Experience filigree, forests, and the magic of ‘Golden Hour’ in one of Abruzzo’s most beautiful mountain towns.
Events · Nature & Hiking · See & Do
Some places in Abruzzo are worth the drive, and Pescocostanzo is one of them. This mountain village is so well preserved that you can still find working goldsmiths, a favourite cheese shop, handwoven knitwear, and a lace museum, all just a short walk apart. It’s officially one of Italy’s Borghi più Belli, and it truly deserves the title.
We’re heading there on Thursday, 30th April, and the timing couldn’t be better.
The Day
We start the morning the local way, with local pastries, their specialities are made with almonds, buckwheat and local honey.
Then, with Serena as your guide, the morning unfolds beautifully:
Filigree workshops, watch Abruzzo’s goldsmithing tradition at work in studios that have barely changed in centuries
A cheese shop worth travelling for, a favourite of long-standing LiA members, and you’ll understand why the moment you walk in
Museo del Tombolo (optional): the art of bobbin lace is still alive and remarkable. The streets themselves, baroque palazzos, artisan shops, medieval lanes. Pescocostanzo rewards slow walking
Lunch
Before the sacred Roman wood, we eat well, but not too heavily. This is a lunch that’s just right: enough to feel genuinely fed, grounded in local flavour, and ready for the walk ahead.
Roast sausage bruschetta, proper mountain charcuterie, charred and served on good bread (vegetarian option available)
Cazzarielli e fagioli, Pescocostanzo’s own pasta shape, short and hand-rolled, slow-cooked with beans in a way you won’t find anywhere else (naturally vegetarian)
A local beer or wine, because this is Abruzzo, and that’s just how lunch works
Coffee and biscuits to finish
Simple, unhurried, and exactly what the mountain ordered.
After lunch, we head into the Bosco di Sant’Antonio, an ancient beech wood considered sacred since Roman times. In late April, the l, plenty of beautiful young leaves and late Spring flowers.
Easy 2.8km loop on gentle paths, suitable for everyone
A hidden medieval hermitage among the trees
Timed for golden hour, when the mountain sky turns Turneresque
A local guide joins us to share stories of the trees, the history, and the wildlife
Sunset is at 20.00, so you’ll be back on the road well before it gets dark.
Why Go?
You’ll enjoy fresh mountain air, amazing craftsmanship, authentic food, and a forest that has been sacred for two thousand years. This is Abruzzo at its best.
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a freelance SEO content creator and IGCSE Geography and English teacher at Istituto Cristo Re in Rome. She also runs the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, sharing stories and insights about this captivating region. Alongside raising a teenager, Sam hosts guests at her family’s traditional home, the Little House of the Firefly in Abruzzo, offering a warm welcome and insider tips on local culture, food, and hidden gems.
