A low cost trip to Campo Giove for a cool summer and a winter full of snow. We are in Abruzzo and Campo Giove is one of the most sought-after destinations in these parts, find out why.
Campo di Giove it is a little gem nestled in Majella National Park, in Abruzzo. It counts about 800 souls in non-tourist periods, but it crowds in high season, literally tripling its population. It is located in the province of L'Aquila and arriving in the village is simple and pleasant. Whether coming from the north or the south the direction is Sulmona, which is a few kilometers away.
Cool in summer, snowy in winter: Campo di Giove is tourist destination practically all year round. In the month of August every day parties, demonstrations, events, excursions, various markets are organized. In the period of August XNUMXth, in particular, many tourists flock to the streets of the town, coloring it and reviving it with always new and different voices and colors. But it is a tourism that is not hectic, not annoying, not intrusive: perhaps influenced by the calm and peace that this small village manages to convey as soon as you enter it.
Renowned ski resort, even in winter it knows no crisis. A chairlift and four ski lifts go up the slopes of the "Round Table" of the Majella up to a height of 2360 meters. The road that leads to Campo di Giove is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the most beautiful ever crossed. Not crowded, not very wide but wide enough not to create circulation problems, surrounded by tall trees that ensure coolness and allow a glimpse of a breathtaking landscape, green and yellow, of plowed fields with bales of hay waiting to be picked up, dunes, hills and all 'around high mountains rich in vegetation.
Abruzzo is the lung of Italy and this road reminds him every meter traveled. Once in the village and parked the car in the free parking lot near the historic center, the walk is extremely relaxing, both in high and low season. If you want to fully enjoy peace and tranquility, it is best to avoid the month of August; June July and September they are ideal for regenerating away from heat and frenzy. If you prefer to stay calm but not too much, if you don't like the crowd or even solitude, then the right time to visit Campo di Giove is this: August post-August holiday, when most of the tourists leave, but someone stays. to enjoy the atmosphere of the place for a while longer.
It is nice to stop in one of the many bars and shops in the center to relax and taste the typical local products, in particular the Pan of the Bear, A kind of honeyy dry cake and a little spicy typical of all Abruzzo. And for lunch? There are many restaurants where you can sit and eat, the best two: the Asinello restaurant and the “Il Caminetto” restaurant and pizzeria.
In the first you can choose between the various and excellent courses based on fresh fish, in the second pizzas and numerous meat dishes.
In August, however, due to the biological shutdown that prohibits the boats from going out fishing in order to regenerate the marine fauna, the trattoria dell'Asinello remains closed.
Da Il caminetto, always open, courtesy, cleanliness, quality and abundance await you. Booking is highly recommended as the local fame attracts many patrons !! I also suggest ordering one course at a time, especially if you opt for the fireplace appetizer (at least two people eat us, three of us ate and in the end we were so full that we wanted to give up the pasta we had already ordered). The aforementioned appetizer consists of a tray of mixed cold cuts, a tray of dry and fresh cheeses, a trio of soups (chickpeas, pearl barley and sautéed), a tray of "hot" dishes (baked zucchini, stuffed mushrooms, bread ball and potatoes with pork sauce, parmigiana, omelette) and to conclude a tray of fried food (calzoncino with salted anchovies, calzoncino with cooked ham, pumpkin flower in batter, pizzonta with tomato).
At the end of the fair, I almost wanted to give up pasta but by now I had ordered it and I was curious to see what it would be like. I had ordered a dish "alla Nicoletta" made of fresh egg pasta with mushrooms, sausage and saffron, but not being available, I then turned to egg maltagliati with zucchini, fresh sausage and ricotta: good but obviously not too light!
I also nibbled a forkful of spaghetti alla chitarra with meat sauce, they too deserved, especially with the final sprinkle of grated cheese! The house grill and the Tiramisu it seems they are very good, I could no longer get anything else into the stomach and I had to surrender to the extra fullness. And you, will you be able to go beyond the first? I sincerely wish you, I'm sure it will be worth it! Prices? Well, fifteen euros for the mega appetizer and between eight and nine euros for the pasta dishes, I would say that they are more than affordable prices, also taking into account the quantities of each course.
