In the heart of Molise

Next departure: 15 July 2023

Tipically naturalistic trekking, but not only, where La Montagnola Molisana offers a heterogeneous and fascinanting show. The valleys and ridges alternate between wide pastures, rock formations, small and large lakes, large woods with specimens of ancient beech trees and many karst phenomenons. Even today it is possible to find herds of cattle and horses in the wild, which freely graze between the pens and the many small pools of water, as well as wild animals of all kinds.

Durata: 5 days walk, 6 nights, 7 days overall.
Destination: from Carpinone to Sessano del Molise.

Typology: medium mountain trails.
Features: itinerant; cultural and historical; experiential; natural; food and wine.

Accommodation: albergo diffuso (restored house for tourism), farmhouse and bed-and-breakfasts.
Where to eat: restaurants, farmhouses and trattoria.
Group size: 8-14 people.

Difficulty: challenging
Good climbs and descents and flat sections. Every day the total height differences are approaching or exceeding 1000 meters, uphill and downhill. The trek is accessible to suitably trained people and used to walking, to mountains and, therefore, to long ascents and descents. However, the trails are not technical routes and mountaineering material are not necessarily required, though hiking equipment is needed. The journey is on foot and is itinerant. Short transfers are by motorized vehicle. The overnight stays are comfortable.

Length of the itinerary: 97 km.
Total height difference, uphill: +5160 m.
Total height difference, downhill: -5025 m.

We’ll find a suggestive italian atmosphere in the historical towns of Isernia, Carpinone, Macchiagodena, Frosolone, Acquevive, Civitanova del Sannio and Sessano del Molise, with their artistic beauties like castles, buildings, churches, fountains, crossroads, gardens and more.

There are several testimonies of history on this trip. Sometimes small, sometimes more significant. The largest is the archaeological site of La Pineta di Isernia. Here, 700,000 thousand years ago, the Homo erectus lived, reclaiming the area with remains of animals now extinct in the Old Continent (hippos, elephants, etc.). Although very small compared to Isernia, another presence relating to the Middle Paleolithic and the ancient Neolithic can be found near the lake of Civitanova and on some peaks of La Montagnola Molisana.
Then, it is possible to know the testimonies of the Italic population of the Samnites: the cyclopean walls in Colle Le Case and la Civita (Civitanova del Sannio) and in Civitelle and Castellone (Frosolone), the Italic temple in Colle San Martino (Frosolone).
Finally, the eighteenth-century hermitage of Sant’Egidio, some small tholoi, the “house museum” created by the shepherd Pasquale Paolucci (1892-1981) and the “ice house” of the small canyon of La Cundra are interesting.

The large luxuriant woods of “La Montagnola Molisana”, on the slopes of Carpinone, Civitanova del Sannio and Sessano del Molise, as well as those of Monte Marchetta and Colle dell’Orso. The vast high-altitude pastures, the various lakes, some small canyons, the numerous and diversified rock formations, as well as the wide panoramas. The diversity of environments, flora and fauna has meant that the whole mountain is included in the homonymous Site of Community Importance (SCIs) of the UE Natura2000 network and that the municipality of Frosolone received the orange flag of the Touring Club Italia (for tourism excellence).

The journey is enriched by the excellent traditional cuisine of Molise and its excellent drinks. Typical products and traditional dishes, often handmade and old-fashioned, cheer up the evenings of walkers. You can taste cheeses such as caciocavallo, pecorino, burrata, manteca and others; cured meats like soppressata, ventricina, capicollo, rolled up ventresca, etc.; local and seasonal vegetables and legumes. You can drink Moscato white wine and Tintilia red wine.

During the rest, you can attend significant people. They storytell histories and traditions of the rural and pastoral Molise’s culture. Then, in addition, you can visit some craft shops that forge knives and scissors, as well as a farm that produces “zero km” products.

Montagnola Molisana has a flattened dome shape, broken in steps by many faults. Where the limestone rocks emerge, the morphological trend is harsh, with steep slopes. Where clay and marl are the masters, there are gentle hills. All this creates a complex landscape, made of wide valleys with gentle slopes, interrupted by rock ridges with almost vertical walls. These environments are the result of long erosive processes and ancient tectonic activities.

