Gran Sasso d'Italia

The route to the Gran Sasso d'Italia first passes the cemetery, with the convent church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, and then continues via the village of Assergi (church of Santa Maria Assunta, with a fine Gothic rose window), on the southwest slopes of the Gran Sasso group, to Fonte Cerreto (1,105m/3,547ft), starting point of the cableway to the Gran Sasso d'Italia (3,240m/3,545yd long; 16minutes). A panoramic road (27km/17mi) leads to the upper station of the cableway (2,130m/7,029ft), on the western edge of the Campo Imperatore (1,600-2,200m/5,280-7,260ft; Albergo Campo Imperatore), a high valley 20km/12mi long and up to 5km/3mi wide which is an excellent walking and climbing center and a popular winter sports area. Near the cableway station are the modern chapel of the Madonna della Neve and an observatory. 45minutes' climb above the hotel, on the Portelle ridge, is the Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi (2,301m/7,587ft; views) from which it is another 3.5-4 hours climb to the Corno Grande or Monte Corno (2,912m/9,610ft), the highest peak in the Gran Sasso d'Italia, the most elevated mountain range in the Italian peninsula, with sheer rock walls like those of the Calcareous Alps (road tunnel). From the summit there are views extending over the whole of Central Italy to the Adriatic in the east and over the Sabine hills, and on clear days as far as the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west.