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 the coast: from the A14 (exits Pescara Nord–Città Sant’Angelo and Pescara Ovest) you head inland to Città Sant’Angelo, Loreto Aprutino, Pianella, Penne and Farindola.
- From Rome: A24 and A25 to the Bussi–Popoli exit, handy for Popoli Terme and Bussi sul Tirino.
- By train: the Rome–Pescara line stops at Popoli and Bussi; for the Vestini villages you need a car or TUA buses.
The village
Farindola 530 m
Altitude
530 m
Municipality
Farindola
A medieval village of stone houses on the eastern side of the Gran Sasso, inside the National Park. It is the home of Farindola pecorino; outside the village the Vitello d’Oro waterfalls drop more than 28 metres.
Things to do
- Farindola pecorino, a Slow Food presidium
- Trails on the eastern side of the Gran Sasso
- The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park
Did you know? Farindola pecorino is one of the few cheeses made with pig rennet; around 15 August the village celebrates it with “Pecorino & Pecorini”, pairing it with Pecorino wine.
Local food
- Pecorino di Farindola cheese — The pecorino made with pig rennet, on the eastern side of the Gran Sasso: a Slow Food Presidium.
- Arrosticini — Mutton skewers grilled over embers, the symbol of Abruzzo cooking.
- Pallotte cacio e ova — Meatless balls of bread, eggs and cheese, fried and then simmered in tomato sauce.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Farindola: 085 823131
- Park authority Gran Sasso e Laga: 0862 60521
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Farindola
- Trattorias and restaurants in Farindola: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Penne 438 m
Altitude
438 m
Municipality
Penne
Ancient capital of the Vestini and one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, it is called the ‘brick town’ for the terracotta of its palaces and churches. Below the town lies the Lago di Penne reserve, with its Otter Centre and natural history museum.
Things to do
- The Lago di Penne reserve and the Otter Centre
- Aprutino Pescarese PDO olive oil
- Farindola and the eastern side of the Gran Sasso
- Pescara and the sea, half an hour away
Did you know? The Good Friday procession has been held in solemn form since 1570; legend says the great funeral pall embroidered in gold and silver in 1860 cost some of the nuns who sewed it their sight.
Local food
- Aprutino Pescarese PDO olive oil — One of Europe’s first PDO oils, from the hills of Loreto Aprutino, Penne and Pianella.
- Pallotte cacio e ova — Meatless balls of bread, eggs and cheese, fried and then simmered in tomato sauce.
- Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC — The region’s signature red, from the Montepulciano grape: with arrosticini, lamb and mutton.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Penne: 085 82171
- Nature reserve Lago di Penne: 085 821 3130
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Penne
- Vecchia Hosteria del Lago Contrada Colle Formica, 18, Penne · 085 827 0132
- Trattorias and restaurants in Penne: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Loreto Aprutino 307 m
Altitude
307 m
Municipality
Loreto Aprutino
A citadel fortified by the Normans, it is the heart of Aprutino Pescarese olive oil. In town are the collegiate church of San Pietro, the Olive Oil Museum and the Gallery of Old Abruzzo Ceramics, with over six hundred pieces from the Castelli workshops.
Things to do
- Aprutino Pescarese oil and the Olive Oil Museum
- Castelli ceramics, also on show here in the gallery
- Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Did you know? On the Monday after Pentecost, for San Zopito, an ox ridden by a child dressed as an angel parades through the fields and the village and kneels before the saint’s statue in the collegiate church of San Pietro.
Local food
- Aprutino Pescarese PDO olive oil — One of Europe’s first PDO oils, from the hills of Loreto Aprutino, Penne and Pianella.
- Arrosticini — Mutton skewers grilled over embers, the symbol of Abruzzo cooking.
- Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC — The cherry-coloured rosé from Montepulciano grapes, great with cured meats, fish stew and pasta.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Loreto Aprutino: 085 829401
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Loreto Aprutino
- Ristorante Tre Piatti Contrada Farina, 2, Loreto Aprutino · 085 828 9127
- Trattorias and restaurants in Loreto Aprutino: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Città Sant’Angelo 322 m
Altitude
322 m
Municipality
Città Sant’Angelo
A hilltop village with a view of the sea, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and a Cittaslow. The collegiate church of San Michele Arcangelo has a doorway from 1326 and a 48-metre bell tower; the old town is a web of lanes and viewpoints.
Things to do
- Pescara, a quarter of an hour away
- The beaches of Montesilvano and the coast
- Montepulciano wineries in the hills
Did you know? The carnival revolves around ’Ndirucce, a late-19th-century cobbler who recited rhyming sonnets in the square, mocking the local worthies and telling the village scandals.
Local food
- Pallotte cacio e ova — Meatless balls of bread, eggs and cheese, fried and then simmered in tomato sauce.
- Brodetto alla pescarese — Adriatic fish stew with tomato and sweet pepper, eaten with bread.
- Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC — The region’s signature red, from the Montepulciano grape: with arrosticini, lamb and mutton.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Città Sant’Angelo: 085 96961
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Città Sant’Angelo
- Trattorias and restaurants in Città Sant’Angelo: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Pianella 236 m
Altitude
236 m
Municipality
Pianella
A farming town in the ‘olive oil triangle’ with Loreto Aprutino and Moscufo. Just outside the centre stands the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Maggiore, with a pulpit carved by Master Acuto and a large frescoed Last Judgement.
Things to do
Did you know? On 8 December the town decorates what is considered Abruzzo’s largest Christmas tree: not a fir, but a huge cedar.
Local food
- Aprutino Pescarese PDO olive oil — One of Europe’s first PDO oils, from the hills of Loreto Aprutino, Penne and Pianella.
