San Salvo, ~20 km S): IC 603 Fano 09:56 → Vasto–S.Salvo 12:37 direct, pick up car, drive to Casa Giulia; on departure drop at Vasto and board IC 603 12:39 → Lecce 16:51 direct. The car also covers local Costa dei Trabocchi mobility. Rental booked at Europcar Vasto (BP Service/Keddy, SS16 Sud 72, Marina di Vasto; tel +39 0873 802543), **~100 m from Vasto–San Salvo station** — within walk limit. Lanciano (~10 km, inland/off-corridor) also has chains but no routing benefit.
Low-key sandy-beach towns on the rail line north of Pescara. Pineto has a long sandy beach backed by a pine forest with a nature reserve (Torre di Cerrano). Roseto degli Abruzzi is another sandy beach town, mostly Italian holidaymakers.
Walking: train station to lungomare short; beach clubs handle the sand-walking.
Getting there: regional Adriatic line, 15–25 min north of Pescara.
Abruzzese cuisine is mountain-pastoral meets Adriatic seafood, and it punches well above its weight.
(Markets are listed under their respective towns above.)
Abruzzo's Adriatic coast runs about 130 km. Adriatic water in late June: ~22–24 °C, comfortable for swimming by mid-June. Specific beach + lake spots are listed under their town entries above (Pescara, Costa dei Trabocchi, Pineto/Roseto, Lago di Scanno, Lago di Campotosto).
4 to 6 days is ideal to experience both coast and mountains without rushing.
A possible split:
| Days | Base | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Sulmona | Town, market, confetti workshops, day trip to Scanno and its lake |
| 1 | L'Aquila | Collemaggio, 99 fountains, Santo Stefano di Sessanio side trip |
| 1-2 | Costa dei Trabocchi (Vasto or Ortona) | Beaches, trabocchi restaurants, Via Verde path |
| 1 | Pescara | Seafood, beach, transit connection onward |
This fits well as a 4-5 day block within a longer Interrail itinerary, arriving from Rome or the Adriatic coast to the north (Marche) and continuing south toward Puglia.