Italy
The Hidden Medieval Villages of Abruzzo
Program No. 23847RJ
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The Hidden Medieval Villages of Abruzzo
The Hidden Medieval Villages of Abruzzo
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Participant Reviews
Based on 14 Reviews
SHOWING
I thought I would never find anywhere in Italy that I loved as much as Tuscany -but I was wrong. I fell in love with Abruzzo on this trip! It is a magical region with gorgeous medieval villages, majestic churches and soaring mountains ranges.
Our group leader Kharen was a wealth of information about all of the amazing villages we visited- besides being a warm, kind and wonderful person.
Staying in Sulmona was delightful. It was so convenient to walk through the town, experiencing the passeggiata
and life in a small Italian town.
I met delightful fellow travelers who were so very welcoming of me as a solo traveler.
Finally traveling in late October offered great weather and no crowds.
I have fond memories of this trip that will last a lifetime, not the least of which include all the warm and interesting people I truly enjoyed meeting, traveling with and learning with.
Linda
— Review left December 30, 2025
This was a fantastic trip! Our trip leader, Kharen, was incredibly warm, kind, and incredibly knowledgeable about Abruzzo - history, culture, food, and the Abruzzo people! She was able to translate stories shared with us by local people we encountered along the way in an engaging and seamless way. The landscape is indescribable, the locally produced food and wine is delicious, the villages and towns go back centuries, and the local people are passionate and proud of their Abruzzo! Forte e gentile - Strong and Kind!
— Review left October 31, 2025
We just got home from our extraordinary successful tour of the medieval villages of Abruzzo Italy. Hats off to our amazing tour leader Alessandra who went above and beyond to ensure that we all had a memorable experience. Salut !
Chris & Margaret
— Review left October 30, 2025
A delighful program!! Would recommend to anyone who may not have explored this region in previous trips to Italy.
— Review left October 26, 2025
The Abruzzo region of Italy is a beautiful and less visited area. With it's mountains, lakes, cobblestones and quaint villages, it seems to be the quintessential representation of how most of us think of Italy. The local wine is wonderful and our group leader, Allessandra, was amazing.
— Review left October 24, 2025
This was an amazing trip - one that explored a part of Italy that I knew nothing about-
Our tour leader Camilla was energetic and inspiring. She is studying language in college and had to step in a couple of times to translate when we got guides that could not speak English- she was amazing at doing that-
I loved all of the villages that we visited. On one day we had lunch on a pier that overlooked the Adriatic Sea. I was amazed at how beautiful the deep greenish blue sea was. My thought was that maybe Road Scholar could include a village tour that had a view of this amazing sea instead of all hilltop villages with views of valleys and mountains.
In the small town of Sulmona we stayed in a boutique style hotel that was super clean and the staff was friendly and supportive. The room I had was really large and had a large bathroom and king size bed which is unusual for a solo traveler in Europe.
I wanted a trip that didn't encounter so many crowds and this was the perfect trip for that. Sulmona was a small town and besides our hotel I only saw a bed and breakfast- The main square of the town seemed to be only locals speaking Italian. I saw very few other tourists outside of the hotel and never encountered any crowds in the town.
I feel this is the type of trip that I could never have done on my own and I appreciate Road Scholar for putting this together.
— Review left October 23, 2025
The Hidden Medieval Villages of Abruzzo was fantastic. Very informative and enjoyable, Highly recommend.
— Review left October 18, 2025
The medieval villages of Abruzzo trip was so stunningly beautiful, historical, and informative, I think I will have to sign up again! I have been to Italy several times, but this region was the most moving and impactful. Absolutely loved it.
— Review left September 25, 2025
This trip was well-organized. Our leader Luisa DeFabritiis was very knowledgeable, flexible, kind and helpful. She went out of her way to find a Sulmona wine shop that would ship wine to the US, providing me with one of the pleasant experiences of the trip. Luisa lives within Abruzzo and provided many insights into that area. She very kindly went out of her way to help me find a wine purveyor who would mail to the US and to help complete my order.
— Review left July 14, 2025
This program fulfilled my desire to learn more about the region of my ancestors, including its history and culture. Many Americans trace their heritage to Abruzzo and it enabled me to better understand the effects of earthquakes and immigration. I highly recommend it!
— Review left May 28, 2025
My husband and I just returned from this new Road Scholar adventure into "small Italy" which we very much appreciated. While seeing the major Italian cities is almost a must, in our opinion, it is small Italy in regions such as Abruzzo and Marche, are where you experience genuine Italy. Our trip was only the second time this trip has been offered, and it will only improve with focused refinements, however visiting the mountain villages of Abruzzo was truly spectacular. We particularly appreciated having Sulmona as our home base the entire time we were in Abruzzo which meant we didn't have to pack up every 2-3 days. Trip to the Adriatic coast was a particular highlight with exceptional seafood lunch. Since L'Aquina is so close, it would be great to fit in a day trip there but all of the Abruzzi towns and villages we visited were true gems. Would love to see more RS trips to small Italy where we can discover the hidden gems that most Americans have never heard of -- perhaps Le Marche, Molise, Basilicata?
— Review left May 19, 2025
Having been to Popoli a couple of times previously, we wanted to learn more about the Abruzzo region. I was delighted with the variety of experiences offered and the opportunity given to add a couple of spontaneous adventures. It was also enlightening that several of the other participants, like my husband, had personal ancestral connections to Abruzzo.
Francecsa was an attentive leader, justifiably concerned with our bathroom breaks and tricky passages (cobbles, stairs). She made herself available both mornings and evenings and was able to spontaneously adjust our activities because of time, interest, and surprise availability of events. We watched the Good Friday parade in Sulmona on our first night (not specifically included), attended a delightful puppet show on our second night (optional), and found a restaurant to accommodate us all to avoid a rainstorm. She was unable to set us up on What's App, though she tried.
I believe that this trip was the first offered by RS of Abruzzo. As such, some of the guides seemed new to the experience, not sure how to manage an unwieldy group, and the timing of activities needed some adjustment. The first lecture (Celestine) seemed to have little direction or focus. I may be too Tedesco for the non-linear thinking of most Italians. But the field trip portion good. I was most disappointed in the farm and lace making experiences. The farm had several guides who spoke English very well, but they were not the people who actually did the farm work. Hence, the speakers seemed to wing-it, not having the specific experience or particular vocabulary to dial in the lesson. Perhaps the actual workers were not versed in how to teach a lesson. Perhaps we were divided into too many groups with such an abundance of English speakers that we asked too many questions without following a lesson first. The farm tour and the baking (few participants) lasted too long, and we missed the music portion of the outing. The guide in t
— Review left May 14, 2025
While I have traveled to Abruzzo 3 times, I never realized how much of the history, culture and cuisine I had missed. I knew Road Scholar would more than round out my previous experiences and they did not disappoint. This part of Italy is unknown to many travelers. They have no idea what they are missing and how Road Scholar can open their eyes to its charms.
— Review left May 8, 2025
This is a fine introduction to a lesser-known region of Italy, featuring interesting culture and history, great natural beauty, and wonderful locally produced food!
— Review left April 26, 2025