What to do
Wild adventure: kayaking in Orta River Canyon
What to see
The Mountain of Majella - the Mountains' Father according to Pliny the Elder, or the ’Mother Mountain’ for the people of Abruzzi - a high, huge, and wild massif, is now part of the world heritage of National Parks. The area of Majella is characterized by a series of high-mountain plains.
There are around 100 limestone caves in Majella inhabited by 16 different species of bats. Some of these are open to the public. The most famous caves are the ’Grotta del Cavallone’ (Big Horse Cave) with hidden rivers and wonderful stalagmites and the ’Grotta del Bue’ (Ox Cave) with prehistoric rock art. Some of the rock carvings in the ’Tavola dei Briganti’ (Bandits’ Table) were done by bandits hiding in the park.
The Orta river, collecting the waters from a wide basin, flows through a large valley between Majella massif from Mt. Morrone and falls in the Sulmona plain through steep and rocky crags.
The interactive multimedia museum ’Museo del Orso Marsicano’ in Paleno explains the life habits of Majella brown bears and the conservation measures taken to save them from the threat of extinction. A hike on the bear path rounds off the visit!
During the Middle Ages, Majella and its surroundings were named ’Domus Christi’ (the House of God) because of the many hermits that made this their retreat. While some hermits re-used cave dwellings, others built hermitages and churches into the rock. Architectural highlights are the 13th century Monastery of Badia Morronese, the 11th century Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the 10th-century Abbey of San Liberatore and the Church of San Tommaso with 13th century frescoes and rose-windows in Caramanico Terme.
What to do
Take your binoculars and watch the sandpipers, the hawk and the stork in Majella’s flooded areas. If you are lucky you can also watch the golden eagle’s spiral courtship flight in spring.
Hike the ’freedom path’ through Majella’s sweeping beech forest or take the ’spirit trail’ to the worship places and pagan sites of the park. 500 km of well marked hiking trails run through Majella national park covering all levels of difficulty. In winter the trails can be walked with snow-shoes. Some trails are also accessible for disabled people.
Immerse yourself in Majella’s nightlife and follow traces of the wolf and the bear under moonlight. Guides can be booked at the park office.
Go underground and explore Majella’s limestone caves. A local guide will explain the geological and archaelogical features to you.
Relax your leg muscles in the sulforous Caramanico Thermes in Pescara.
Participate in one of Majella’s fiestas, like the fiesta of St Antonio Abate in January, when the patron of animals is worshipped and locals parade in animal masks.
Adventure tips
PAN Parks offer a wide variety of wilderness experiences. We collected those adventures that help you best experience PAN Parks wilderness.
From Peak la Majeletta (1995m) you can have an amazing view of the wilderness area of Majella National Park. You can enjoy a panorama of open landscapes at high elevation made of limestone, a real experience of large space. In spring you walk on a carpet of wild flowers on the way. For adventurers there is a shelter to stay overnight.
You can either drive or walk to la Majeletta and then you have the possibility to continue and walk on the ridge and enjoy the view of wilderness on both sides.
You can explore a special canyon with more or less old-growth forests. From the canyon bridges you can look down 10-15m in dazing depths. In 1-2 hours you can have a great walk towards wilderness but if you make the hike longer you can actually reach the wilderness area of the park.
Another trail that takes you to a viewpoint of beautiful wilderness of Majella starts near Campo di Giove. The first part of the route leads through an area with infrastructure, ski lifts but it is worth crossing as then in a still easy walk you can hike up to the ridge and enjoy the sight of immense wilderness.
If you continue towards Monte Porarra and Pass Guado de Coccia you can also enter the wildest section of the park: open landscape at high elevation.
Local partners offering an activity related to Majella adventures - hiking in wilderness:
Il Grande Faggio
Casa del Lupo
Hotel Ede (also biker services)
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