Holidays in Abruzzo, Italy

Dramatic, rugged Abruzzo defies traditional expectations of a holiday in Italy: this is no land of sun-baked, gentle hills and cities of Renaissance palazzi - it is an entirely wilder, more remote region, and all the more beguiling for it. The almost lunar landscape of Gran Sasso, the greatest heights of the Apennines, offers some wonderful walking country - and skiing in winter - and is a unique land full of rare flora and fauna, as is the adjoining, and no less beautiful Majella national park. Below the high mountains, a scattering of hill towns from a bygone age, plus the attractive towns of l'Aquila and Sulmona, and the country slopes from here through rich wine regions (including the prestigious montepulciano d'abruzzo) to a long Adriatic coast of largely empty sandy beaches. There are an increasing number of holidays that allow you to discover the riches of this under-visited region, particularly walking in the hills and mountains, plus a growing number of eco-accommodations - check out some of the best below.