Things to do in the summer

Discover the Tirino river

Text taken from "PANORAMI", Numero II, AUTUNMO 2005 :
"The Tirino river, which runs from Capo D'aqua and Capestrano to Bussi was defined as the cleanest river in Europe. The name Tirino comes from the Greek word meaning "Three sources" or "River with three heads". Originaly there were three sources, Capo d'Aqua, Presciano, which gushes at the southern side of the Gran Sasso and the lake of Capestrano. The Park Body intends to finance a series of projects for this river. THese projects will give life back to the natural and social context of the Valley. One of the first things to be done is the improvement of the riverside, which is currently in bad condition. Bicycle and pedestrian routes will be created. These will permit us to enjoy the Tirino in all of its forms and permit us to live the fluvial reality as the people of the vallye used to do up until som decades ago. It could be the beginning of a renewal which could shake those who hope to invest their professional resources in tourism, in particular, the local young people. This could be the only way of creating occupation and riches in the future."

Canoeing or mountain biking (photo taken from www.ilbosso.com)
Today thanks to www.ilbosso.com, it is possible to take a canoe trip or hire mountain bikes to discover the river that is pratically hidden from view from the road-side. We took some mountain bikes and rode along the rugged paths, sighting the river from time to time.



Swiming in the Tirino valley (we swam here!)
After an hour or two we discovered some areas where it is even possible to swim in the river. Although the water is only 10°, a little motivation from our English friend Daniel and we were all enjoying the Fresh water. One of the places where the river can be accessed is near to the St Martino swimming pool and restaurant, although this is obviously not the most excluded part!




Climb up the mountain for Rosticinni

It is actually possible to walk up to the Campo Imperatore from Castel Del Monte. We walked up there in two hours - enough to get an appetite for kebab sticks before running back down the hill again.



Cycle down to Capo d'Aqua and up to Capestrano

Take the beautiful new cycle path down to Capo d'Aqua and you will pass by some interesting ruins on the way... perhaps the original village of Aufinium ? The climb up to Capestrano will probably get you walking, but the Irish pub, the ice-cream parlour and the restaurant are good motivators.