The heart of the historic park, land of Marsican bears and chamois
Founded in 1922, the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise is one of the oldest national parks in Italy and one of the most important in Europe for the protection of wildlife. Its symbol is the Marsican brown bear, a subspecies found only in the central Apennines, of which a small population of about fifty to sixty individuals survives, together with the Apennine chamois, saved from extinction thanks to the park, the Apennine wolf, the red deer and the golden eagle. Its mountains are covered with vast beech forests, some of which, the ancient beech forests of the park, have been part of a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2017.
The capital of the park is Pescasseroli, a mountain village in the upper valley of the Sangro, birthplace of the philosopher Benedetto Croce, born here in 1866. Here is the main visitor centre of the park, with a museum and a small wildlife area where you can see some animals that cannot live in the wild, such as bears and wolves rescued after accidents. From Pescasseroli and the nearby villages, many marked trails lead into the park, such as those of the Val Fondillo and the Camosciara, with waterfalls, woods and pastures where, with a bit of luck and patience, you can observe chamois, deer and, more rarely, bears. In winter, Pescasseroli is a ski resort, and in autumn the woods are full of colours and the deer rut echoes through the valleys.
Tip: go with a park guide at dawn or dusk to spot wildlife; respect the rules and never feed the animals.
Where it is
More things to see in Abruzzo
Where to stay near Pescasseroli
Tours and activities nearby
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