The Abruzzo is one of the most nature-rich regions in Italy, situated geographically between the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea, and administratively at the junction between central and southern Italy. According to ISTAT data as of 1 January 2026, the region is home to 1,267,222 people across 10,831.72 square kilometres, spread over four provinces and 305 municipalities. The regional capital is L'Aquila, with 70,803 inhabitants, while the largest coastal city is Pescara. Neighbouring regions include Le Marche to the north, Lazio to the west, and Molise to the south.
Key Facts and Geography
The Abruzzo comprises four provinces : Chieti, L'Aquila, Pescara and Teramo. The highest point is the Corno Grande in the Gran Sasso massif, at 2,912 metres, making it the highest peak in the entire Apennines. The Adriatic coastline stretches for around 130 kilometres, from Martinsicuro in the north to San Salvo in the south. Between the two lies a broad zone of uplands, plateaux and narrow valleys, with more than two thirds of the region classified as mountainous terrain. Climatically, the Apennines divide the maritime Adriatic climate of the coast from the continental mountain climate of the interior.
Three National Parks and the Beech Forests
According to ENIT , the Abruzzo, with its three national parks, one regional park and 44 nature reserves, is the greenest region in Italy. More than a third of its area is under protection. The oldest is the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, headquartered in Pescasseroli, which according to ISPRA was founded in 1922 and is considered the cradle of Italian nature conservation. It is home to the Marsican brown bear, Apennine wolves and the Abruzzo chamois, as well as five ancient beech forests that were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017 as ancient and primeval beech forests.
The Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga encompasses the Corno Grande massif and the Campo Imperatore plateau , 27 kilometres long and lying at an altitude of between 1,600 and 2,100 metres. The third park, the Majella, was recognised by UNESCO as a Geopark in 2021 and protects one of the deepest karst gorges in Italy, the Orfento Gorge. In addition, there is the Sirente-Velino Regional Park and the Riserva Statale Lago di Campotosto, the largest artificial mountain lake in the Apennines.
Towns and Villages
L'Aquila , as the regional capital, holds the title of Capitale italiana della Cultura in 2026 and has been undergoing reconstruction since the earthquake of 6 April 2009. The historic old town, with the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, the Fontana delle 99 Cannelle and the 16th-century Spanish Fortress, is being restored step by step. Pescara, with 118,487 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2026), is the largest city in the region, a transport hub with the Abruzzo Airport and a port, and also the birthplace of Gabriele D'Annunzio. Teramo and Chieti are the remaining provincial capitals; the latter is one of the oldest cities in Italy, with Roman roots.
Of particular significance are the borghi of the region. Sulmona, on the slopes of the Majella, is the birthplace of the poet Ovid and renowned for its sugar confections, the Confetti di Sulmona. Scanno lies in a gorge in the Marsica area, is listed among the Borghi più belli d'Italia, and is known for its traditional costume and the pan-shaped hearts from the nearby Sagittario Valley. Civitella del Tronto is home to one of the largest fortresses in Europe, the last bastion of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies against Italian unification in 1861. Rocca Calascio, a hilltop castle at 1,460 metres, has served on several occasions as a film set for international productions.
Costa dei Trabocchi
The coastline of the Abruzzo has two distinct faces. To the north, from Pescara to Teramo, a flat sandy beach stretches along a string of seaside resorts including Alba Adriatica, Tortoreto, Giulianova, Roseto degli Abruzzi and Pineto. To the south of Pescara begins the Costa dei Trabocchi, a rocky coastline between Ortona and Vasto, characterised by historic wooden fishing platforms built out over the sea, known as trabocchi. According to the FAI , these historic stilted structures date back to the second half of the 17th century and many have today been converted into fish restaurants. The Via Verde della Costa dei Trabocchi, a 42-kilometre cycling route along the disused Adriatic railway line, connects the coastal towns of Francavilla al Mare, Ortona, San Vito Chietino, Rocca San Giovanni, Fossacesia, Casalbordino and Vasto.
Transhumance: UNESCO Intangible Heritage
The Abruzzo transhumance, the seasonal movement of shepherds and their flocks between the high Apennines and the Tavoliere plain in Apulia, was recognised by UNESCO in 2019 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as Gambero Rosso reports. The tradition dates back to Roman antiquity and left behind a network of tratturi, grass-covered droving roads between 60 and 111 metres wide. The longest of these paths connected L'Aquila with Foggia and remained in use until the 20th century. Today, the restored tratturi serve as hiking trails, with the Via del Tratturo linking the ancient transhumance route to a tourism-oriented trekking concept.
Food and Wine
The region's cuisine divides clearly into mountain and sea. From the mountains come the arrosticini, small lamb skewers from the Gran Sasso area, grilled over charcoal. There is also Pasta alla Chitarra, a square-shaped pasta cut on a string instrument-like device, and Pecorino di Farindola, a hard cheese made with pig's rennet from the Gran Sasso area. The Ventricina del Vastese is a spicy salami from the hinterland of Chieti. The Zafferano dell'Aquila DOP grows on the plain of Navelli and is considered one of the finest saffrons in Europe.
The Coastal cuisine relies on fish from the Adriatic, most notably Brodetto alla pescarese, a versatile fish stew in the style of Pescara. In the pasticcerien of Sulmona, Confetti di Sulmona are produced: sugar-coated almonds in every colour, traditionally given at weddings and anniversaries. Among the wines, the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC dominates, one of Italy's most widely produced red wines, complemented by the white Trebbiano d'Abruzzo and the rosé Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo. Centerbe, an herbal liqueur from Tocco da Casauria, rounds off the culinary spectrum.
Winter sports and travel
The mountains of Abruzzo, with over 500 kilometres of pistes spread across 23 ski resorts, represent, according to ENIT, the largest winter sports offering in central Italy. The best-known resorts are Roccaraso-Rivisondoli-Pescocostanzo on the border with Molise, Ovindoli in the Sirente-Velino Park, Campo Imperatore on the Gran Sasso, and Campo Felice. The Ferrovia dei Parchi, the scenic railway running from Sulmona to Carpinone at over 1,200 metres above sea level, is known as Italy's Trans-Siberian Railway and connects the ski resorts with Molise.
Best time to visit for nature and villages is spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October), with mild temperatures and few crowds. Summer (July to August) is busy on the coast, while the high plateaux remain pleasantly cool. Winter, from December to April, marks the ski season. The main airport is the Aeroporto d'Abruzzo in Pescara (PSR), with connections to Milan, Turin, and several European cities. The A14 Adriatica and the A24 L'Aquila-Rome motorways form the principal road links, while the Ferrovia dei Parchi completes the network as a scenic route between the Apennines and Molise.
