L'Officina dei Sogni

As the coast is less than 10 kilometres away, there's a good chance that you'll be spending quite a lot of time at the various beaches and resorts that stretch along this pretty part of the Adriatic Sea. There are lots of places to choose from within a 20-minute drive – all of them well-served by good restaurants, bustling bars and sandy swimming spots. Try and spend some time inland too, though, or you'll miss out on the area's handsome historic towns and villages. Abruzzo has a lot to choose from, including the walled town of Civitella del Tronto (25 minutes), Ascoli Piceno (40 minutes) with its famed Renaissance square or Campli (30 minutes) on the edge of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. For serious hikers, Gran Sasso mountain, the standout attraction of the national park, is just under an hour away. Those without the stamina for such outdoor pursuits (or those returning from them in the mood for a drink…) can head to any one of the many vineyards in the surrounding countryside and sample Abruzzo's renowned wines.