Abruzzo, Italy

Capital City: L'Aquila
Closest Airport: Pescara
Population: 1,305,307
Resort Area: Sulmona - Rocca Pia - Mezzo - Celano - Miranda
Snow Season: December - April
Main Language: Italian
Currency: Euro

If Lazio is the shin of Italy, Abruzzo is the calf, lying half way down the country's east coast and bordering the Adriatic Sea. Because Italy's relatively thin, Abruzzo is still only 100 kms from Rome, though the capital of this region, L'Aquila, is a thriving city in its own right.

Unlike the fairly limited terrain in neighbouring Mediterranean Lazio, Abruzzo has good altitude (Gran Sasso, Italy's highest mountain, is found here), fantastic snowfall and a wealth of skiing and snowboarding options. You'll find 21 resorts dotted around the mountains here giving you a total of nearly 370 kms to play with. Roccaraso is Italy's third biggest ski resort and the most popular in Abruzzo, with 70 trails and a vertical of nearly 700 metres. Nearby Campo Imperatore and Rivisondoli are both higher.