Cycling Tour in Abruzzo and Molise

We recommend arriving the day before and overnight in Santo Stefano di Sessanio to allow you more time to settle in and get ready for the tour. Please let us know and we will book your pre night for you at additional price. 

Fly into Rome airport and reach Avezzano train station in Abruzzo by train (1.5-2-hrs) to meet our 1-hr group transfer in the afternoon to get to your hotel in Santo Stefano di Sessanio.

This morning after breakfast we meet you for bike fitting in the charming Santo Stefano di Sessanio, one of the Borghi piú Belli d'Italia. Take your time to relax and enjoy a walk in the area before lunch. 

On these days ride through the Gran Sasso National Park and reach the Campo Imperatore plateau where you can enjoy the breathtaking views of pastures, roaming animals and the highest peaks of the Apennines.

For sure, over the next few days, we will sample the local Slow Food Presidia of Canestrato cheese of Castel del Monte and the lentils of S.Stefano. Another highlight includes a walk to Rocca Calascio castle ruins, a scenic location of this area used for the films “In the name of the Rose” and “Ladyhawke”

On these two nights you overnight in one of the 160 albergo diffusi ("dispersed hotels") of Italy, featuring a stay that embrace what already exists—designing the future into the past. Albergo diffuso was born In the 1980s, when the marketing consultant Giancarlo Dall’Ara sought to rescue semi-deserted towns in Friuli after an earthquake, constructing a hotel not by demolishing old buildings in order to erect something new, but rather by renovating the existent buildings and  placing hotel services within them. It’s “dispersed" because you may find reception in one building, dining in another, and bedrooms "scattered" in others, all within easy walking distance, all woven into the fabric of the local community.

Today you ride from Gran Sasso National Park to Majella National Park and the town of Caramanico, another of the Borghi piú Belli d'Italia (in English, one of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy).

Relax at your cozy hotel and consider to hit the local hot springs for a soothing and healthy thermal treatment and/or a massage.

Enjoy two other exciting days riding in the Apennines and through the Majella National Park after the long and scenic ascent to San Leonardo Pass. Continue through Pacentro, another of the Borghi piú Belli d'Italia (birthplace of grandparents of the singer Madonna), and then reach Sulmona for a visit & tasting at a pastry shop famous for sugared almond candies.

Our final destination for the next two nights is Pescocostanzo. This is another of the Borghi piú Belli d'Italia where you can relax at the historic hotel located in the center of the town and explore more of Abruzzo. Dinner tonight is in a renowned trattoria that has been operating for more than 30 years and exclusively featuring local recipes with seasonal ingredients

Tomorrow you continue the exploration of the quiet roads of this area with your bicycle and top your day with a visit to a local wrought-iron artisan. Here you can learn more about this traditional job still kept alive by the local passionate Abruzzesi.

It is time to say “ciao” to Abruzzo and enter Molise on another great ride through the Apennines. Today we stop by the town of Pescopennataro (or Capracotta if you take our extra loop) after an invigorating ascent and for lunch on your own. Then we continue to Agnone for a well-deserved rest: Welcome to Molise!

In town feel free to join us for another inspiring visit to meet Pasquale Marinelli, the 26th generation of bell makers since 1339. This is one of the oldest family businesses in Italy and in the world. Dinner tonight features Molisane recipes and for sure a tasting of locally-made cheeses such as scamorza and caciocavallo!

Leave the Apennines and ride through the scenic hills of Molise and Castropignano, another quiet village in the countryside where we savor a meal with 0-km ingredients. Add more miles on another exhilarating extra loop or continue to Campobasso to reach your accommodations located in a renovated noble palace in the historic center

Today you might like to visit the Samnitic museum and/or the local Monforte Castle for a breath-taking view of the countryside around this quaint city. Dinner tonight is on your own and we’ll give you suggestions for another delectable meal in the capital of Molise

Time to leave the capital of Molise and head north east towards the Adriatic Sea. You will surely drop some elevation on these days but the terrain here will still feature more exhilarating climbs and descents to work an appetite!

Our accommodation is in the countryside, in a masseria, a renovated old farm providing lodging and food that we’ll enjoy on one of our meals over the next two nights, in addition to a cooking demo with the local chef. Other highlights include a stop by a renowned olive oil producer for a visit and tasting of their products on a light lunch at the local farm, and a visit to an agriturismo and winery to learn more about the local indigenous grapes and taste their wines over a delectable dinner.  

On these days  you ride through some of the villages of the local Arbëreshë community, as known as the Albanians of Italy, whose ancestors fled from their home country between the 14th and 18th centuries in consequence of the Ottoman invasion in the Balkans

Our last ride of the tour finally takes us to the sea for a well-deserved dip in the Adriatic Sea to celebrate our tour, after a final parade on a bike path and lunch on your own by the sea

Check in at your albergo diffuso right in the historic center and allow some time to take a walk this quaint sea village. Dinner tonight features fish recipes to celebrate our journey from the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea!

In the morning after breakfast join us for one 2-hr private group transfer to Avezzano train station to catch your next connection (Rome train station is 1.5-2-hrs away by direct train) or continue your exploration in the area. Buon viaggio! (Safe travels!)