There are many reasons for visiting Atri in the Teramo province of Abruzzo:
- The Santa Maria Assunta cathedral which dominates the town’s historic centre
- The frescoes contained inside the cathedral
- The erosion furrows surrounding the town
- The views of the Adriatic Sea, and the peaks of the Majella and Gran Sasso
- And if you’re up for it, the walk/cycle from Atri to Cittá Sant’Angelo
Atri is a fascinating, ancient town that historians believe gave its name to the Adriatic Sea. It sits on a hill between two valleys and is about 10km from the coast and 30km from Pescara. If you decide to visit, try to do so on a clear day, the views are spectacular.
Monday is market day, which has advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantage is the town is hopping. People are in from the surrounding areas exploring the stalls, buying their weekly shopping and greeting friends and neighbours. But it is hard to find parking, and since it is a Monday, the restaurants are often closed.
If you are adventurous, there is a walking route from Atri to Cittá Sant’Angelo, described in the pamphlet “Abruzzo: The Guide To Its Unknown Wonders” which is available in tourist offices. Be warned though, one reviewer said that the maps and instructions in the pamphlet are not easy to decipher. Of course you could always drive there, about 15km, 30mins – less strenuous, but maybe not as much fun.
Finally, in two days time, from the 18th to 21st June there is the Atri Festival of Reportage, along with exhibitions running from 18th June to 18th August. A quote from the website says “The subject of reportage is discussed, studied and illustrated in all forms: from photography to radio and print media to video. An all round approach is adopted to focus on the reporter’s profession in an unusual and absorbing way by contrasting different international situations”.
The details of the exhibitions associated with the festival are available here. Regular readers of this blog will realise I have an interest in photography and I have to say I’m really looking forward to seeing the work on display.
Related posts:
- Atri: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Andrea de Litio I’d wanted to see the inside of the Cathedral of...
- I Just Can’t Stay Away from Atri Every time I’ve visited Atri it’s been a wonderful experience....
- Pineto: Sun, Sea and Sand We’re in the middle of summer and I’ve not written...
[...] I’ve written about Atri before, and it’s well worth a visit. In fact, a morning at the beach, followed by an exploration of Atri sounds like a good plan to me. Atri is about 10km, 15 minutes by car, from Pineto. [...]
[...] to show you how good those views from Atri can be, here you can see some photos I took on a relatively clear day in June 2009. [...]