Why visit Abruzzo?

Abruzzo may be looked upon as the natural citadel of Central Italy. The highest summits in the Apennines are here, a mere 30 to 40 miles from the Adriatic Sea. No other region in Italy can boast such a concentration of national parks and nature reserves.

Map

What is the landscape of Abruzzo like?

Abruzzo is in the center of Italy. It is a land of stunning natural beauty. In 1922–1923, one of the nation's first and most important national parks, the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, was created in the region's southwest corner, along its borders with Lazio and Molise (the greater part of the park is in Abruzzo). Since then Abruzzo has been transformed from a poor and remote agricultural zone to a tourist mecca for snow skiers, aquasport enthusiasts, and trekkers who want to challenge its rugged terrain.

Mountains comprise most of the region, and the rest is hilly terrain. The highest spots in the entire Apennine chain are found in Abruzzo. The Corno Grande of the Gran Sasso d'Italia (2,912 m / 9,554 feet) is the tallest mountain between the Alps and Sicily. Other mountains and hills—such as the massive Maiella to the southeast of the Gran Sasso—are separated by plateaus and broad limestone valleys.

What is the nature of Abruzzo like?

Coastal areas of Abruzzo have forests of oak, downy oak and oriental hornbeam, whereas the inland hills are characterised by the presence of oak, olive, pine, willow, holm oak, poplar, alder, strawberry tree, broom, locust, rosemary, hawthorn, licorice and almond. Between 600 and 1,000 meters above sea level there is 'submontane' vegetation, characterized mainly by mixed forests of turkey oak, oak, linden, maple and hornbeam. At higher altitudes, between 1000 and 2000 meters, beech is widespread, and sometimes the silver fir, and black pine. Above 2000 meters there are alpine species such as the alpine orchid, mountain juniper, mountain pine, blueberry and edelweiss.

What is the climate of Abruzzo like?

The climate of Abruzzo is strongly influenced by the presence of the Apennine mountains. The coastal areas have a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Inland, the temperatures progressively decrease with altitude while rainfall steadily increases. In winter there is snow from the medium-low altitudes upwards and occasionally on the coasts.

Climate data for L'Aquila
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	6.4 (43.5)	8.5 (47.3)	12.3 (54.1)	16.3 (61.3)	20.9 (69.6)	25.3 (77.5)	29.0 (84.2)	29.1 (84.4)	24.7 (76.5)	18.4 (65.1)	12.2 (54.0)	7.4 (45.3)	17.5 (63.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	2.3 (36.1)	3.8 (38.8)	7.0 (44.6)	10.7 (51.3)	14.9 (58.8)	18.7 (65.7)	21.6 (70.9)	21.6 (70.9)	18.1 (64.6)	12.8 (55.0)	7.8 (46.0)	3.7 (38.7)	11.9 (53.5)
Average low °C (°F)	−1.8 (28.8)	−1.0 (30.2)	1.7 (35.1)	5.0 (41.0)	8.8 (47.8)	12.2 (54.0)	14.2 (57.6)	14.1 (57.4)	11.4 (52.5)	7.2 (45.0)	3.3 (37.9)	−0.1 (31.8)	6.3 (43.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	66.1 (2.60)	64.5 (2.54)	51.2 (2.02)	56.6 (2.23)	51.0 (2.01)	46.1 (1.81)	34.7 (1.37)	37.7 (1.48)	52.8 (2.08)	66.3 (2.61)	91.3 (3.59)	83.7 (3.30)	702 (27.64)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	27 (11)	19.8 (7.8)	7.2 (2.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	13.8 (5.4)	67.8 (27)
Source: Servizio Meteorologico

The official websites

• Abruzzo—Discover Italy – Official Tourism Website