Pescara

Pescara is the youngest and most modern city in Abruzzo: a long sandy beach, a seaside promenade lined with bars, and a downtown with pedestrian zones where people stay out late. A vacation in Pescara combines beach life on the Adriatic with excursions to the mountains of the Gran Sasso and the wooden fishing platforms of the Costa dei Trabocchi.

A Young City

Present-day Pescara came into being in 1927 through the merger of Castellammare Adriatico and old Pescara on the river. During World War II the city was heavily bombed and afterward rebuilt in a modern style. Its most famous son is the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, whose birthplace in the old town on Corso Manthonè is now a museum. The Flaiano Prize for literature and film also honors a writer born here, Ennio Flaiano, who wrote screenplays for Fellini.

Sights in Pescara

The landmark of the modern city is the Ponte del Mare, a white pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the river mouth that connects the beach promenades on the north and south sides. The old town, Pescara Vecchia, around Corso Manthonè is small but lively, with restaurants in old vaulted cellars. The Museo delle Genti d'Abruzzo tells the story of everyday life among the region's shepherds, farmers, and fishermen. The Cathedral of San Cetteo was built in the 1930s on D'Annunzio's initiative. The city beach stretches for miles, lined with beach clubs; at its southern end lies the Pineta Dannunziana pine forest.

Eating in Pescara

The favorite dish of Abruzzo is arrosticini, small lamb skewers cooked over charcoal that you order by the dozen. They come with bread and olive oil and a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. From the sea come brodetto alla pescarese, a spicy fish stew with peppers, and fried seafood. Pasta alla chitarra is cut on a wooden frame strung with wires and served with ragù. For something sweet, try parrozzo, an almond cake with a chocolate coating to which D'Annunzio dedicated a poem.

Going Out and Festivals

For a city of its size, Pescara has a lively nightlife. In the old town, bars stand shoulder to shoulder on weekends, and in summer the aperitivo and the parties move to the beach clubs. Each July, the Pescara Jazz festival, held since the 1960s, brings international musicians to town.

Getting Around and Day Trips

Abruzzo Airport is only a few miles from the center and is served mainly by low-cost carriers. Buses and a trolleybus connect the city's neighborhoods, and Rome is about two and a half hours away by bus. To the south begins the Costa dei Trabocchi, where fishermen once cast their nets from wooden stilt platforms; some trabocchi are now restaurants. Inland, the Gran Sasso, the medieval town of Chieti, and the Majella massif beckon. The best time for a beach vacation is June through September; in spring and fall, Pescara makes a good base for hiking, since the mountains are less than an hour away. Few other regions in Italy let you swim in the sea and stand in the snow on the same day – in late spring, with a bit of luck, it's possible here. A cycling route, the Via Verde, runs along a former rail line down the Trabocchi coast.