TREK THROUGH “PARCO NAZIONALE DELLA MAJELLA “

This National Park is the eighth so-called Pan Park in Europe. It is protected by WWF. On the tablelands many canters will be made.

Saturday
You are expected to arrive on Saturday evening. After a welcome drink there will be dinner with your host/guide.  A three-course Italian dinner will be served every night, accompanied by local wines.

Sunday
The morning is yours. You may sleep in, take your time over breakfast, do whatever you like. Before lunch there is a safety-briefing. Then we groom and saddle up the horses, followed by a short demonstration in western riding. After lunch the trek starts. We ride through vast forests and meadows. We spend about four hours in the saddle, get to know our horse and get a first glimpse of the terrain and the beautiful, diverse, lonely nature. We and the horses will spend the night in the small town of San Pietro Avellana. There is a restaurant where we can enjoy pasta with fresh truffles from the region.

Monday
In the morning we are brought to the horses and at about 10.30 a.m. the ride will start. We follow the Tratturo Celano-Foggia. A Tratturo is a 2.000 years old track that is still used to move cattle from the far south where grass is scarce in summer. We continue along the Tratturo as far as the river Sangro. Here the Tratturo begins to be very wild and quite overgrown leaving us narrow paths to follow. We arrive in Pietransieri. In Christian’s riding centre the horses get well cared like us! We sleep in a hotel few hundred meter away.

Tuesday
Today’s destination is the small town of Pescocostanzo. The trail takes us through increasingly high mountains. From there we have a good view back to the hills of Molise. Up on the pass we stop for a picnic at the Pietra Cernaia, a viewpoint which shows us now a completely different Panorama. We can see Pescocostanzo. The village is about 4500 feet above sea level and directly on the steep slopes of the Majella Mountain which alternate with high plains pastures where we can have some nice canters before arriving in the stable for the horses. Having spent about 6 hours on horseback we are bound to be longing for a drink. Pescocostanzo has a nice square with several bars and restaurants. Taking a walk in this picturesque medieval town is pleasant for everyone and a must for those who are interested in architecture. We are staying at a small and cosy hotel. Dinner is at a restaurant.

Wednesday
The National Park Majella (75.000 acres) is one of the biggest in Italy. It is a so-called Pan Park, which means that it is protected by WWF. Here are 30 Mountains over 6500 feet. Today there will be a 6 hours ride in surrounding highlands. We expect to be able to have nice canters here. The night will be spent at the same hotel. Dinner, however, is at a different restaurant.

Thursday
This is going to be a demanding day spending about 7/8 hours in the saddle. The first part of our trail takes us upwards towards a large valley. Here on this plateau we can canter, canter and canter until we reach our picnicplace. After we were passing a forest and in the end we get surprised with a wonderful view. The next stretch is a long road, leading us down and down again. Part of that road must be covered on foot! In the early evening we finally reach our destination. After leaving the horses in a paddock we go to Sandra’s riding centre were we have dinner and spend the next night at her comfortable hotel.

Friday
Just outside Alfedena there is a plain where we can go for a longer canter. A little later we pass Ponte della Zittola, which is the border between Abruzzi and Molise. Then we follow part of the Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Foggia in the foothills of Alto Molise. Having passed the hamlet Montalto it is time for a picnic. After lunch it takes four hours to ride home. About 6,30 p.m. we are back at the farm-house, unsaddle the horses for the last time and enjoy the farewell dinner.

Saturday
Departure after breakfast.

N.B. Due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances the programme may have to be adapted.

Price 2023 

Euro 1.640

Dates 2023

30 september to 7 Oktober

Including
7 nights bed and breakfast (2 at the farm-house and 5 at hotels)
Full board with wine and beer at lunch and dinner ,starting with dinner on the first day up to and including breakfast on the day of departure
5 ½  days of riding (4 – 8 hours a day)
English and German -speaking guide
Luggage transport by car
Transfer from and to the railway station in Isernia. On the day of arrival at 19.45 hours and on the day of departure at 08.15 (Naples) or 09.00 (Rome) hours

Excluding
Other drinks ( around 40€ )
Other departure or arrival timings must be payed extra

Number of participants
Min. 5 / max. 7 (in exceptional cases 9)

(September 2022)