PESCARA - The path along the Lama Bianca beech forest in the Majella National Park, the Abetina di Cortino in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, the Val d'Arano ring near Ovindoli in the Sirente Velino Regional Natural Park, the beech woods of Camporotondo and Macchiarvana in the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise: these are just some of the places to visit in Abruzzo if you are a lover of "foliage", the practice so called by Westerners and which for the Japanese is 'momijigari', literally "hunt for autumn colors".
The most suggestive itineraries are indicated by the website www.abruzzoturismo.it of the Department of Economic Development - Tourism of the Region which recalls how Abruzzo offers many possibilities, in autumn, to visit unique woods for their age and biodiversity in the Parks and Nature Reserves.
Among the autumn excursion destinations, the site also suggests the many chestnut groves: they are located near Valle Castellana (Teramo), Crognaleto (Teramo), Cagnano Amiterno, Montereale, Ocre, Sante Marie (where the cycle tourism of the Chestnut with three routes), Carsoli, Tagliacozzo (L'Aquila).
In particular, in Morrice di Valle Castellana there is one of the largest chestnut trees in Italy, "il Piantone di Nardò", 17 meters in circumference and an estimated age of around 500 years.
Small chestnut groves can also be discovered in the Piano delle Castagne, a hamlet of Roccamorice (Pescara).
And on the weekends 17-18 and 24-25 October, the 2020 edition of Fai d'Autunno Days (Fondo Ambiente Italia) will guide the discovery of the treasures of Abruzzo.
Fifteen localities involved: 7 in the province of L'Aquila, 6 in that of Chieti, one each in the provinces of Pescara and Teramo, for a total of 31 events including artistic and cultural initiatives linked to regional characters and historical events.
Among the events mentioned by the abruzzoturismo.it site: the walks in the ancient beech woods of Val Cervara in Villavallelonga (L'Aquila) and of Selva Moricento in Lecce dei Marsi (L'Aquila), two of the five centuries-old beech woods in Abruzzo recognized as Unesco world heritage;
the archaeological walk along the Amplero Valley in Collelongo (L'Aquila);
excursions to the smooth stones of Pennadomo (Chieti);
the rock mills along the Valle del Foro in Pretoro (Chieti), D'Annunzio's places in San Vito Chietino (Chieti).
In Lettomanoppello (Pescara) you can discover the tholos, the paths of the former mines, the story of the stonecutters who work the white stone of the Majella.
In the Teramo area, in Atri you can admire the Cathedral and the Calanchi Regional Reserve.
