L'Aquila sits at the foot of some of the most dramatic country in the Apennines, and a car opens up a string of rewarding excursions within an hour's drive. The big one is the Gran Sasso, the highest massif in the range: ride the funivia up to the Campo Imperatore plateau, a high, treeless expanse that locals call "Little Tibet," and walk as far as the weather allows.
To the southeast, the restored hill village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio is a near-perfect medieval ensemble of pale stone houses, well worth a half-day on its own. From there it is a short drive to the ruined fortress of Rocca Calascio, perched on its ridge high above the plateau — stark walls, an octagonal chapel below, and views that go on for miles. Go late in the day, when the low sun warms the stone.
