Skiing in Abruzzo – snow report
The most popular ski resorts, the updated snow report and useful information on how to find lifts or book accommodation for your winter holiday
Mountain setting
Between the plain and the great mountains
The Velino and the Sirente close off the Marsica to the north, and Monte Salviano rises above the town.
Avezzano lies on the edge of the Fucino plain, the ancient lake drained in the 19th century. Behind the town rises Monte Velino (2,486 m), one of the highest peaks in the Apennines; a little further east is the Sirente (2,348 m), with its famous north face. Both are part of the Sirente-Velino Regional Park.
Monte Salviano
The town’s own mountain, right above Avezzano: a nature reserve with pine woods, trails and the sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietraquaria, the town’s patron. Perfect for a run or a sunset walk.
Monte Velino
The classic ascent climbs the Valle Majelama from Forme, a hamlet of Massa d’Albe: a long and demanding route, with the Rifugio Sebastiani along the way. See the park guide.
Altopiano delle Rocche
Beyond Ovindoli lies the plateau of Rocca di Mezzo and Rovere, above 1,300 m: meadows, woods, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. See the Altopiano delle Rocche.
Gole di Celano
About 20 km away, a canyon carved into the rock between Celano and Ovindoli, to be walked in summer. See the Gole di Celano.
Tip: from the Fucino plain, on clear winter days, you can see the whole ring of snow-capped Marsica mountains: the best viewpoint is Monte Salviano.
Snow
Ski resorts near Avezzano
Ovindoli half an hour away, Campo Felice under an hour.
Ovindoli – Monte Magnola
~30 km · about 30 minutes
Campo Felice
~45 km · about 50 minutes
Cross-country skiing
Altopiano delle Rocche
Bus to the slopes
TUA from Avezzano to Ovindoli
Ovindoli – Monte Magnola
The closest resort to Avezzano, in the Sirente-Velino Park: about 30 km of slopes spread over some twenty runs, the “Le Fosse” gondola, modern chairlifts and one of the best-equipped snowparks in the Apennines. From Avezzano you drive up via Celano and the SS 5 bis. Ovindoli slopes, lifts and contacts.
Campo Felice
Beyond the Altopiano delle Rocche, towards Rocca di Cambio: slopes between about 1,400 and 2,064 metres that all run down to a large plateau, ideal for families too. Campo Felice lifts.
Cross-country and backcountry skiing
On the Altopiano delle Rocche and at the Piani di Pezza, with good snow, you ski across the meadows between Rocca di Mezzo, Rovere and Ovindoli. See the Piani di Pezza.
Note: from November to April you need winter tyres or snow chains on board. Before setting off, check the snow report, the weather and the webcams.
Outdoor sports
Cycling, horse riding, snowshoeing and mountaineering
From the plain to the ridges, activities for every season.
🚵 Cycling
The straight, flat roads of the Fucino are ideal for training, while the climbs to Ovindoli and the Altopiano delle Rocche are road-cycling classics. The dirt roads of the plain and of the Salviano are perfect for gravel: in September 2025 Avezzano hosted the European Gravel Championships.
🐴 Horse riding
On the Altopiano delle Rocche, at the Piani di Pezza and around Ovindoli, local riding centres offer rides and horse treks across meadows and beech woods. A peaceful way to see horses and cows grazing and, with luck, red deer.
❄️ Snowshoeing
The Piani di Pezza, the Val d’Arano above Ovindoli and the woods of the Altopiano delle Rocche are the classic snowshoe destinations; Monte Salviano is a good option when snow falls at low altitude. Snowshoeing in Abruzzo.
⛰️ Mountaineering and ski touring
The Velino and the Sirente offer high-mountain routes all year round; in winter the gullies of the Sirente’s north face are a training ground for mountaineering and steep skiing. The Sirente · Ski touring in Abruzzo.
Safety: in snow, the Velino and the Sirente become high-mountain terrain. Check the Meteomont avalanche bulletin, carry a transceiver, shovel and probe (required by law in snowy terrain with avalanche risk) and, if you lack experience, go with a mountain guide.
Main sights
What to see in Avezzano
A Renaissance castle, Roman engineering and a whole Roman town a few kilometres away.
Orsini-Colonna Castle
Built by the Orsini at the end of the 15th century and turned into a fortified palace by Marcantonio Colonna in the 16th, it largely collapsed in the 1915 earthquake. Partly rebuilt in the 1960s, it now hosts exhibitions and events.
Tunnels of Claudius
Between AD 41 and 52 the emperor Claudius had a tunnel dug beneath Monte Salviano to drain the waters of Lake Fucino. The tunnels, reused for the 19th-century drainage, can be visited in the archaeological park just outside town.
