Camping in Abruzo with a wild taste but not just a tent
In Mayela National Park, there are remains of a World War II military camp in Central Italy, hidden among the green hills. Lisa, our leader, told us a story no less dramatic than the heavy sky, writes the author of the journey in the Guardian.
| In 1943, a group of prisoners, including the New Zealand Corporal John Brood, were able to escape from the camp. The prisoners spend seven bitter winter months hiding in caves in the Abruzzo region before they finally reach the British front lines. Their survival is due to the kindness and courage of Italian families who risk their own lives and starve to help them save themselves from the German patrols. |
Today, Abruzzo is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located on the Adriatic coast and is a developed tourist center.
In the campsite, the deck chairs in the relaxation area under the shadows were busy, so we got on the roof terrace, which is also a reception to sip from the bitter-sweet cider and enjoy the sunset, at which the sun fell lower over the hills we had climbed a while ago.
- Dimore Montane was secluded in the forest and was built by Italy in the 1990s, but it was never opened until the first attempt in 2006. During Kovid Pandemia, one of the current managers Simone was accidentally found in the campsite and realized that tenders were announced for its management.
Tibetan monks have previously shown interest, but in Italy it has been decided not to use the place for private purposes.
Simone and his partner Lisa have previously managed a tourist company and know that this is a big project to run it on their own. They decide to invite their friends Fabio and Manuel, who have experience in tenders and communications to join. Together, the four win the auction and thus manage to develop a large -scale project during the quarantine. In addition, they make huge transformations of the place.
| Dimore Montane was officially opened in 2021 after a year of renovation. The two couples combine their various skills with an impressive result. Today, in addition to fulfilling their management duties, they work at the restaurant, lead guests for organized walks and even create works of art that decorate the white walls of the main building. |
They skillfully take care of the far more diverse clientele compared to other campsites. Surrounded by beech and chestnut trees, the site offers both ordinary tents and campers, as well as « Bell Tents »-spacious tents in a more elegant style for those who want more comfortable camping or do not have their own equipment.
For more seclusion and convenience, there are separate bedrooms with shared bathrooms, as well as several hotel rooms with a private bathroom. Pets are welcome.
The restaurant offers sophisticated food and wines, even attracting people who are not guests to go out for dinner in the forest.
Unlike most campsites, the kitchen is adapted to serve a wide clientele. The campsites can cook outdoor grills and buy a small van of coffee and sweets. The higher category of guests, hotel-growing guests, have access to a richer breakfast buffet, and the restaurant offers tempting dishes and wines that attract external visitors to dinner in nature.
« Our sons, who are fans of camping, were first disappointed, knowing that we had booked two connected bedrooms in the main building. To our delight, we found that the rooms were furnished as a designer hostel – with modern mattresses, fine linen, colored pillows, artistic decoration This was the ideal base for a few days of Mayela adventures, « writes the author of the article.
The wild array Mayela in the heart of Italy
| Easy access to nature was what attracted us to our journey. Mayela is a wild array located right in the center of Italy, about an hour off a car south of SpongeS Mayela is not as well -known or lively as other national parks in Abruzzo, such as Abruzzo and Grand Sasso. But the park is littered with caves, gorges and a gorge. |
Once upon a time, these places have also served as the concealment of bandits, but today they are the main habitat of wolves, wild goats, otters and other animal species that are safe in their privacy.
In the next few days we drove mountain bikes in the nearby Karamanico Terme (Caramanico Terme))– A beautiful former spa town, whose streets are littered with ice cream sales and sometimes announced by marching brass bands.
We sat with cyclists to eat panini after the mountain climb at Rifugio Bruno Pomilio, whose walls were decorated with vintage skiing. In a tractor AI Quattro Sentieri End Rocker We ate Tagliatelli chitarra – The famous Abruzka paste, a square piece garnished with Ragu. We finished with the sweets « Pesche Dolci » – temptations of sugar, cream and marsh in the form of peaches.
When we came out, there were sounds of xylophone coming from around us coming from San Bartolomeo’s Little Chapellocated on the edge of a remote cave, before looking for shelter inside the forest, in the cool and majestic hermit monastery « Santo Spirito ».
Dimore Montane opens on April 17 (Dimoremontane.com). Prices for tent areas start at 16 euros per person or 23 euros for two people. The bedrooms with common bathrooms are 64 euros for 4 people, and double rooms with a private bathroom start at 74 euros, and two types of accommodation include breakfast.
