Italy Guide
Abruzzo and Molise
Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo
At four hundred square kilometres, the PARCO NAZIONALE D'ABRUZZO is Italy's third-largest national park and holds some of its wildest mountain land, providing great walking and a hunter-free haven for wolves, brown bears, chamois, deer, lynx, wild boar and three or four pairs of royal eagles. The central village, PESCASSEROLI, is the main hub for visitors, a rather commercialized spot, liberally decorated with the park's logo – a cuddly brown bear – and surrounded by campsites, holiday apartments and hotels.
The best way to strike out from Pescasseroli is to hike. The trick is to take advantage of the comprehensive information service, and get walking as quickly as possible: as soon as you get away from the vicinity of the tourist villages, the wild Apennine beauty really makes itself felt.