- Pallotte cacio e ova — Meatless balls of bread, eggs and cheese, fried and then simmered in tomato sauce.
- Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC — Abruzzo’s classic white, with fish, vegetables and mushroom dishes.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Pianella: 085 97301
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Pianella
- Golden Rose (birrificio e agripub) Via San Giuliano, 1349 B, Pianella · 333 908 0945
- Trattorias and restaurants in Pianella: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Civitella Casanova 400 m
Altitude
400 m
Municipality
Civitella Casanova
A village in the Gran Sasso Park and the Voltigno and Valle d’Angri reserve, linked to the great Cistercian abbey of Casanova. From its hills you climb to the Voltigno uplands, high pastures loved by riders and cyclists.
Things to do
- The Gran Sasso Park and the Voltigno uplands
- Trails of the eastern Gran Sasso
- Penne and its lake, a few kilometres away
Did you know? On the Sunday before 17 January, for “Lu Sand’Andonie” (Saint Anthony), mules, goats, geese, rabbits and horses with decorated carts parade through the village; for the feast people make “cieje”, shortcrust sweets.
Local food
- Aprutino Pescarese PDO olive oil — One of Europe’s first PDO oils, from the hills of Loreto Aprutino, Penne and Pianella.
- Arrosticini — Mutton skewers grilled over embers, the symbol of Abruzzo cooking.
- Pallotte cacio e ova — Meatless balls of bread, eggs and cheese, fried and then simmered in tomato sauce.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Civitella Casanova: 085 845115
- Park authority Gran Sasso e Laga: 0862 60521
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Civitella Casanova
- Trattorias and restaurants in Civitella Casanova: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Popoli Terme 254 m
Altitude
254 m
Municipality
Popoli Terme
The Cantelmo family’s town at the crossroads of the Valle Peligna, the Pescara valley and the Tirino, with the Gothic Ducal Tavern, the castle above the town and sulphur spas. Close by is the Pescara Springs reserve, a small lake of crystal-clear water.
Things to do
- The Pescara Springs reserve
- Capodacqua lake and the Tirino
- The Orfento valley and Caramanico
- Sulmona, half an hour away
Did you know? Popoli was the birthplace, in 1891, of Corradino D’Ascanio, the engineer who designed the Vespa: his birthplace is now a house museum, and the town’s war memorial is his design.
Local food
- Tirino trout — Trout from the clear rivers around L’Aquila, grilled or pan-fried with herbs and lemon.
- Arrosticini — Mutton skewers grilled over embers, the symbol of Abruzzo cooking.
- Centerbe — The strong green liqueur of Tocco da Casauria, made with Majella herbs since 1817.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Popoli Terme: 085 98701
- Nature reserve Sorgenti del Pescara: 085 987 0506
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Popoli Terme
- Don Evandro Via Beato Nunzio Sulprizio, 11, Popoli Terme · 388 887 6858
- Posto 37 Via Tiburtina Valeria, 37, Popoli Terme · 324 600 7274
- Trattorias and restaurants in Popoli Terme: search on TripAdvisor
The village
Bussi sul Tirino 344 m
Altitude
344 m
Municipality
Bussi sul Tirino
A village on the Tirino, the crystal-clear river that flows down from the Capestrano springs and here joins the Pescara. In the 18th century potters from Castelli set up workshops here using the river’s clay.
Things to do
Did you know? On the feast of San Biagio, the patron saint, people receive blessed oil to anoint the throat, and the village bakes “ciambelle di San Biagio”, Bussi’s own ring cakes.
Local food
- Tirino trout — Trout from the clear rivers around L’Aquila, grilled or pan-fried with herbs and lemon.
- Centerbe — The strong green liqueur of Tocco da Casauria, made with Majella herbs since 1817.
- Arrosticini — Mutton skewers grilled over embers, the symbol of Abruzzo cooking.
Useful numbers
- Municipality of Bussi sul Tirino: 085 980410
- Emergencies and mountain rescue: 112 · 118
- municipality website
Where to eat in Bussi sul Tirino
- Lo Zio Barrett Via Antonio Gramsci, 15, Bussi sul Tirino · 085 980 9111
- Barrett Cafè & Restaurant Via della Repubblica, 170, Bussi sul Tirino · 085 980 8076
- Trattorias and restaurants in Bussi sul Tirino: search on TripAdvisor
At the table
Food and traditions
Local dishes and products, with the recipes and guides on our site.
The Pescara hills are a land of olive oil and wine: Aprutino Pescarese PDO, one of Europe’s first PDO oils, Montepulciano and Cerasuolo. In the mountains Farindola pecorino, in the valleys Tirino trout, and at the table cheese-and-egg balls and amaretti.
- Pecorino di Farindola cheese — The pecorino made with pig rennet, on the eastern side of the Gran Sasso: a Slow Food Presidium.
- Aprutino Pescarese PDO olive oil — One of Europe’s first PDO oils, from the hills of Loreto Aprutino, Penne and Pianella.
- Tirino trout — Trout from the clear rivers around L’Aquila, grilled or pan-fried with herbs and lemon.
- Pallotte cacio e ova — Meatless balls of bread, eggs and cheese, fried and then simmered in tomato sauce.
- Arrosticini — Mutton skewers grilled over embers, the symbol of Abruzzo cooking.
- Abruzzo amaretti — Soft biscuits of almonds, sugar and egg white, from the hills around Pescara.
- Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC — The region’s signature red, from the Montepulciano grape: with arrosticini, lamb and mutton.
- Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC — The cherry-coloured rosé from Montepulciano grapes, great with cured meats, fish stew and pasta.
- Centerbe — The strong green liqueur of Tocco da Casauria, made with Majella herbs since 1817.