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
By car
Getting there
- From Rome: A24 to the L’Aquila Ovest exit, then the SS 80 towards Pizzoli and the SS 260 Picente towards Barete, Cagnano Amiterno and Montereale.
- From Rome via the Salaria: to Amatrice, then the Montereale pass down to Aringo and Montereale.
- To Campotosto: from the SS 80 climb to Passo delle Capannelle; from Capitignano a steep road climbs straight to the lake.
- From Teramo: SS 80 del Gran Sasso and the Lake Campotosto road.
The village
Montereale 945 m
Altitude
945 m
Municipality
Montereale
The main town of the Upper Aterno, on a hill overlooking the basin, surrounded by dozens of hamlets called «Ville». It is one of the north-western gateways to the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga Park.
Things to do
- The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park
- Gran Sasso hiking guide
- Lake Campotosto
- Three-day trek in the Gran Sasso Park
Did you know? It was Emperor Conrad IV who made it a city in the Middle Ages; the name comes from «Monte Regale», the king’s mountain.
Local food
- L’Aquila liver sausage — Horseshoe-shaped, spicy or sweet with honey: eaten on Easter morning. A Slow Food Presidium.
- Fregnacce aquilane — Thin crêpes filled with ragù and cheese, folded into triangles and baked.
- Grilled castrato mutton — Castrato mutton chops on the grill, a home favourite around L’Aquila.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Montereale: 0862 901217
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Montereale
- Trattorias and restaurants in Montereale: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Aringo 984 m
Altitude
984 m
Municipality
Montereale
A hamlet of Montereale on the SS 260 towards Amatrice, below Monte Civitella. Just above the village, at Capo Cancelli, rises the Aterno, Abruzzo’s main river; the village overlooks the whole Montereale plain.
Things to do
Did you know? Aringo was already inhabited in Roman times along the Via Calatina; according to tradition its name comes from a Goth called Arrigs who settled here at the end of antiquity.
Local food
- Polenta on the wooden board — Polenta poured onto the wooden board with sausage sauce and eaten by everyone together.
- L’Aquila liver sausage — Horseshoe-shaped, spicy or sweet with honey: eaten on Easter morning. A Slow Food Presidium.
- Fettuccine with wild mushrooms — Egg fettuccine with poplar and field mushrooms picked in autumn.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Montereale: 0862 901217
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Aringo
- Trattorias and restaurants in Aringo: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Capitignano 916 m
Altitude
916 m
Municipality
Capitignano
At the foot of a rocky spur on the edge of the plain, it is the village from which you climb to Lake Campotosto up the «Svolte della Lima», a very steep road. The hamlet of Mopolino has Palazzo Ricci.
Things to do
Did you know? In the 18th century Pope Pius VI spent his summers here, in Palazzo Ricci in the hamlet of Mopolino, which he had restored after the 1703 earthquake.
Local food
- Campotosto mortadella — An oval cured sausage tied in pairs, with a strip of lard in the centre, aged in the lake wind.
- Gnocchi with castrato ragù — Homemade potato gnocchi with castrato mutton ragù, the L’Aquila way.
- Grilled castrato mutton — Castrato mutton chops on the grill, a home favourite around L’Aquila.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Capitignano: 0862 905463
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Capitignano
- Trattorias and restaurants in Capitignano: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Campotosto 1,420 m
Altitude
1,420 m
Municipality
Campotosto
The village that gives its name to Lake Campotosto, below the Monti della Laga: in summer there is windsurfing, kitesurfing, canoeing and fishing, and in winter the lake sometimes freezes. It is home to Campotosto mortadella.
Things to do
- Lake Campotosto
- Campotosto mortadella
- The Cento Cascate in the Monti della Laga
- Gran Sasso hiking guide
Did you know? At 1,420 metres it is one of the highest villages in the Apennines, and its lake, created by dams, is among the largest reservoirs in Italy.
Local food
- Campotosto mortadella — An oval cured sausage tied in pairs, with a strip of lard in the centre, aged in the lake wind.
- Polenta on the wooden board — Polenta poured onto the wooden board with sausage sauce and eaten by everyone together.
