Next departure: 3 February 2024
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.
Duration: 4 walking days, 5 nights, 6 days overall.
Destination: Alfedena and Molise mountainside, in the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.
Typology: mountain in a snowy environment.
Features: cultural and historical; experiential; natural; food and wine.
Accommodation: farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
Where to eat : farmhouse.
Group size: 6-16 people.
Difficulty: medium
An excursion is very simple. Presence of ascents and descents. In one day the total rise exceed 800 meters. In two days they are between 380 and 510 meters. The trails do not present any technical difficulty (use of mountaineering equipment). Hikes are suitable to everybody, though you need to be trained for mountain walking and on the snow (if any, the hikings will be on snowshoes). Hikes are on foot. Fixed and same place for the overnight. Short transfers by motorized vehicle. Overnights are comfortable.
Length of the itinerary: 41.5 km.
Total height difference, uphill: +1800 m.
Total height difference, downhill: -1800 m.
Suggestive atmospheres in the medieval historical centers of Alfedena, Castelnuovo al Volturno, Montenero Valcocchiara, Castel del Giudice, Castel San Vincenzo e Pizzone, very small village with their examples of artistic beauty with palaces, churches, fountains, crossroads, gardens and more. Very interesting is also the “ghost town” of Rocchetta Alta.
The archaeological area of San Vincenzo al Volturno, the most important Benedictine monastic complex in Europe in the VIII-IX centuries, with the relevant crypt of the abbé Epifanio. The suggestive hermitage of San Michele a Foce, set in a rocky wall. The paths of the Italian Liberation Corps, operating in these mountains after the Italian armistice during the World War II.
The Mainarde are part of the Molise area of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, among the oldest parks in Italy. A wild and lonely mountain range, where it is possible to meet different wild animals: from deers to chamois; from the wolf to the Marsican brown bear. In addition, you will pass through lush beech woods and admire remarkable views.
The journey is enriched by the excellent traditional cuisine of Abruzzo and 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, we can know significant people. They storytell histories and traditions of the rural and pastoral Molise’s culture. We can attend a culinary workshop and we can visit a biological farm and a cooperative community. The journey, moreover, is characterized by a cosy and familiar atmosphere and by the guide always with you.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For group from 6 to 16 people.
| Start | Finish | Availability |
| 03/02/24 | 08/02/24 | 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.
