The Europe's green land
Abruzzo is a region of central-southern Italy extended from the Adriatic Sea to the Apennines.
Its territory, mainly mountainous and hilly, is characterized by historic villages with an ancient and valuable artistic heritage, as well as by the naturalistic one. Those who arrive in Abruzzo find the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga Park, the Majella National Park and the Sirente-Velino Regional Natural Park which, overall, constitute a single and a large protected area that allows the region to bear the nickname "Green Region of Europe".
Here, the wolf, the Marsican bear and the golden eagle live protected.
The flora of the park is very interesting and rich: two thousand species of plants have been listed, as well as mushrooms, mosses and lichens. Among the flowers, there are numerous wild orchids, among which the rarest is the Scarpetta di Venere, also called "Pianella della Madonna". There are also irises, gentians, gentians, the latter also mentioned by the great Abruzzese poet Gabriele d'Annunzio, and lilies. Among the rare plants, the black pine and the mountain pine of Villetta Barrea and the birches. In the high mountains there are tourist places where to practice winter sports: Roccaraso, Rivisondoli, Ovindoli, Campo Felice and Passo Lanciano.
In a short time it is possible to reach the coast from the mountains, sandy in the provinces of Teramo and Pescara, which at times becomes rocky and with pebble beaches in the province of Chieti. Here there is a particularly fascinating stretch called "Costa dei trabocchi", characterized by these ancient fishing machines on stilts.