Overview
The Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, established in 1922, is the oldest national park in Italy. Covering 50,000 hectares in the heart of the Apennines, it boasts a very varied landscape, with mountain ranges, karst areas, gorges, forests, rivers and streams.
In its most remote valleys, you can admire pristine nature and extraordinary biodiversity. It is home to Marsican brown bears, Italian wolves, golden eagle, chamois and deer. In Villavallelonga you can visit the Bear Museum, with a nature trail that allows visitors to observe a bear in semi-freedom.
The ancient beech forests, with trees over 500 years old, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the park you can go trekking, horse riding, bird watching, mountain biking, and downhill or cross-country skiing. The network of hiking trails includes over 150 paths totalling 750 kilometres.
Don’t miss the small villages dotted around the park, including Opi, Pescasseroli and Civitella Alfedena near Lake Barrea, which is overlooked by the village of the same name perched on a rocky spur 1,066 metres above sea level. We also recommend visiting Scanno, also known as the City of Photographers, having charmed photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson with its breath-taking panoramas.
