legendary trail detailed program

Legendary Trails - Italy – Abruzzo
It goes without saying that this is one of most remarkable areas of Italy. You will
spend 3 days in the dramatic hills and high plains of the region. You will not only
see ancient, medieval fortifications and towns here but also run nearby trails
including those within Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park and the high
plain of Campo Imperatore.
For Legendary Trails Abruzzo you will visit 3 historic towns - Castel Del Monte,
Santo Stefano, Calascio. and visit this amazing area while enjoying confortable
lodging and authentic local cuisine after having the opportunity to explore trails
and each day before arriving to a new town to explore ancient back alleys and
steps, cobblestone streets, bistros and cafes.
Day 1/Arrival Day/Tuesday, September 15
Arrival to Abruzzi/ Santo Stefano di Sessanio,
Picking athletes Fiumicino airport and transfer to Santo Stefano di Sessanio,
transfer - 3 hours - reception and off to check into accommodations.
Day 2 - Wednesday, September 16
breakfast
bus to Calascio
training 10 km trail run in the National Park of Gran Sasso
small refreshment
visit to the Castle and Calascio
free time
traditional dinner and local cuisine
Day 3 - Thursday, September 17
breakfast
bus to Castel Del Monte
10-15 km trail run in Little Tibet - Campo Imperatore.
small refreshment
free time
visit the village and the museum of traditions
traditional dinner
end day in Castel Del Monte. explore town and lodge here.
Day 4 - Friday, September 18
breakfast
Santo Stefano di Sessanio
workout trail 6 km
small refreshment
early afternoon departure to Amalfi Coast
Towns
Santo Stefano
Along with its neighbor Castel del Monte, Santo Stefano has been named one of
Italy's prettiest villages, "I Borghi Piu belli D’Italia", and recognized by the Slow
Food movement for its sustainable agriculture, in particular its gourmet lentils,
"lenticchie".
Castel Del Monte
There has been very was little new construction in Castel del Monte within the
past 100 years. As a result, most structures in Castel del Monte are several
centuries old, and many are little changed from the Middle Ages or Renaissance.
The creation of Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga in 1993,
which Castel del Monte lies entirely within, assures that the land surrounding the
town will remain forever wild, thus preserving Castel del Monte in a near pristine
state.
Highlights
Rocca Calascio is a mountaintop fortress or rocca in the Province of L'Aquila in
Abruzzo, Italy.
At an elevation of 1,460 metres (4,790 ft), Rocca Calascio is the highest fortress
in the Apennines. Built of stone and masonry exclusively for military purposes
and intended only to accommodate troops and never as residence for nobles, the
fortress overlooks the Plain of Navelli at one of the highest points in the ancient
Barony of Carapelle. Just below Rocca Calascio sits the beautiful mountain
octagonal church Santa Maria della Pietà built in the seventeenth century.
Santa Maria della Pietà and Rocca Calascio.
Santa Maria della Pietà
Construction of the fortress started in the tenth century as a single watchtower. A
walled courtyard with four cylindrical towers at the corners around a taller inner
tower was added in the thirteenth century. The lower half of the fortress is built
with distinctively larger stones than its upper half. It is believed that this feature
was to make its base impenetrable to invaders. The fortress was never tested in
battle. Rocca Calascio lies within the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National
Park and alongside the high plain of Campo Imperatore.
Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
The park is one of the largest protected areas in Europe, the showpiece being
the massif of Gran Sasso, which dominates the surrounding landscape; it rises
vertically on the immense pastures of Campo Imperatore. On the east side, from
Teramo, there is the majestic "Paretone" which is a part of the central Adriatic
landscape. It is the kingdom of perennial snow, rocks and wind.
Campo Imperatore is a mountain grassland or alpine meadow formed by a high
basin shaped plateau located in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of
Italy in the Gran Sasso massif. It is the largest plateau of the Apennine ridge.
Known as Italy's "Little Tibet", it is located in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga
National Park.
Campo Imperatore has been popular with filmmakers. The location has been
used in more than twenty films, among them The American, The Name of the
Rose, Krull, Ladyhawke,
Gran Sasso - Mountain
Gran Sasso d'Italia is a mountain located in the Abruzzo region of central Italy.
The Gran Sasso forms the centrepiece of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga
National Park which was established in 1993 and holds the highest mountains in
continental Italy south of the Alps and is part of the Apennines, the mountain
range that runs the entire length of the Italian Peninsula.