Roccaraso – Ski Resort, Hiking and Culture

If you are looking for a hotel in Roccaraso, first consider the main focus of your stay. Winter sports, a mountain hike and historic sites of remembrance offer different ways to experience the town. Details about the ski area, the circular hiking route, and the churches and memorials can help you choose the themes that best suit your trip.

Winter sports: three ski areas and two disciplines

Roccaraso’s ski area comprises three ski areas: Aremogna, Monte Pratello and Monte Pizzalto. In total, it has 58 pistes with a combined length of almost 147 kilometres, as well as 38 ski lifts. In addition, there are 60 kilometres of cross-country trails for Nordic skiing. Pistes and trails offer two different ways to plan your winter sports: on one hand, there are alpine downhill runs and their associated lifts; on the other, there is a separate network of trails for Nordic skiing. So if you are planning your trip mainly around winter sports, deciding between alpine skiing and cross-country skiing is a sensible place to start.

Circular hike and seasonal conditions

The Monti Pizzi–Pietra Cernaia circular hike begins in Pietransieri, a hamlet of Roccaraso. Pietra Cernaia, along the route, is at an altitude of 1,785 metres. Trail conditions can vary by season, so take this into account when planning your hike. If you would like to include a mountain hike as well as the winter sports facilities in your trip, you can make this circular route a focus of its own.

High ropes courses in the pine forest

Another outdoor option is Parco Avventura di Roccaraso in the hamlet of Ombrellone. Set in a pine forest, the park has five high ropes courses. The park’s opening hours vary by season; check the hours for your travel dates before visiting. This will help you take the seasonal conditions of this activity into account when planning your outing.

Churches and memorial sites

Chiesa di San Rocco holds a special place in Roccaraso’s history: it is the only building in Roccaraso to have survived the last war. It was built in 1656 as a votive offering by residents who had survived the plague. The church thus brings together two distinct associations with remembrance: surviving the war and the votive offering made after the plague.

Sacrario Monte Zurrone is dedicated to the 145,000 fallen soldiers across all the theatres of the Second World War who could not be given a dignified grave, a memorial plaque or a cross. The Giornata del Ricordo is held on Monte Zurrone every year on the last Sunday in June. If this event is important to your trip, check the date in advance.

Other churches also offer specific cultural points of interest. Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta houses an original silver statue of Saint Hippolytus, the patron saint of Roccaraso. Chiesa di San Bernardino was built in 1851. In Pietransieri, Chiesa di San Bartolomeo dates from the 18th century. The three churches each offer a different point of interest: a statue of the patron saint, a specific year of construction and a date within a century. When planning your trip, you can choose which of these historical themes interests you most.

Discover more destinations: Castel Del Monte, Roccacasale, Sassa, Camarda, Cappadocia, Massa D'albe, Casentino, Capestrano

For the broader travel overview: L-Aquila.