Regional Features
Photo taken by my friend Simone at Campo Felice
As mentioned in the Introduction to the region, Abruzzo is a popular region for winter sports. Bus companies have started capitalizing on the number of Romans who like to venture out to Abruzzo for a day on the slopes. Read about transportation options here. I have a confession, I have not been skiing in these parts. I am not much of a ski enthusiast myself as I tore my ACL while skiing in college. (I didn’t know that I had torn it during until over 10 years later, but that is another story.) Now that I have had my ACL repaired, I might be brave enough to venture out to the ski areas that many of my friends can vouch for. I will update this post if and/or when (?!) it happens. Thus, for now, I have included the names of ski areas in the region and links to more information about them.
Campo Felice or Ovindoli
Take the GoGoBus from Rome to reach either location.
Ski on the easy, intermediate, and difficult slopes in both locations. Read more on each website (Campo Felice or Ovindoli) for the breakdown of how many runs fall into each category.
Enjoy a Bombardino for your Apres Ski experience. A Bombardino is an eggnog based alcoholic drink that is very popular after a long day of skiing in an Italian context. Try it out to warm yourself up after a long day.
Roccaraso
Roccaraso, as mentioned, is further from Rome. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to drive; however, it is the largest ski area in central Italy. There is also a larger ski village with restaurants, pubs and even spas if you are not interested in hitting the slopes every day or even at all.
Ski on the “more than 150 kilometers of ski slopes and 60 kilometers of cross-country ski trails” according to the Ski Resort website. There are so many options because Roccaraso is also connected to “Rivisondoli, Pescasseroli, Pescocostanzo, Barrea and Castel di Sangro” in the larger ski network of the area.
Eat at Chichibio for a special dining experience. You may have noticed that I recommend quite a few restaurants that make it into the Michelin guide. This does not mean they have been awarded a ‘star’ but it is an acknowledgement of excellence, usually at a lower price point than Michelin starred restaurants. This is the case with Chichibio, and I would definitely like to try.
Relax at a wellness center attached to the accommodation you find. Explore options here. Most places are cozy here, and not defined by ‘luxury’ per se. Still, the price point is there to match and so you should be able to experience some spa time without breaking the bank.