Abruzzo

Abruzzo sits between the central Apennines and the Adriatic, a region of sharp contrasts packed into a modest footprint. Roughly two-thirds of it is mountain country, crowned by the Gran Sasso massif, whose Corno Grande is the highest peak in the Apennines, and the Maiella range nearby, a UNESCO Global Geopark riddled with gorges, hermitages, and old shepherd paths. About a third of the entire region is protected land, split among three national parks. The Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise park, one of Italy's oldest, is the best place to sense the region's wilder side, with small stone villages like Pescasseroli, Opi, and Scanno and a real chance of spotting Marsican brown bears or Apennine chamois.

The coast, about 130 kilometers of it, shifts from broad sandy beaches in the north to the Costa dei Trabocchi farther south, named for the spindly wooden fishing platforms still standing over the water. Inland life has long been shaped by transhumance, the seasonal droving of sheep between mountain pastures and lowland plains, which still echoes in local food and festivals.

Settlements stay small and scattered rather than urban, so expect a region of hill towns and mountain villages, best suited to travelers who want hiking, slow food, and quiet over big cities.