Castelvecchio Calvisio is a village built as a fortress. Its stone houses are arranged in a tight ellipse on a hilltop, their outer walls forming a continuous defensive ring, with narrow lanes and covered passages inside and only a few gates leading out. From above it looks like a stone egg. It sits on the southern slopes of the Gran Sasso, in a landscape of bare hills, almond trees and high pastures.
A few kilometres away, Rocca Calascio, a ruined castle perched on a ridge, is one of the most famous sights in Abruzzo, its tower silhouetted against the mountains. The film Ladyhawke was shot there, and it is a magnificent viewpoint. Santo Stefano di Sessanio, nearby, is a medieval village restored after years of abandonment, with stone houses and a Medici tower.
Above these villages lies Campo Imperatore, a vast high plateau often called Little Tibet, surrounded by peaks, where horses and sheep graze and the roads run for kilometres across empty grassland. The road across it is one of the most spectacular in Italy, though it is closed by snow in winter.
For a swim, head down to the Tirino valley, to the south-east, near Capestrano. The Tirino is one of the cleanest rivers in Italy, clear and green, and it is popular for canoeing. The small spring-fed lake of Capodacqua, nearby, is so clear that you can see the remains of old mills on the bottom. Check local rules before swimming.
Fuel is scarce in the mountains, so fill up in Popoli or L'Aquila. The villages have a few bars and restaurants, serving lamb skewers, arrosticini, and lentils from Santo Stefano.