Alba Fucens
About 7 km away, at the foot of the Velino, the remains of a Roman town founded as a colony at the end of the 4th century BC: forum, basilica, paved streets, amphitheatre and, on the hill, the Romanesque church of San Pietro.
Monte Salviano and the Pietraquaria sanctuary
The sanctuary of Avezzano’s patron stands among the pine woods of the nature reserve, with views over the town and the Fucino.
Celano and the Piccolomini castle
About 15 km away, the town of Celano is dominated by one of the finest castles in Abruzzo, home to the Marsica museum of sacred art.
Tip: the castle, the Tunnels of Claudius and Alba Fucens can be seen in one day; check opening days and times first.
Exploring the area
The town and the Marsica
The centre
Rebuilt after 1915 with wide, regular streets, it centres on Piazza Risorgimento, the cathedral of San Bartolomeo and the castle.
The Fucino plain
The bed of the former lake, now a vast plain of vegetable fields: potatoes, carrots and salad leaves famous throughout Italy.
Tagliacozzo
About 20 km away, a town with one of the most beautiful medieval squares in Abruzzo, at the foot of the Simbruini Mountains.
Pescina
About 20 km away on the eastern edge of the plain, the hometown of Ignazio Silone, author of Fontamara.
Suggested routes
Itineraries from Avezzano
History in the morning, mountains in the afternoon.
Itinerary 1 — Avezzano in 2 hours
- Orsini-Colonna Castle
- Piazza Risorgimento and the cathedral
- Up Monte Salviano to the Pietraquaria sanctuary
Itinerary 2 — Archaeology of the Marsica
- Tunnels of Claudius
- Alba Fucens and the church of San Pietro
- Piccolomini castle in Celano
Itinerary 3 — A day on the snow
- Morning on the slopes of Ovindoli – Monte Magnola
- Afternoon snowshoeing at the Piani di Pezza
- Back to Avezzano for dinner
Itinerary 4 — Summer in the high mountains
- Trek through the Gole di Celano or hike up to the Rifugio Sebastiani
- For experienced hikers, the summit of the Velino (a full day)
- Picnic lunch on the Altopiano delle Rocche
Suggestion: more routes in the Sirente-Velino hiking guide, the three-day trek in the park and the maps and GPX tracks.
Calendar
Events in Avezzano
Religious feasts, sport and remembrance.
Madonna di Pietraquaria
The feast of the patron is held at the end of April, with religious rites and events between 25 and 27 April.
Remembering the 1915 earthquake
Every 13 January the town remembers the earthquake that destroyed it almost completely and claimed more than 30,000 lives across the Marsica.
Gravel and cycling
The dirt roads of the Marsica have become a reference point for gravel riding: in 2025 Avezzano hosted the UEC European Championships.
Tip: in winter Ovindoli hosts races and snow events: check the resort’s calendar.
Local food
What to eat
Produce of the plain and mountain cooking.
- Patata del Fucino PGI — potatoes grown on the bed of the former lake
- Carota dell’Altopiano del Fucino PGI — sweet and crunchy carrots
- Arrosticini — skewers of mutton grilled over embers
- Pasta alla chitarra — with meat ragù
- Mountain cheeses — pecorino and caciocavallo from farms on the Altopiano delle Rocche
- Mushrooms and truffles — from the Marsica woods in autumn
Tip: more dishes on the page about typical Abruzzo cuisine.
Mobility
Getting around
The town is flat and easy to explore on foot or by bike; for the mountains you need a car or the bus.
On foot
Ideal in the centre
Bike
Flat town and plain
Bus
TUA to Ovindoli and L’Aquila
Car
Essential for the plateaus
Origins and identity
History of Avezzano
From the Marsi to the vanished lake and the rebuilding.
The Marsica takes its name from the Marsi, the Italic people who lived around Lake Fucino. The Romans founded Alba Fucens, and the emperor Claudius was the first to try to control the lake’s waters with a huge underground tunnel.
The Fucino, the third-largest lake in Italy, was drained between 1855 and 1878 on the initiative of Prince Alessandro Torlonia, partly reusing the Roman tunnels: in place of the lake a vast farming plain was created.
On 13 January 1915 a devastating earthquake destroyed Avezzano almost completely: only a few buildings were left standing, including a wing of the castle. The town was rebuilt on a modern plan and is today the main centre of the Marsica.
Did you know? the town’s name is thought to come from an ancient temple dedicated to Janus, «Ad Ianum».