GETTING AROUND

During your holiday at the Hotel Mara you will discover all the natural, scenic, historical and artistic wonders of Abruzzi.

With its three National Parks and natural reserves, the Green Region of Europe is the ideal destination for those who want to regenerate themselves in contact with nature, where you can discover ancient traditions and taste genuine products.

The characteristic villages will take you to discover history and handicrafts. In the seaside towns you will rediscover the pleasure of walking, among shops, seaside restaurants and attractions. For most devotees, Abruzzi has important cultural sites, imposing cathedrals, beautiful churches and fascinating monasteries carved into the rock.

Ortona from the sea

ORTONA

Ortona is one of the leading seaside resorts on the coast of Chieti.
The city is situated on a promontory overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Famous its "passeggiata orientale”, a wide boulevard that discovers the Abruzzi coast and which leads to the Aragonese Castle.
Worth seeing the Cathedral in Piazza S. Thomas, which guards the relics. The Museum and Gallery for art lovers with paintings from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, Roman and early Christian relics, as well as valuable items of handicrafts, the Farnese Palace, which guards the Pinacoteca Cascella.

The rocky coast in Ortona’s surroundings

The tourist port of Ortona is available to all sailing aficionados with a safe and comfortable landfall for each vessel.

TRABOCCHI’S COAST
Chieti’s province coast is amongst the most various of the region. The northern zone, stretching from Francavilla al Mare on, is a long stripe of golden sand where small oasis of wild unequipped beach alternate with crowded fully equipped facilities, also called chalets or ‘bagni’ – equipped beaches.
The road leads us to Ortona, known also for its port, one of the busiest of the region for trade traffic. The “Eastern walking”, in the elder town, is a sinuous observation platform overlooking the sea, leading to San Tommaso’s Cathedral, to the Aragonese Castle and to the austere Farnese Palace.

Trabocchi’s coast

Moving along from Ortona, heading south, the coast takes new different shapes, it breaks in thousands beaches and creeks, some hidden, some wide and cosy, true natural basins where the crystal green of Adriatic sea and the golden colour of the sand or the white of the pebbles melt, as some place names such as “Acqua bella” and “Capo turchino” can witness.
Here we are in San Vito Chietino. Trabocchi’s coast, which starts from Ortona, all the way down to Torino di Sangro, is considered as one of the most fascinating zones of the whole coast, quiet and rich with the scent of the sea and vegetation, fruit gardens and olive tree groves. Here, at a short distance, above the water, rise up “trabocchis”, a very peculiar kind of buildings, resembling pile dwellings.
They are made by timbers and used for fishing.

A typical trabocco

More southern, after a few turns on the main road, which runs all along the seaside, here is Fossacesia Marina, overlooked by the impressive remains of San Giovanni in Venere Abbey. On these coasts, where the sea laps against the land, reigns the Mediterranean scrub, while more southern opens up the last wide non artificial coastal wood in Abruzzo, Torino di Sangro’s Live Oak wood, which also hosts Oaks, Turkish Oaks, Hornbeams and Elms.

THE MAJELLA NATIONAL PARK
This National Park offers a changeable scenario of an amazing beauty to the visitor all year round.
Late spring is the blooming season and it is, together with autumn, the best moment to visit towns and hermitages of the Park. Summer is the season recommended for hiking, for enjoying nature to its full, for reinvigorating surrounded by greenery, for a horse ride or for a nice lunch in the picnic areas.
The diversity of environments, the richness of nature, the evidences left by the human presence make Majella National Park the ideal place to go hiking, an activity giving the visitor the opportunity to discover the most concealed aspects of the area.

Majella’s landscape

The Park is inhabited by wolves, bears, chamois, otters, roe deers and red deers. Among the 130 species of birds, stand out the golden eagle, peregrine falcon and the eagle owl.

SHOPPING AND FUN IN PESCARA
Commercial heart of the region, the most populated city of Abruzzi is a very good and popular seaside resort as well, thanks to its splendid beach that borders for ten miles the city center and the nearby woods.
Of great interest are the museums and theatrical, musical and cultural events that liven the summer season in Pescara: among them, the International Jazz Festival and the “Premio Flaiano”.

The city by night

Shopping and nightlife among the clubs of “Pescara Vecchia”, with its promenade make the provincial capital the favorite destination of lovers of movida.

LANCIANO: THE EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE
One day a monk, which was celebrating the Holy Mass, was assailed by doubts about the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
Uttered the words of consecration over the bread and wine, suddenly, he saw with his own eyes the bread turning into flesh and wine into blood. We are in Lanciano, at about 30 minutes far from Ortona.

Lanciano – main square

A few steps from the central Piazza Plebiscito in the heart of the historic center was open to the public a church dedicated to San Legonziano, left by the Senate and people of Lanciano to a small group of Byzantine monks, arrived in the city as refugees.
The Eucharistic miracle occurred in this temple and in the hands of one of these Eastern monks.

MANOPPELLO: THE HOLY FACE
The “Holy Face” is a very tenuous Veil; its horizontal threads are rather wavy and the structure of the material is simple, so weft and warp intersect in the usual way as in a normal texture. The Veil measures 6,70 inches by 9,45 and shows the effigy of a long-haired man with broken nose, bloodstained forehead and swollen cheek.
The fabric is so thin that the Image is visible before and behind the shrine and so transparent that a newspaper, put behind it, could be read even at a distance.
We are in Manoppello, a small town situated in a geographic zone very suitable to reach both the Adriatic coast and the mountain places in a short time.

CHIETI: ART AND ARCHITECTURE FROM THE PAST
Chieti keeps fascinating remains of the Roman Teate.
Particularly interesting are the Roman theater, the temple complex known as “Tempietti Romani”and a cistern of the ancient baths. In the National Archaeological Museum are set “ Il Guerriero di Capistrano, Abruzzi ancient culture from prehistory to the late imperial period and a collection of coins from the fourth to the nineteenth century.

Chieti, Museum

Also worth seeing is the Museo La Civitella, with itineraries according to historical periods. The Cathedral of St. Justin in the heart of the city has very ancient origins and retains a majestic bell tower built between 1335 and 1498.
And before leaving, you have to take a relaxing walk in the Villa Comunale and along the Corso Marrucino, through the historical city center.

GUARDIAGRELE
Perfect example of Abruzzi Middle Ages, Guardiagrele is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.
Located in the Majella National Park, still keeps alive the tradition of pastry, with the famous “Tre monti o Sise”, and even the centuries-old artistic workmanship of traditional wrought iron and gold.

Guardiagrele, the goldsmith's art

PRETORO
Charming little village of Majella National Park, becomes the protagonist in events that draw attention and tourists from all over the world.
In particular, worth seeing the “Festa of serpari” (first Sunday of May) and the traveling festival during the night of San Lorenzo (9/10/11 August).

ROCCASCALEGNA CASTLE
The impressive castle is called La Rocca from villages. Built to defend against Byzantines invasions by the Lombards, the castle is situated on a spur with the sides overhanging the valley of the Rio Secco, a tributary of the Sangro.

The fortress

Legend has it that the "ius primae noctis", ie the right of the first night, is born in Roccascalegna by Baron Corvo de Corvis in 1646.
Tradition has it that the Baron was stabbed by a young woman who would not submit to his rule.