The wonderful cities of Abruzzo have the power of enchanting visitors with their history, their culture and their traditions…

Moreover, tourists remain speechless in front of the wonderful landscapes and the enchanting sceneries of the Apennines.

This explains the birth of the National Park of “Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga” in 1991.

It is the third biggest park in Italy in terms of territorial extension.
The name clearly suggests that the park is situated on a territory that is mostly mountainous and that includes in fact the Gran Sasso massif and the mountain range of Monti della Laga.

The park extends over a surface of 141341 hectares and is divided into 11 districts, each of which is characterized by a “central theme”. For example, there is the district that includes waterfalls and woods, that of the “Grand Abbeys”, that of the “High Summits”, that of the “Springs of the Tronto” and that of the “Lands of the Barony”, which includes several peculiar towns, including Santo Stefano di Sessanio, which belongs to “I Borghi più belli d’Italia” (a club of the most beautiful towns in Italy).

In short, you will have the opportunity to admire veritable treasures of art, culture, archaeology and you will also appreciate biodiversity and unspoiled nature. Mountains, hills, pastures and cultivated valleys will make you feel a sense of total harmony with nature, whose beauty will leave you speechless.

During your strolls, you can observe firs, birches, gentians, junipers, hollies, edelweiss, primroses and many other vegetal species.
If you love the fauna, you can admire many species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians…
The park offers also several trails that you can follow on foot or by bike (if you want the experience to be even more exciting and dynamic).
The experience arouses profound emotions in a picturesque, surreal environment. The sunlight creates suggestive light effects and reflects off the surface of the watercourses, which suddenly fall into nothingness, towards the underlying valleys, creating magnificent waterfalls.

So, we strongly recommend visiting this fantastic park and enjoying a unique, out-of-the-ordinary experience to discover the territory of L’Aquila, in Abruzzo.
We would be happy to welcome you to Sextantio, our suggestive hotel in Santo Stefano di Sessanio, where you can continue to feel deep emotions in a medieval atmosphere!