Abruzzo is the Unknown and unspoiled Destination in Italy.
If you are looking for a destination for your holidays in Italy, consider spending a few days in this beautiful but still little known region.
Abruzzo is the place where you can reconnect with nature in many ways. A destination suitable for family travel.
Abruzzo has to offer many authentic, unforgettable lifestyle experiences, breathtaking landscapes, a great variety of outdoor activities from cycling to hiking, horseback riding, and for the bravest we also talk about rock climbing.
Many are in paths that can be traveled by bike or on horseback or for trekking and for different levels of training.
And for those who are not very "sporty", let's not forget the local culture, made up of crafts, small villages to discover and its gastronomy. Just to say that Abruzzo has 18 Slow Food presidents. The Slow Food Presidia support small traditional productions that risk disappearing, enhance territories, recover ancient crafts and processing techniques, save native breeds and varieties of vegetables and fruit from extinction.
Among these Abruzzo products we find: Turchesa potato, whose skin has a beautiful deep purple color, Lentil of Santo Stefanio di Sessanio grows over a thousand meters above sea level only on the slopes of Gran Sasso, pecorino cheese Canestrato di Castel del Monte, Chickpea of Navelli (chickpea) a very ancient crop that few local farmers have been able to maintain. This is just to list a few.
Let's not forget that the dramatic and intense landscapes of Abruzzo inspire lovers of landscape photography.
Today we met Valentina, our friend and local travel expert, to whom we asked some questions for a better introduction on her beloved Abruzzo Region.
By meeting Valentina, a true insider, you could understand the authentic essence of Abruzzo from her words.
How would you describe your region?
Abruzzo is an undiscovered region and I am proud to talk about it with you.
Abruzzo is an authentic combination of a lot of natural beauties, arts, friendly welcoming people, delicious genuine food and many lifestyle experiences. Moreover Abruzzo is surrounded by three National Parks, one of which has been recently awards UNESCO Geopark and one regional park and one protected marine area.
We are really interested in discovering this new region, in your opinion what are the highlights?
Here, the mountain and the sea are very close so you can visit both in the same day, also the territory of Abruzzo is still rural and genuine and many people come here to appreciate the lifestyles and the traditions already living in the land.
What are the activities in Abruzzo that inspire you the most?
Abruzzo is considered a green region so I think the most important and suggestive activities are the many outdoor that we can do : biking, trekking, nordic walking, canoing, climbing, horseback riding and much more but I am proud of our lifestyle experiences like cooking class, saffron harvest, olive oil tasting with a sommelier, grape harvest and we can’t miss the truffle hunting.
But for my experience with our visitors by my side the feeling to “ coming back to the past, to our origin” and looking for the traditional lifestyles , the old histories told by the elderly, the museum sheep farming, finding the ancient villages where the time seems to have stopped are magical moment that anybodies can forget. We love to share our roots.
What are the oldest and oldest and most fascinating Abruzzese traditions?
Many traditions in Abruzzo, find their roots in the history of the sheep farmer such as the cheese processing or wool processing . Another truly interesting traditions is the magical arts of the artisans.
Many activities like saffron harvest are very suggestive and unique, the perfect combo between some beautiful background of the national parks and local flavors and getting in touch with local people. And exactly through the relationship with the local community we discover the true traditions handed down from generation to generation and still jealously guarded in local families.
What is the best season to visit Abruzzo?
I think the better season to visiti Abruzzo is in spring, summer and autumn. Each seasons has got many particular activities to do.
And as a last question, we certainly could not ask you what is your favorite food? And if possible could we ask you the recipe?
My favorite local food is a dish called "Pallott cacio e’ov" a kind of meatballs with cheese and eggs. Semplici da cucinare, deliziose e nutrienti.
Here is the traditional recipe
INGREDIENTS FOR 3 PERSONS:
3 eggs
70 gr of bread wet in the milk and squeezed (for each egg)
300 gr of grated pecorino cheese or partisan cheese
salt
pepper
Mix all the ingredients and make meatballs. Bake the meatballs just for 10 minutes (about 180°C / 375F). Finish to cooking the meatballs in the tomato sauce for about 20 minutes.
Get in touch to plan your exclusive trip to Abruzzo.
Photo credit @Valentina Tacconelli
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