11:00 am – We will meet you this morning out the front of Bettoja Atlantico Hotel on Via Cavour in Rome (walking distance from Termini Train Station). Look for the Italian Provincial Tours sign which we will be holding up.

We will leave Rome together and make our way through Lazio and into the region of Abruzzo. Be ready to see some spectacular scenery along the way as this is Italy’s most beautiful stretch of freeway.

Around 1pm

We will reach a unique winery who’s owner risks everything each year in his quest to produce exquisite organic wines, just the way nature intended. We will walk through the vineyards while the resident Bulldog follows behind and our host explains why this microclimate is so particular.

Lunch today will be paired with informative tastings of the winery’s range of wines.

Around 5 pm 

We reach Loreto Aprutino, the gorgeous hilltop village that Marco and Katri call home. At the top of the hill we disembark our van and you can settle into your spacious room inside a restored castle turned 4 star hotel.

Tonight you can do as you please.. discover the narrow alleys of Loreto Aprutino, perhaps have an aperitivo with the locals in the piazza.  Marco and Katri will recommend a local restaurant or two.

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Just outside of the village, we will visit our friend Alessio and his family, who produce pasta, tomato passata (sauce), olive oil, jams, and other items. Alessio will take us to see how they grow various fruits and vegetables and we will enjoy learning how to make traditional tomato passata. Talk about paddock to plate!

Afterwards, we will sit down with the family for a traditional lunch.

After a rest back at the castle, we will make our way the hilltop village of Bucchianico for this evening, where we will spend time with the locals and take in the sights of the two pillars of Abruzzo, The Majella Mountain and the Gran Sasso Mountain. 

We will meet with Francesca, a producer of fine extra virgin olive oil.  In her private ancient frantoio, (olive oil mill) which has been in her family for generations, she will teach us all about extra virgin olive oil, with tastings.

A little way down the narrow lane and around the corner, we will descend the stairs into an ancient cellar which has been turned into an enoteca (wine bar).  Here, we will enjoy a fun wine tasting with the enoteca’s own charismatic host, and a bountiful, grazing-style dinner. 

We will return to our accommodation late this evening.

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Enjoy this morning at your own pace. It’s market day in Loreto Aprutino so you might like to mingle with the locals and take in some of the theatrics. We recommend having lunch in the piazza while enjoying some people watching and perhaps trying out your Italian.  Not to be missed are the porchetta panini, an Abruzzese street food (don’t worry, Marco and Katri will tell you where to go).

This afternoon, we hit the coast of Abruzzo. With the glittering Adriatic Sea on our left, rolling hills lined with olive groves and vineyards and the Majella Mountain on our right, the drive is simply stunning! We will visit the Abby of San Giovanni in Venere, perched up high overlooking the Adriatic Sea and see the oldest olive tree in Abruzzo.

We will travel along the 15 km of pebbled coastline, known as the Costa dei Trabocchi (Trabocchi Coast). All along the coastline are the traditional fishing houses which sit out over the water, called Trabocchi. Most are over 130 years old and they are unique to Abruzzo.

Dinner this evening will be a truly unique experience. We will enjoy a leisurely (Italian style) dinner on our favourite Trabocco restaurant and enjoy a seafood feast on the trabocco itself, surrounded by water.

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Around 9:30 am we will board the van out the front of our accommodation.

This morning we will visit a family owned and run cheese producer near the outskirts of Pescara.  We will learn about the difference between Italy’s main cheeses, and we will each learn to make our own mozzarella ball!  We will enjoy a cheese tasting afterwards, before heading to a near-by agriturismo for lunch.

This afternoon will be spent back in Loreto Aprutino.  We will have a guided tour of Abruzzo’s most extensive collection of Castelli Ceramics, which provide us with stories of the past.  Then, we will visit the town’s ancient frantoio (olive oil mill) with a distinct gothic facade.

Dinner this evening is your choice.  You may like to dine at the Castle’s fine dining restaurant of perhaps take a stroll to visit our neighbour’s birroteca (brewery) in the historical centre and enjoy a drink and a light antipasto-style dinner.

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9:00 am Board the van out the front of our accommodation along with your luggage.

Today, we say goodbye to the foothills of Abruzzo, and head inland, to the town of Sulmona.

In Piazza Garibaldi, overlooked by mountains, we will enjoy the theatrics of the farmer’s market and check out the local produce, such the renowned platted garlic, called Aglio Rosso di Sulmona.

Enjoy time to wander through the main streets of Sulmona. You could try the Pelini Confetti (sugared almonds which feature at Royal weddings) check out the honey store, or refill your water bottle with the fresh mountain water from the renaissance fountain, supplied by the medieval aqueduct.

At 12:30 pm we will drive to Pacentro for lunch at a Michelin recommended restaurant overlooking the valley.  Afterwards we will visit a tiny house which has remained the same as how people used to live in these villages centuries ago and wander around the Castello Castle.

After lunch we will say goodbye to amazing Abruzzo and head back to Rome near Termini Train Station around 6pm.