Abruzzo: The National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio & Molise

Arrive on your own from late afternoon or include transfer from Isernia station at 19.45. Welcome drink and dinner with the guides. Dinner and overnight stay in the farm.

Free morning. Meeting with the guides before lunch to give some information about the route and a brief demonstration of how to saddle and prepare the horses. After lunch, a three-hour walk for the riders to get to know their horses. Dinner and overnight stay at the farm.

Breakfast and departure at around ten o'clock. After a thick wood we cross many fields where we can gallop. Picnic lunch in an idyllic place. After lunch we pass by the remains of a small Samnite temple. The Samnites were the original population of Molise. The Romans fought a 300 year war before assimilating them into their empire in 79 BC. Following the route we arrive at a high ground where it is possible to admire the Majella massif. From there we descend towards Montedimezzo, the ancient hunting reserve of the Bourbons and the nobles of Naples.
Today the forest, which is part of the UNESCO MAB (Man and Biosphere) project, is managed by the forestry department of the Carabinieri. In the world there are 254 sites that are part of the project, 4 in Italy and two in our region. This is where the day in the saddle ends, we stop for a drink at the kiosk while the horses are loaded onto a truck to reach Pietransieri. We'll reach them by vehicle. Dinner at the stables where the horses will be stabled and overnight stay in a nearby hotel.

Today's destination is Pescostanzo. The route crosses high mountains from where the hills of Alto Molise can be seen in the distance. At the highest point we reach the Pietra Cernaia, a rock spire with a small spring at its base. From this observatory we can admire the Majella mountain, the large valley below and our town Pescocostanzo which lies on the side of the hill at an altitude of 1,250 above sea level behind the majestic valley that we will cross at a gallop until we reach the stables where we will leave the horses. After our long day, we deserve a nice drink that we will have in the picturesque town square.
Pescostanzo is an ancient medieval village well preserved and today dedicated to tourism, part of the
of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia". Time at disposal for a walk. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight stay in a small hotel in the center.

Majella National Park (75,000 hectares) is one of the largest in the nation. It is part of the Pan Parks network under the protection of the WWF. Today we will travel through the valleys around the mountain that rises in front of the town and reach a remote valley below the Majella massif where we will stop for a picnic lunch. After lunch we continue around the mountain and up the Forchetta pass we descend into the large valley of Palena where we'll do many kilometers of galloping before reaching the stables and settling the horses. Dinner in another typical restaurant and overnight stay in the hotel.

Today will be a busy day. First we return to Roccaraso, which is the center of the largest ski complex south of the Alps. We cross the plateau skirting the town of Rivisondoli and once up on the pass we enter the huge valley called Altopiano delle 5 miglia.
Without crossing it we follow the edge and start to climb the mountain always having in view this incredible view of the valley. Once we get to the top we enter another valley at an altitude of 1.600 meters called Aremogna that stretches under majestic mountains with the descent facilities. Also this valley we cross at a gallop until we reach the end where we stop to have our picnic on the meadow with the view of the valley in front of us.
After lunch we follow a path through the woods that slowly takes us to the other side of the mountain. At the exit of the woods opens up in front of us an impressive view of the mountains of Abruzzo and Molise part of the park up to the Matese and down the valley of Alfedena which is our destination. From here we must descend the mountain. At one point the riders have to do a piece of the route on foot. The road is quite rocky and downhill until the village of Scontrone. We ride up a little more until we reach the valley below Alfedena where we will spend the night. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.

Last day in the saddle. We will pass through the town of Alfedena and follow the road that leads to the Lago della Montagna Spaccata (Lake of the Split Mountain) from where we will begin to climb through the woods until we reach the plateau of Valle Fiorita where we will stop for a picnic to admire the Mainarde mountains. After lunch return to Alfedena. Dinner with pizza and overnight stay in the hotel.

After breakfast, departure on your own or transfer at 8.30 a.m. to the train station of Isernia (Euro 25,00 to be paid on the spot).