Gran Sasso Trail: a 3-day trek through Campo Imperatore, Rocca Calascio, and the villages of Abruzzo

A three-day loop in the Gran Sasso national park.

Day 1. From Fonte Cerreto we climb with the Guidders to Campo Imperatore and cross its vast plateaus, by way of the Scoppaturo canyon, to Castel del Monte.
Day 2. From Castel del Monte to Barisciano, with Rocca Calascio and Santo Stefano di Sessanio along the way: two villages that look centuries still.
Day 3. From Barisciano we close the loop back to Fonte Cerreto, through beech woods and panoramic ridges.

We walk mountain paths and mule tracks, across high grassland and landscapes that change with every day.

5 reasons to come
- the plateaus of Campo Imperatore, vast and empty
- Rocca Calascio, one of the most photographed fortresses in Italy
- Santo Stefano di Sessanio, a village outside time
- the Scoppaturo canyon
- three days of real walking, with villages as staging posts

Who it suits
A hut-to-village trek with height gain spread over three days: good fitness is needed, but nothing technical.

You understand the Gran Sasso by walking it: set off with the Guidders.