ABRUZZO AND APULIA

A journey through the "colours" of two beautiful regions
to discover their history, art and gastronomy

DAY 1

Arrival of group in Abruzzo. Meeting with our guide. Welcoming drink, dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 2

Breakfast in hotel- Guided tour of Aquila regional capitai city of Abruzzo. Visit medieval centre and its most important buildings including Saint Bernardino's Basilica ans Saint Mary of Collemaggio. Visit 6th Century castle and the Abruzzi National Museum. Free lunchour. Afternoon ewcursìon to Castelli, visit Pottery museum and stroll through medieval town centre and see its numerous potteries. Return to hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 3

Breakfast in hotel. Depart for Scanno. Stroll through narrow streets of old town centre, famous for its production of gold jewellwry. Tasting of typical cakes. Free time for shopping. Transfer to Civitella Alfedena, village of the Abruzzo National Park, visit the town centre, the Wolf Museum and the lynch and wolf nature reserve. Tasting of locai specialities. In the afternoon, visit to Pescasseroli, centre of the Park. Visit the Park Museum. Return in hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 4

Breakfast in hotel. Transfer in coach to nearby railway station to board the "Valley Train". Depart for the scenic route "Val di Sangro". Stop at the art city "Lanciano". Guided visit of old town centre and its many interesting monuments and buildings. Back on the train to Lake Bomba. Light lunch of locai specialities. Afternoon visit to Benedectine Abbey. Stop in olive-oil mili for tasting oil and Abruzzo wine. Return in hotel. Fish dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 5

Breakfast in hotel. Change hotel. Depart in coach for Apulia. Excursion through the Gargano National Park following the spectacular coast road, stopping at viewpoints en route. Visit to Vieste, seaside town and famous summer resort. Stroll along sandy beach and through the picturesque old town centre. Visit to the Romanisque cathedral. Frretime for lunch. Afternoon, proceed through the Foresta Umbra, ancient deciduous forest in the heart of the Gargano Naturai Park. Visit naturai history museum. Evening arrivai in hotel in Monte Sant'Angelo, dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 6

Breakfast in hotel. Change hotel. Walking tour of Monte Sant'Angelo, a hill-top town with views across the Umbra Forest, Gargano mountains and Gulf of Manfredonia. This town is an important medieval pilgrimage centre whose ancient shrine, dedicated to Saint Michael, stili attracts pilgrims from ali over the world. Other interesting monuments include the Romanesque churches of St. Peters, St. Mary Maggiore and the Tomb of Rotary. The old town facing the Adriatic Sea, whose streets weave steeply between white washed houses, is well preserved. Transfer to Bari, the Apulia Regional Capital, famous for its annual trade fair. Visit to Romanesque Sant Nichela cathedral, in whose crypt are preserved the relics of Saint Nicholas. Evening arrivai in hotel in Alberobello area. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 7

Breakfast in hotel. Excursion to Castellana Caves, some of the best in Europe, providing a spectacle of rare beauty with their network of tunnels, galleries and hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites. Transfer to the town of Alberobello, a UNESCO world heritage site, famous for its high concentration of trulli. Sampling of locai liqueurs and biscuits in a trullo. Free lunchhour. Afternoon visit to nearby Locorotondo, noted for its production of white and rosé wine. The well-preserved old town centre is dominated at its highest point by the St. George Parish Church. Wine tasting in one of the town wineries. Views over the Itria valley. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 8

Breakfast in hotel. Excursion to UNESCO world heritage site, Matera, a town of cave dwellings and churches built into the rocks. Free lunchhour. Afternoon visit to coastal city of Tarante, whose picturesque old town is situated on an which divides the enclosed Adriatic "Mare Piccolo" from the western open sea. Tarante, founded by the Greeks, became the richest and most important centre of the Magna Grecia. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 9

Breakfast in hotel and departure.