Next departure: 5th October 2024
We go through the sheep track Cortile-Centocelle and the Regio Tratturo Celano-Foggia, follow the shepherd’s paths in Molise, enjoy the ancient architecture of pastoral culture and historical villages of Molise, we’ll cross an extremely calm and peaceful landscape, where nature is prevalent and the hills reach sub-Apennine mountain environments.
Duration: 5 walking days (for the duration of the individual stages see the program above), 6 nights, 7 days overall.
Destination: from Taverna del Cortile (Ripalimosani) to Taverna del Sangro (San Pietro Avellana).
Trail type: from hills to mountains.
Feature: itinerant, cultural and historical, experiential, natural, food and wine.
Accommodation: bed-and-breakfasts, farmhouse, guesthouses, and albergo diffuso (restored house for tourism).
Where we eat: restaurants, home restaurant, and farmhouses.
Group size: 8-14 people. Extra charge for small group until to 4 people.
Difficulty: medium
Crossing a hilly and mountainous landscape, there are many climbs and descents. Few steps are flat. As a daily average, the total uphill and downhill height differences are about 600 meters, but few are particularly challenging. The trekking is accessible to all ability levels, even if you need to be trained for hiking. Cortile-Centocelle and Regio Tratturo Celano-Foggia are not technical routes and do not present particular difficulties. The journey is on foot and is itinerant. Short transfers are by motorized vehicle. The overnight stays are comfortable.
Length of the itinerary: 113 km (70.2 mi)
Total elevation gain: +3775 m (+12385 ft)
Total elevation loss: -3560 m (-11679 ft)
The green roads never end, they twist and turn through fields, farm-houses, and isolated areas. Enjoy the awe-inspiring views and explore the 50 meter long roads filled with beautiful colors. This trip is also an opportunity to lose yourself in the most precious places of Molise: the reserves protected by UNESCO of Collemuccio and Montedimezzo.
Visit the picturesque and inviting medieval towns of Campobasso, Ripabottoni, Castelbottaccio, Salcito, Pietrabbondante, and Isernia. Surrounded by a unique nature, the towns will enhance the journey thanks to their castles, buildings, churches, fountains and more.
The old sheep and wool roads: the sheep track “Cortile-Centocelle” and the Regio Tratturo “Celano-Foggia”, the most well-preserved and amazing paths, with architectural and religious elements of pastoral culture, through castles, churches, votive chapels, villa and stone signs.
There are different archaelogical sites along the way: from the rock areas of Morgia Pietra Martino and Pietralumanna to the Hellenistic-Samnite temple and theatre of Pietrabbondante, heading towards the Paleolitico La Pineta Site of Isernia.
Your journey will be enriched by the delicious traditional cuisine of Molise and its excellent drinks. Traditional products and dishes, often handmade and old-fashioned, brighten the evenings of walkers. You can taste cheeses such as caciocavallo, pecorino, burrata, and manteca and try cured meats like soppressata, ventricina, capicollo, and rolled up ventresca. You can eat local seasonal vegetables and legumes and can drink Moscato white wine and Tintilia red wine.
During our breaks we meet many local people. They tell stories and traditions of the rural and pastoral culture of Molise. Then, you can visit a farmhouse with “zero kilometer” food products.
Day 1
Arrival at Campobasso and meeting with Professional Nature and Interpretive Guide.
Accommodation and explanation of the journey.
Visit of the historical center.
Dinner at restaurant.
Night in different bed-and-breakfasts, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
Day 2
After breakfast, we transfer by motorized vehicle from the center of Campobasso to Taverna del Cortile (Ripalimosani).
Then, we start the hike from Taverna del Cortile (Ripalimosani) to Villa di Centocelle (Sant’Elia Pianisi).
Packed lunch.
At the end of the day, we transfer by motorized vehicle from Villa di Centocelle (Sant’Elia a Pianisi) to Ripabottoni for rest.
Dinner at home restaurant.
Night in different bed-and-breakfasts, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
From Taverna del Cortile we start the hike, following what remains of shepherd tracks Braccio tratturale Cortile-Centocelle. In a few steps we immerse ourself in the silence of the Molise countryside. We go through the medieval village of Matrice, visit the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria della Strada and go up to the Campolieto pass. We walk towards the hill of Femmina Morta (898 m (2946 ft) a.s.l.), to then descend towards the beautiful and very elegant Villa di Centocelle.
Technical Information
Duration: 6 hours (rest-times not included).
Length of the trek: 21 km (13 mi)
Elevation gain: +520 m (+1706 ft)
Elevation loss: -480 m (-1574 ft)
Difficulty: Medium
Day 3
After breakfast, we visit the village of Ripabottoni.