Karst phenomenons find maximum expression on La Montagnola Molisana. Near the top of La Montagnola it is possible to see Karrenfelde, furrows similar to those traced by the wheels of the wagons. Showy Rillenkarren, parallel furrows separated from each other by thin sharp ridges, can be admired near the lake of Carpinone. Mature and remarkably beautiful complexes of Karren can be seen in the small canyon of La Cundra. Very suggestive is the polje on which the ephemeral lake of Civitanova is formed.

Trekking Molise shepherd house museum frosolone

Program

 

Day 1

Arrival at Isernia and meeting with Professional Nature and Interpretive Guide.
Accommodation and explanation of the journey.
Dinner at restaurant.
Night in ‘albergo diffuso’ (restored house for tourism), in twin rooms with private bathroom. After exhaustion of rooms in ‘albergo diffuso’, in bed-and-breakfast, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

Day 2

After the breakfast, private transfer by motorized vehicle to Carpinone, where we’ll start a hike until to Macchiagodena.
Packed lunch.
Dinner in farmhouse.
Night in farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

From the village of Carpinone, dominated by Caldora’s castle, we’ll descend into the fascinating ravine of the Carpino river, where we’ll be able to admire rock formations and waterfalls. Leaving the village, we’ll take a nice path in the woods and, later, we’ll go towards the village of Castelpetroso and up to the mountains Colle Pezzo della Stella (1148 m a.s.l.) and Colle della Macchia (1165 m a.s.l.), from where one can observe the human work on territory: agricultural land terracing and heaps of stones where shepherds used to take over. Then, we’ll cross the valley of Vallefredda and we’ll descend towards the village of Macchiagodena, where we’ll be able to admire the castle and the historical centre. In sum, we’ll walk until the farmhouse.

Technical features of the journey
Duration: 6 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 22 km.
Difference in height (up): +1290 m.
Difference in height (down): -1160 m.
Difficulty: challenging.

 

Day 3

After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Macchiagodena to Frosolone.
Packed lunch.
Dinner in trattoria.
Night in bed-and-breakfast, in twin rooms with private bathroom. After exhaustion of rooms in bed-and-breakfast, in ‘albergo diffuso’ (restored house for tourism), in twin rooms with private bathroom.

From the farmhouse we’ll reach a nice mule track, which climbs almost to Colle Monaciello (1286 meters above sea level). As we ascend, the panorama of the Apennine massif of Matese, the village of Macchiagodena and the underlying plain of Bojano acquires value and breadth. Along the way we’ll be able to see the small church of Santa Maria Palestina and some pastoral artifacts in dry-stone. At the highest altitudes, on continuous ups and downs between gentle peaks, accentuated valleys covered by reforestation, small rocky walls, numerous wind turbines, a beautiful and large fountain, we’ll arrive at the Vallefredda pastoral refuge. Leaving the massive building behind, we’ll climb up to the Acqua Spruzza locality, walk near the Pesco la Messa lake, climb near the rock formations of Monte Pesco La Messa (1383 meters above sea level) and arrive at the small chapel of the Addolorata, located on Colle Confalone (1348 meters above sea level). From here, on an evident track and then on a paved road, we’ll go down to the village of Frosolone.

Technical features of the journey
Duration: 4.5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 12 km.
Difference in height (up): +700 metri.
Difference in height (down): -640 metri.
Difficulty: medium.

Day 4

After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Frosolone to Acquevive.
Packed lunch.
Dinner in farmhouse.
Night in bed-and-breakfast, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

From Frosolone we’ll go up towards the hermitage of Sant’Egidio and then to the Cannavine lake and the Grisciata wood, up to Monte Marchetta (1376 meters above sea level), from which you can admire the hills of central Molise. Crossing the Acquaspruzza wind farm and the Piano Santa Maria, it is now the turn of the view over western Molise. With a short descent we’ll reach the Lake Carpinone and then go up to Mount Colle dell’Orso (1393 meters above sea level). From here we go towards the Castrati lake and back to the eighteenth-century hermitage. Afterwards, we will visit the “museum house” of the shepherd Pasquale Paolucci, pass by the large Sant’Onofrio fountain and come to skirt the long rocky wall of the Morgia Quadra. After passing the suggestive rocky wall on a somewhat challenging path, we’ll arrive on an easy dirt road to Acquevive hamlet. There are many animals in the wild that can be encountered in this stage.

