Just over an hour’s drive east of Rome, the little-known region of Abruzzo is a world apart from the big city, with wild, empty valleys and unspoiled mountain landscapes. From the capital take the A24 autostrada to Fonte Cerreto, from where it’s a twisting climb up to Campo Imperatore, a highland plain overlooked by the Apennines’ highest peak, Corno Grande (2912m/9553ft).
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Continue on to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, a remote, semi-abandoned village high in the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga. If you’re traveling at the weekend you can lunch here at the Locanda Sotto gli Archi
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Push on to Sulmona, a graceful town set in the shadow of the Morrone massif. Famous for its delicacy confetti (sugar-coated almonds), Sulmona makes a good base for exploring the region’s rugged southern reaches, offering good accommodation at the Legacy Casa Residencia and filling food at local restaurants such as Il Vecchio Muro. We strongly recommend spending a day or more in Sulmona, exploring the surrounding hills by car or on foot, away from the tourist crowds.
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