Passolanciano Maielletta

When talking about Abruzzo and its mountains immediately comes to mind the Gran Sasso.

But also the other mountain that dominates this land, the Majella – also called “The Sleeping Beauty” – is worthy of the same attention thanks to its wonderful landscapes and its history rich in emotion and charm.

And above all, it is also a very relished destination for ski enthusiasts.

The Majella (2798 meters) arises like a very arduous massif.

Therefore, at first sight, it seems difficult that traits suitable for skiing may exist.

Not surprisingly, the Passolanciano – Maielletta ski area is located right in one of the few suitable spots, which includes exactly the two towns of Passolanciano and Maielletta.

The two stations are in fact really very close, but to move from one to the other there is the need of a ski bus or a snowtaxi, as they are no reachable by skiing.

The two resorts are located on the road leading to the famous Pomilio Refuge (1850 meters) and then to Blockhaus, which is 2145 meters high.

The area is surrounded by beech forests up to 1500 meters and is equipped with several ski lifts up to 2000 meters: ideal for those who want to venture on ski slopes that vary depending on the difficulty.

The landscape, from the top, really leaves breathless: if the day is very clear, you can see the Adriatic Sea (with the centers of Pescara and more inlad Chieti) and the peaks of Velino-Sirente and Gran Sasso itself .

This area is often subject to real records in terms of snowfalls, making it frequently the most ‘snowy’ of the entire Apennines.

The Majelletta ski area extends up to 2000 meters.

It offers 6 ski lifts and a treadmill at the service of the slopes and it’s also possible to use an equipped snowpark in the area of Pomilio refuge, a school camp, a bob track and a tubing, many areas for off piste and various routes for ski mountaineering.

In Passolanciano, instead, there is also a kindergarten for children and a 5 km cross-country ring called Piane di Tarica, in addition to the school camp and the snowpark.

In addition to skiing, in this area you can go hiking in the summer months: you can in fact take the different paths leading to the peaks of Majella.

The Blockhaus is also one of the favorite destinations for cycling enthusiasts: its ascent is in fact the paved climb with the highest difference in altitude in Italy and one of the toughest in the entire Center of Italy.

Here, in Passolanciano or Maielletta, the Giro d’Italia often makes stop: the last time was in 2009, but the “Pink Caravan” is also expected to arrive this year.