Technical features of the journey
Duration: 6.5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 20 km.
Difference in height (up): +630 m.
Difference in height (down): -685 m.
Difficulty: challenging.

 

Day 5

After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Acquevive to Civitanova del Sannio.
Packed lunch.
Dinner in restaurant.
Night in different bed-and-breakfasts, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

From Acquevive we’ll go up an old path, passing close the drinking trough of Fonte Calcare. At the end of the track, the climb continues through meadows and bushes until we’ll reach a wide track first dirt and then with rubble, just above a big barn. In a context of meadows, rocks, peaks and views, you descend on a wide track to the Lake Castrati and from here you walk close to the Morgie Molise. Once we’ll reach the source of the Frati, we’ll start walking in a wonderful and luxuriant beech forest towards the suggestive plateau that hosts the lake of Civitanova. Then, we’ll go up to the highest peak of La Montagnola Molisana, La Montagnola (1421 meters above sea level), and then descend, through meadows, beech woods, canyons and panoramic “balconies” over the entire alto Molise, up to the Regio Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Lucera and the underlying village of Civitanova del Sannio.

Technical features of the journey
Duration: 7.5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 24 km.
Difference in height (up): +1300 m.
Difference in height (down): -1450 m.
Difficulty: challenging.

 

Day 6

After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Civitanova del Sannio to Sessano del Molise.
Packed lunch.
After the hike, private transfer by motorized vehicle to Isernia for the rest.
Dinner in restaurant.
Night in ‘albergo diffuso’ (restored house for tourism), in twin rooms with private bathroom. After exhaustion of rooms in ‘albergo diffuso’, in bed-and-breakfast, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

From Civitanova del Sannio we’ll retrace the initial stretch of the “Frassati” path, walking on the Regio Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Lucera. At a small pass we’ll turn off to climb the Civita hill and get to know what remains of a Samnite military fortress (4th-3rd century BC). Where we’ll leave the Regio Tratturo it is also possible to admire a stone term relating to the path of transhumance. Returning to the Club Alpino Italiano path, we’ll continue on a stretch of paved road, and then move away from it to meet four tholoi. Returning to the “Frassati” path, the last daily stretch is on a beautiful and wide track. Leaving the path dedicated to the religious, we’ll immerse ourself in a beautiful beech forest, where the path climbs sweet and wide, among some erratic boulders and remarkable trees. Shortly before leaving the wood, we visit the walls of another Samnite fortification (4th-3rd century BC), in Colle le Case. Afterwards, we’ll pass close the small mountain refuge Valle Banca and then we’ll reach the plateau of the Guado dei Monti, downstream of Lake Civitanova. From here, along the country road, we’ll go down to the village of Sessano del Molise.

Technical features of the journey
Duration: 5.5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 19 km.
Difference in height (up): +1240 m.
Difference in height (down): -1090 m.
Difficulty: medio.

Giorno 7

Time to say goodbye and go back. After breakfast, we’ll visit Isernia and the important archaeological area of ​​the Paleolithic “La Pineta” , dating back 700,000 years.
Afterwards, transfer to the railway or bus station.

Write to info@molisetrekking.com to have infos about price and booking.

For group from 8 to 14 people.

Dates
Start Finish Availability
15/07/23 21/07/23 Available
02/09/23 08/09/23 Available
What’s included
  • travel planning;
  • professional nature and interpretive AIGAE guide;
  • all breakfasts, packed lunches (filled roll, fruit, and half liter water bottle) and dinners;
  • insurance and contract with tour operator;
  • all nights in twin rooms with private bathroom;
  • ticket to the archaeological area “La Pineta” of Isernia;
  • luggage transport during the seven (7) days in Molise;
  • private transport by motorized vehicle, where necessary and according to the program.
What’s not included:
  • airfare;
  • transfer from Italian airport to Molise and back;
  • Single accommodation (available on request);
  • wine and other beverages with alcohol;
  • private transfer by another motorized vehicle, where necessary and according to the program, if the group is more bigger than eight (8) people;
  • and anything not specifically included above.

Last tips before departure…

Notice: This program may be to change, before and during the journey. Changes are based on the climate, the needs of travelers and the people that host the group of travelers.

More info about this travel!




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