Then, we start the hike from Ripabottoni to Castelbottaccio.
Lunch in a bar.
Dinner at farmhouse.
Night in farmhouse, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
If needed, in different guesthouses, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
We enter the Valle del Biferno, heading towards the riverbed. Then, we go up to the opposite side, to the small village of Castelbottaccio and then to the farmhouse. We walk through deeply natural and green environments, often isolated, and we see many farmhouses along the way.
Technical Information
Duration: 6 hours (rest-times not included).
Length of the trek: 19 km (11.8 mi)
Elevation gain: +730 m (+2395 ft)
Elevation loss: -750 m (-2460 ft)
Difficulty: medium
Day 4
After breakfast, we start the hike from Castelbottaccio to Salcito.
Packed lunch.
Dinner in a restaurant.
Night in different bed-and-breakfasts, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
From the farmhouse we reach the Regio Tratturo and we climb the Colle Marasca (924 m (3031 ft) above sea level), where you can see the awe-inspiring Regio Tratturo with its natural height of almost one hundred meters. We go down towards the small valley of torrente Rivo, where we admire the great buttresses of Pietra-Fenda, Pietralumanna and Pietra Martino, and we go up and down some more towards Salcito.
Technical Information
Duration: 6 hours and half (rest-times not included).
Length of the trek: 24,5 km (15.2 mi)
Elevation gain: +845 m (+2772 ft)
Elevation loss: -930 m (-3051 ft)
Difficulty: moderate.
Day 5
After breakfast, we start the hike from Salcito to Pietrabbondante.
Packed lunch.
Dinner at farmhouse.
Night in different farmhouses, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
We go down to the valley of Trigno, surrounded by the beautiful views of the mountains of Molise, on the south of Abruzzo and the villages of Salcito and Bagnoli del Trigno. Before arriving at the riverbed, we go by the medieval tower of San Bartolomeo. Near the Trigno’s riverbed we are able to see the ruins of Taverna di Sprondasino (XVI century). Then we go up to the other side of the valley, walking on Casino del Duca, an elegant architectural example of the transhumance culture, and along some old fountains located in Case Frasso and Arco. Then, we reach the important archaeological site of Pietrabbondante and the village, perched among big rocks. During the stretch from Pietrabbondante to the farmhouse we’ll meet the great UNESCO reserve of Collemuccio.
Technical Information
Duration: 7.5 hours (rest-times not included).
Length of the trek: 26 km (16.2 mi)
Elevation gain: +1100 m (+3608 ft)
Elevation loss: -865 m (-2837 ft)
Difficulty: challenging.
Day 6
After breakfast, we start the hike from Piano San Mauro (Vastogirardi) to Taverna del Sangro (San Pietro Avellana).
Packed lunch.
At the end of the day, we transfer by motorized vehicle from Taverna del Sangro (San Pietro Avellana) to Isernia for the rest.
Dinner at restaurant.
Night in ‘albergo diffuso’ (restored house for tourism), in twin rooms with private bathroom. If needed, in bed-and-breakfast, in twin rooms with private bathroom.
Once we pass again through the Trigno river, we cross Piano San Mauro and we go up to Colle Riposi (1098 m (3602 ft) a.s.l.). The view of the Mainarde mountains, the village of Carovilli, and the Molise pentro is wonderful. First, we go along Colle Taverna (1009 m (3310 ft) a.s.l.) and then Monte Pizzi (1373 m (4504 ft) a.s.l.), a beautiful mountain with small stone peaks. After passing through the small community of Cerreto (Vastogirardi), we walk in the woods of Monte di Mezzo, another UNESCO reserve. It is impressive what remains of the said area called re Fajone (a centuries-old beech tree no longer alive). Beyond the reserve, we reach the Santilli furnace (an example of industrial archaeology) and then we arrive in San Pietro Avellana. From the village, we go down until the Sangro river, where the Taverna is situated.
Technical Information
Duration: 6.5 hours (rest-times not included).
Length of the trek: 22.5 km (14 mi)
Elevation gain: +580 m (+1902 ft)
Elevation loss: -535 m (-1755 ft)
Difficulty: medium.
Day 7
Time to say goodbye and go back.
After breakfast, we visit Isernia and the important archaeological area of the paleolithic, La Pineta Site of Isernia, dating back to 700,000 years ago.
Afterwards, we transfer to the railway or bus station.
For groups of 8 to 14 people. Extra charge for small group until to 4 people.
| Start | Finish | Availability |
| 05/10/24 | 11/10/24 | Available |
What’s included
What’s not included
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.
