mountain pass
Campo Imperatore
A vast high-altitude plateau beneath the Gran Sasso peaks, an 'Little Tibet' drive in Abruzzo's national park.
17 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeItalyAbruzzo
L'Aquila
Abruzzo, Italy · Europe
About L'Aquila
L'Aquila is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Progetto Case Bazzano, 17km from Campo Imperatore.
L'Aquila is in Abruzzo, Italy, with about 34,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Progetto Case Bazzano, about 4 km away.
L'Aquila ( LAK-wil-ə; Italian: [ˈlaːkwila] ; Neapolitan: [ˈlaːkwiːlə]) is the capital city of the region of Abruzzo in central Italy. With 70,421 inhabitants as of 2025, it is also the second-largest city in the region. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the Aterno river, it is surroundedRead more
by the Apennine Mountains, with the Gran Sasso d'Italia to the north-east.
L'Aquila sits on a hillside in the middle of a narrow valley; the snow-capped mountains of the Gran Sasso massif flank the town. A maze of narrow streets, lined with Baroque and Renaissance buildings and churches, open onto elegant piazzas. Home to the University of L'Aquila, it is a lively college town and, as such, has many cultural institutions: a repertory theatre, a symphony orchestra, a fine art academy, a state conservatory and a film institute. There are several ski resorts in the surrounding province (Campo Imperatore, Ovindoli, Pescasseroli, Roccaraso, Scanno).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near L'Aquila?
Within an hour or so of L'Aquila: Campo Imperatore (17 km), Santo Stefano di Sessanio (20 km), Rocca Calascio (24 km), Norcia (55 km).
Are there any good drives near L'Aquila?
The nearest famous roads are Campo Imperatore, Pescara Circuit and Appian Way.
Where is L'Aquila?
L'Aquila is in Abruzzo, Italy, about 4 km from Progetto Case Bazzano.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 33,691
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Abruzzo
- Timezone
- Europe/Rome
- Coordinates
- 42.3505, 13.3995
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Italy
ACI roadside assistance: 803 116. ZTL (limited traffic zones) in city centres are camera-enforced.
Full driving guide for ItalyTags
Worth the detour from L'Aquila
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Santo Stefano di Sessanio
Medici-era stone village on the edge of the Campo Imperatore plateau, restored as a scattered 'albergo diffuso' after near-abandonment. Its lanes, tower and candle-lit cellars sit at 1,250 m in the Gran Sasso national park.
20 km · about 25 min drive
castle
Rocca Calascio
A ruined hilltop fortress at one of Italy's highest castle sites, surveying the Apennine peaks of Abruzzo.
24 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Norcia
A walled mountain town in Umbria celebrated as the birthplace of St. Benedict and as Italy's capital of black truffles.
55 km · about 65 min drive
photogenic
Castelluccio di Norcia
Hilltop hamlet at 1,452 m above the Piano Grande plateau, where lentil fields erupt into a patchwork bloom of red, blue and gold each June-July (La Fiorita). The drive up from Norcia across the karst plain is one of the Apennines' great reveals.
56 km · about 65 min drive
cafe
Caffè Meletti
Art-nouveau café of 1907 on Ascoli Piceno's travertine Piazza del Popolo, home of the anisetta liqueur the Meletti family still distils. Hemingway and Sartre drank here; order the anisetta 'con la mosca', with a coffee bean afloat.
58 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near L'Aquila
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 17 kmCampo ImperatoreA vast high-altitude plateau beneath the Gran Sasso peaks, an 'Little Tibet' drive in Abruzzo's national park.
- 63 kmPescara CircuitAt 25.8km the longest track ever to host a Formula One World Championship race, in 1957. The enormous triangle of Abruzzo public roads climbs from the Adriatic into the hills and back down a long coastal straight, all still drivable.
Driving in Italy
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.82/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€8.50/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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