A small record-breaking territory, that of the Teramo Apennines. A marvelous treasure chest of nature, history, and hospitality still little known and worth discovering and savoring down to the most intimate folds. Not everyone, for example, knows that here nest the highest peaks of the Apennines (the Corno Grande of the Gran Sasso-Monti della Laga), the southernmost glacier in Europe (the Calderone), the most imposing Bourbon Fortress of the Old Continent (that of Civitella del Tronto) and no less than five of the most beautiful art cities in Abruzzo: Campli, Castelli, Atri, Teramo and Civitella del Tronto. To this is added a dense array of archaeological sites, ranging from Neolithic caves to medieval hermitages; very ancient villages full of character; festivals and traditions that have stood the test of time; “natural gyms” (horse trails, rapids for rafting, trekking and mountain biking paths…) for those who love sports and outdoor life; farmhouses with simple and genuine hospitality; absolutely unique food and wine products (from lamb to Marchigiana beef, pecorino cheeses, ventricina, solina soft wheat bread, sweet pizza and bocconotti pastries, the Montepulciano wine of the Teramo Hills…), which have earned the province of Teramo the title of the region’s gourmet den.
From an environmental point of view, one of the most spectacular corners of the Teramo Apennines is located in the Laga and it is the Gole del Salinello, a limestone canyon shaped by the rapids and waterfalls of the stream, overseen from above by the golden eagle, which lives here undisturbed, and by the ruins of Castel Manfrino, a fortress of remote origins, rebuilt first by the Lombards and then by the Swabians, which, halfway up the canyon walls, controlled the ancient communication route. In such a harsh environment, many hermitages began to nest in medieval times, preserved intact over time and forming an integral part of the landscape and territory. At the bottom of the gorges, there is even a trail that requires climbing experience which climbs up to the Hermitage of Santa Maria Scalena; while from Ripe, a hamlet of Civitella del Tronto, there is an easy and pleasant walk leading to a cave, already a place of worship in the Neolithic, which from the Middle Ages onward became the Hermitage of Grotta Sant’Angelo.
But the paths are also very beautiful, which climb Monte Foltrone, the “roof” of the Mountain of Campli and Monte Girella, which marks the summit of the so-called Mountain of Flowers. Although they are lower in height than the Monti della Laga and the Gran Sasso, these peaks definitely deserve a walk: from up there, on clear days, the eye can even catch the coastline and the chain of the Monti Sibillini.
And then there is the horse trail, one of the highlights of the Gran Sasso-Monti della Laga Park. A large loop that runs all around the Gran Sasso massif, enriched by a network of shorter circuits, for a total of about 300 km of trails, which follow those used by farmers to reach the cultivated fields at altitude. The route develops on all three sides of the Park (Teramo, L’Aquila, and Pescara areas) and is served by equipped rest areas for horses and riders. One of these is the Paladini Complex, in the municipality of Crognaleto, equipped with a guesthouse with 50 beds, a restaurant, an information point, and a stable that can accommodate up to ten horses.