- Fettuccine with wild mushrooms — Egg fettuccine with poplar and field mushrooms picked in autumn.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Campotosto: 0862 900142
- Park authority Gran Sasso e Laga: 0862 60521
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Campotosto
- Trattorias and restaurants in Campotosto: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Cagnano Amiterno 841 m
Altitude
841 m
Municipality
Cagnano Amiterno
A municipality of several hamlets along the SS 260, on the border with Lazio. Above the hamlet of Termine opens the Piana di Cascina, at the foot of Monte Calvo and Monte Giano.
Things to do
- The Monte Calvo group
- The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park
- L’Aquila, a few kilometres away
Did you know? The Piana di Cascina above the village is one of the coldest places in the area: in winter, with snow on the ground, it can drop to 20 degrees below zero.
Local food
- Grilled castrato mutton — Castrato mutton chops on the grill, a home favourite around L’Aquila.
- Fregnacce aquilane — Thin crêpes filled with ragù and cheese, folded into triangles and baked.
- Zeppole from L’Aquila — Leavened potato rings, fried and sugared, made for St Joseph’s Day in L’Aquila.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Cagnano Amiterno: 0862 978122
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Cagnano Amiterno
- Trattorias and restaurants in Cagnano Amiterno: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Barete 800 m
Altitude
800 m
Municipality
Barete
A small village at the entrance to the upper valley, just over a kilometre from Pizzoli. It took part in the founding of L’Aquila, and Porta Barete, one of the city gates, is named after it.
Things to do
- L’Aquila, a few kilometres away
- The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park
- Trekking to Monte Calvo
Did you know? In Roman times it was called Lavaretum and was a holiday spot for the people of Amiternum, thanks to its thermal springs.
Local food
- Fregnacce aquilane — Thin crêpes filled with ragù and cheese, folded into triangles and baked.
- L’Aquila liver sausage — Horseshoe-shaped, spicy or sweet with honey: eaten on Easter morning. A Slow Food Presidium.
- Zeppole from L’Aquila — Leavened potato rings, fried and sugared, made for St Joseph’s Day in L’Aquila.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Barete: 0862 976235
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Barete
- Trattorias and restaurants in Barete: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Pizzoli 740 m
Altitude
740 m
Municipality
Pizzoli
The village closest to L’Aquila, at the entrance to the upper valley, with half its territory inside the Gran Sasso Park: from the valley floor it rises to 2,132 m on Monte San Franco. Nearby are the remains of the Roman city of Amiternum.
Things to do
- The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park
- Gran Sasso hiking guide
- L’Aquila, a few kilometres away
Did you know? According to tradition, Saint Equitius was buried here in the 6th century; one of the area’s first communities of monks had gathered around him.
Local food
- Fregnacce aquilane — Thin crêpes filled with ragù and cheese, folded into triangles and baked.
- Zeppole from L’Aquila — Leavened potato rings, fried and sugared, made for St Joseph’s Day in L’Aquila.
- Grilled castrato mutton — Castrato mutton chops on the grill, a home favourite around L’Aquila.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Pizzoli: 0862 975524
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Pizzoli
- Fraschetta dei Miracoli Corso Sallustio, 230, Pizzoli · 338 704 1496
- Pasticceria Mancini Via Sallustio, 220, Pizzoli · 0862 977080
- Trattorias and restaurants in Pizzoli: search on TripAdvisor
At the table
Food and traditions
Local dishes and products, with the recipes and guides on our site.
In the Upper Aterno you eat the mountain food of the L’Aquila area and the Laga: pork charcuterie such as Campotosto mortadella, mutton, homemade pasta, pulses and wild mushrooms.
- Campotosto mortadella — An oval cured sausage tied in pairs, with a strip of lard in the centre, aged in the lake wind.
- L’Aquila liver sausage — Horseshoe-shaped, spicy or sweet with honey: eaten on Easter morning. A Slow Food Presidium.
- Fregnacce aquilane — Thin crêpes filled with ragù and cheese, folded into triangles and baked.
- Gnocchi with castrato ragù — Homemade potato gnocchi with castrato mutton ragù, the L’Aquila way.
- Grilled castrato mutton — Castrato mutton chops on the grill, a home favourite around L’Aquila.
- Fettuccine with wild mushrooms — Egg fettuccine with poplar and field mushrooms picked in autumn.
- Polenta on the wooden board — Polenta poured onto the wooden board with sausage sauce and eaten by everyone together.
- Zeppole from L’Aquila — Leavened potato rings, fried and sugared, made for St Joseph’s Day in L’Aquila.