Santo Stefano di Sessanio

A beautiful hilltop village in Abruzzo, semi-abandoned like many other rural villages in L'Aquila. A devastating earthquake in 2009 left its mark in the region — many towns are still in a state of repair today. Nearby is the Rocca Calascio, the highest fortress in the Apennines.

Stay

Albergo Diffuso Sextantio Santo Stefano di Sessanio

A hotel with rooms scattered all over town in old buildings where residents once lived. The integrity of the place has been painstakingly retained; from restoring using only historic methods of building to furnishing with traditional wool mattresses and blankets loom-woven by local artisans.

Trabocchi Coast

Along a stretch of coast on the Adriatic Sea are remnants of the trabocchi, old fishing platforms propped precariously on stilts over the water. Today they house restaurants serving fixed course menus of fresh seafood and local wine.