The tour “National Park of Abruzzo in wintertime” gives the chance to experience a high-quality naturalistic and historical-cultural holiday. Starting from a farmhouse in a valley close the Mainarde Mountains, we’ll move along some beautiful paths of National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.
Day 1
Arrival at Isernia and meeting with Professional Nature and Interpretive Guide.
Transfer by motorized vehicle to Alfedena, in a farmhouse.
Accommodation and explanation of the journey.
Dinner in farmhouse.
Night in farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
Day 2
After the breakfast, private transfer by motorized vehicle to Pianoro Le Forme, where we’ll start a hiking until to Passo dei Monaci.
Packed lunch.
Private transfer by motorized vehicle to the farmhouse for the rest.
Dinner in farmhouse.
Night in farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
If there is snow, the excursion will be on snowshoes.
Located in a remarkable and silent natural setting, the plateau le Forme is surrounded by mountains and woods. We cross it and then we climb the mountainous side through the beautiful beech forest of the Val Pagana. Once out of the forest, the view is truly suggestive, including Monte la Meta (2232 m a.s.l.), Metuccia (2102 m a.s.l.) and Monte a Mare (2160 m a.s.l.). Arrived on the Passo dei Monaci (1967 m a.s.l.), a place of passage for the Benedictine monks to come and go back between the monasteries of Montecassino and San Vincenzo al Volturno, the panorama acquires further value, also opening up on the Lazio side and on Monte Tartaro (2190 m a.s.l.).
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 6 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 11 km.
Total difference in height (up): +810 m.
Total difference in height (down): -810 m.
Difficulty: challenging.
Day 3
After the breakfast, private transfer by motorized vehicle to Castelnuovo al Volturno, where we’ll start a hiking until to Monte Marrone.
Packed lunch.
Private transfer by motorized vehicle to the farmhouse for the rest.
Dinner in farmhouse.
Night in farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
If there is snow, the excursion will be on snowshoes.
The path to Monte Marrone goes up the Valle Viata, meandering through a beautiful beech forest. Once out of the forest, la Ferruccia plain opens the view to Monte Marrone (1805 m a.s.l.), Monte Ferruccia (2005 m a.s.l.) and Monte Mare (2020 m a.s.l.). We climb to the top of Monte Marrone: here the view is enchanting. Afterwards, we descend to a hut which hosted a French painter, Charles Moulin, who lived a good part of his life in these mountains. At the end of walking day we’ll visit the “ghost town” of Rocchetta Alta.
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 6 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 11 km.
Total difference in height (up): +810 m.
Total difference in height (down): -810 m.
Difficulty: challenging.
Day 4
After the breakfast, private transfer by motorized vehicle to Montenero Valcocchiara, where we’ll start a hike to Pantano della Zittola-Feudo Valcocchiara.
Tasting.
Private transfer by motorized vehicle to Castel del Giudice and then to the farmhouse for the rest.
Dinner in farmhouse.
Night in farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
If there is snow, the excursion will be on snowshoes.
In the morning, short excursion to the Pantano della Zittola, in Montenero Valcocchiara, which is one of the largest Apennine marsh in central and southern Italy, characterized by different habitats: prairie, swamp, peat bog, forest with karst areas and a stream. These aquatic environments allow several birds to stop and the presence of many grazing animals, including an indigenous horse: the pentro horse. The vast extension of the area, connected to the relevant naturalistic and landscape aspects, makes this marshy environment of particular value and rarity in this part of Italy.
After meeting with a horse breeder and lunch, we move to Castel del Giudice, another small village in Molise, to get to know two social realities: an agricultural cooperative and a tourist one. Both work for and on the territory against one of the greatest evils of Molise, depopulation.
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 1 hour (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 4 km.
Total difference in height (up): +100 m.
Total difference in height (down): -100 m.
Difficulty: easy.
Day 5
After the breakfast, private transfer by motorized vehicle to Castel San Vincenzo, where we’ll start a hike to Valle di Mezzo and San Michele a Foce hermitage until to Pizzone and .
Packed lunch.
Private transfer by motorized vehicle to the farmhouse for the rest.
Dinner in farmhouse.
Night in farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
If there is snow, the excursion will be on snowshoes.
From the village of Castel San Vincenzo we’ll go through the gorge of the stream Foce, between views on the lake of Castel San Vincenzo and the Mainarde mountains. We’ll go up to the hermitage of San Michele a Foce, a very suggestive sacred place nestled in a rocky wall. Going down to the bottom of the valley, we’ll go up into the beech forest to reach the Casone del Medico. From here you go down to the village of Pizzone and then back to Castel San Vincenzo.
Technical features of the journey
Duration: 5 hours (rest-times not included).
Lenght of the trek: 15.5 km.
Total difference in height (up): +380 m.
Total difference in height (updown: -380 m.
Difficulty: medium.
Day 6
Time to say goodbye and go back.
After the breakfast, transfer by motorized vehicle from farmhouse to archeological area of San Vincenzo al Volturno, in Rocchetta a Volturno, where we’ll visit it.
Then, transfer to the railway or bus station of Isernia.
The Benedictine monastic community of San Vincenzo al Volturno is one of the most important archaeological evidences of the Early Middle Ages and it is a true pearl of Italy’s cultural heritage. The monastery has had a huge powerful in Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries. Among the various remains that can be visited in the ancient monastery, the crypt of the abbé Epifanio should be underlined, with rare examples of Early Medieval frescoes. A real jewel, to be enjoyed slowly.
Write to info@molisetrekking.com to have infos about price and booking.
For group from 6 to 16 people.