The Alps are not the only high mountains in Italy - in Abruzzo, right in the middle of the Italian boot and not far from Rome, that's where the peninsula's highest peak is to be found, belonging to the Apennine Mountains: The iconic Corno Grande, rising no less than 2,912 meters above sea level! Where else in Europe can you find this - the Mediterranean sun, the sea always nearby, a life of culture and pleasure - and mountains that can easily compete with Switzerland's finest?! Abruzzo impresses its visitors with an amazing 21 ski areas. But then, it also has a multitude of sandy beaches and sea resorts - the most famous of which is probably Vasto, which at the same time has great historic value.
Abruzzo is about half as big as Sardinia, and it has a population of 1.3 million, so its population density is well below the national average. It is a mostly rural region - but at the same time it has such a location that no other place within Italy can ever be far - especially not Rome, the capital. Abruzzo used to be poor for many centuries, but within the last decades it has been catching up with enormous speed - now it is seen as the most powerful region of the Italian Mezzogiorno (i.e. the Southern and Central half of the country). The region still has a distinctly agricultural character, but now it is also big in the industry and service sector. In fact, it is the country's region with the fastest growing economy!
L'Aquila (population: 72 thousand) is the region's capital, and it is one of Italy's most impressive medieval towns - so it is very different in character and somehow endowed with a warmer atmosphere than the majority of Italy's cities, which were outlined by the Roman or Renaissance architects. In Abruzzo there are more towns from the middle ages than in any other part of the country.
