Next departure: 24 June 2023
This itinerary is the perfect option for those who love both natura and history. It gives access to pristine and luxuriant nature as well as to the rich historic and cultural life of the people that have lived in this area.
Duration: 4 walking days, 5 nights, 6 days overall.
Destination: from Isernia to Agnone.
Typology: from hill to mountain.
Features: itinerant; cultural and historical; experiential; natural; food and wine.
Accommodation: albergo diffuso (restored house for tourism), guesthouses, hotel, 1800 cottage and bed-and-breakfasts.
Where to eat: restaurants and 1800 cottage.
Group size: 8-12 poeple.
Difficulty: medium
The trail contains numerous easy tracks and only a few uphill and downhill walks. Altitude differentials average 500 meters per day, both uphill or downhill, except on the first day. This itinerary is suitable to everybody, however mountain-walking training is desirable. The trails do not pose major challenges. The journey is on foot and is itinerant. Short transfers are by motorized vehicle. The overnight stays are comfortable.
Length of the itinerary: 65.5 km.
Total height difference, uphill: +2640 m.
Total height difference, downhill: -2195 m.
Suggestive atmospheres in the medieval historical centers of Isernia, Pesche, Miranda, Pescolanciano, Carovilli, Pietrabbondante and Agnone, with their examples of artistic beauty with palaces, churches, fountains, crossroads, gardens and more.
Riserva Naturale Orientata in Pesche and the one of Biosphere in Collemeluccio, protected by UNESCO. Luxuriant woods of Monte Totila, Monte Ferrante and Selva di Castiglione, that belong to the Site of Community Importance (SCIs) of the EU Natura2000 network. Great overviews on the mountains of Mainarde-Monti della Meta, of Monti Marsicani, of the high valley of Volturno river, of alto Molise and on the hills of central Molise.
The ancient paths of the horizontal transhumance: Regi Tratturi Pescasseroli-Candela and Castel di Sangro-Lucera, and Tratturello di San Domenico. They show architectural, religious and cultural statements of shepherds tradition, among castles, churches, ‘pandette’, grave signs and towers. The interesting d’Alessandro family’s castle of Pescolanciano. The magnificent atmosphere of Campane Marinelli – Pontifical Bells Foundry in Agnone, where bells have been forged for eight hundred years with the same medieval techniques.
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.
The archaeological site and the museum of “La Pineta” in Isernia. Here lived, 700,000 thousand years ago, Homo erectus.
The cultural-political-cultural center of the ancient Sannio, with the large archaeological area of the Pietrabbondante theater-temple.
During the rest, we can attend significant people. They storytell histories and traditions of the rural and pastoral Molise’s culture. Then, you can visit a craft brewery and meet a family that has a riding school.
Arrival at Isernia and meeting with Professional Nature and Interpretive Guide.
Accommodation and explanation of the journey.
Visit of the historical center.
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.
After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Isernia to Miranda, visiting the village of Pesche.
Packed lunch.
Dinner at trattoria.
Night in different guesthouses, in twin rooms with shared bathroom.
From the historical center of Isernia we’ll get to the archaeological site of the Paleolithic La Pineta and walk for a short while on what remains of the Regio Tratturo Pescasseroli-Candela, plunging into La Guardia and La Pineta hills. Afterwards, we’ll cross the village of Pesche and enter the homonymous Riserva Naturale Orientata, until we reach the chapel of Santa Lucia and then go down to Miranda.
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 17 km.
Total difference in height (up): +900 m.
Total difference in height (down): -480 m.
Difficulty: medium.
After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Miranda to Pescolanciano.
Packed lunch.
Dinner at restaurant.
Night in hotel, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
From Miranda we’ll go up to Monte Pietrereie (1321 meters above sea level) and Monte Totila (1359 meters above sea level), and then descend, on a comfortable cart track, towards the village of Pescolanciano. Before arriving, we will come across the Regio Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Lucera. We’ll see the amazing D’Alessandro castle in Pescolanciano, that we’ll visit. During the rest we’ll visit also an interesting craft brewery.
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 4.5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 14.5 km.
Total difference in height (up): +530 m.
Total difference in height (down): -620 m.
Difficulty: easy.
After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Pescolanciano to Colle Arso district (Carovilli).
Packed lunch.
Dinner in a 1800 cottage.
The night will be in the same structure, in multiple rooms with shared bathroom. There is the possibility to sleep in the nearby village, in a bed-and-breakfast, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
Once we left Pescolanciano, we will walk along Regio Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Lucera, visiting what remains of the fiefdom of Santa Maria dei Vignali (medieval tower and defensive system of the Samnite era). Crossing Tratturello di San Domenico, we’ll follow it up to the homonymous church, then climb Monte Ferrante (1051 meters above sea level) and visit other fortifications of the ancient Sannio. Descending from the evocative mountain, we’ll visit Carovilli and Castiglione di Carovilli, to then plunged into the beautiful forest of Selva di Castiglione.
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 17 km.
Total difference in height (up): +660 m.
Total difference in height (down): -550 m.
Difficulty: moderate.
After the breakfast, starting of walking day from Colle Arso district (Carovilli) to Pietrabbondante.
Packed lunch.
Transfer by motorized vehicle to Agnone.
Dinner at restaurant.
Night in different bed-and-breakfasts, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
We’ll descend into the high valley of the river Trigno and cross it. We will visit the Riserva Naturale Orientata and Biosphere Reserve in Collemeluccio, protected by UNESCO. After walked a short piece of Regio Tratturo Celano-Foggia, we’ll be able to admire the great archaeological area of the theater-temple of Pietrabbondante. After the visit of area archeological of Pietrabbondante and the village, transfer by minivan to Agnone.
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 17 km.
Total difference in height (up): +550 m.
Total difference in height (down): -544 m.
Difficulty: easy.
Time to say goodbye and go back.
After breakfast, we’ll visit Agnone and its Campane Marinelli – Pontifical Bells Foundry: considered to be the oldest foundry in the world, an incredible spectacular artisan attraction.
Then, transfer by motorized vehicle to the station of Isernia to get the train or bus.
For group from 8 to 12 people.
| Start | Finish | Availability |
| 24/06/23 | 29/06/23 | Available |
| 20/08/23 | 25/08/23 | Available |
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.
