Where to stay in the Gran Sasso: the 4 areas to know in 2026

In the Gran Sasso, the real question is: the city or a stone village? L'Aquila has the restaurants and the cable car to the plateau, twenty minutes away. Santo Stefano di Sessanio and Calascio let you sleep in medieval lanes below the fortress; Castel del Monte, on the edge of Campo Imperatore. Beyond the tunnel, the Teramo side offers forests and steeper peaks.

A B&B in Castel del Monte can be found from $68*. In L'Aquila, a good hotel costs around $113*, and sleeping in a restored medieval house in Santo Stefano often goes over $230*. The villages have few rooms: for August, book early.

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One base or several?

The southern side can be explored from a single base; the Teramo side, on the other side of the tunnel, calls for a second.

  • A long weekend: A single base, in Santo Stefano di Sessanio or Calascio: the fortress, the plateau and a dinner of lentils.
  • Four or five days: A single base, in Castel del Monte: the plateau every day, the neighbouring villages and L'Aquila as an outing.
  • One week: Two bases: four nights on the southern side, around Santo Stefano, then three on the Teramo side for the forests.

How much driving between two bases?

Times by car. Part of the plateau road closes in winter.

Route Driving time Good to know
Rome → L'Aquila 1 h 15 by motorway
L'Aquila → Fonte Cerreto 20 min via Assergi
Fonte Cerreto → Campo Imperatore 25 min by the plateau road, in summer
L'Aquila → Santo Stefano di Sessanio 35 min via Barisciano
Santo Stefano di Sessanio → Calascio 10 min by the village road
Calascio → Castel del Monte 10 min by the village road
Castel del Monte → Campo Imperatore 25 min across the plateau
L'Aquila → Isola del Gran Sasso 35 min through the Gran Sasso tunnel

At a glance: our picks by traveller type

Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.

First visit The lanes of Santo Stefano and the fortress. City break The restaurants of L'Aquila and the cable car. Wide open spaces Castel del Monte, on the edge of the plateau. On a budget The B&Bs of Castel del Monte. Forests The Teramo side and Prati di Tivo.

Map of the areas in the Gran Sasso

See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.

1

L'Aquila and Campo Imperatore Central L'Aquila, Collemaggio, Assergi, Fonte Cerreto and the Campo Imperatore plateau

for the city, restaurants and the cable car

The city at the foot of the massif. L'Aquila is raising its palaces and churches again after the 2009 earthquake, between the basilica of Collemaggio and the Spanish fort. Twenty minutes away, the Fonte Cerreto cable car climbs to the Campo Imperatore plateau. Here you have a choice of tables. The downside: building sites are still everywhere, and there's no stone village under your window.

Where to stay in this area

La Dimora del Baco Hotel Mid-range

A hotel with a garden and restaurant on the edge of L'Aquila, a few minutes' drive from the Spanish fort, with parking.

Check availability

Pros

  • A choice of restaurants
  • The cable car twenty minutes away

Cons

  • Still many building sites
  • No stone village
2

Santo Stefano and Calascio Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Calascio, the fortress of Rocca Calascio and the Santo Stefano lake

for medieval villages and the fortress

The stone heart of the massif. Santo Stefano di Sessanio winds its vaulted lanes around a hill above the lentil fields, and Calascio climbs to its fortress at almost 1,500 metres. In the evening the villages empty and the sky fills with stars. The downside: few tables open out of season, and L'Aquila more than half an hour away.

Where to stay in this area

Sextantio Albergo Diffuso Luxury

Rooms spread through the medieval houses of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, restored with nothing modern in sight.

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Albergo Diffuso Rocca Calascio Mid-range

Rooms and apartments spread through the hamlet below the fortress of Rocca Calascio, with a restaurant.

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Pros

  • Sleeping in a medieval village
  • The fortress on foot

Cons

  • Few restaurants out of season
  • L'Aquila more than half an hour away
3

Castel del Monte Castel del Monte, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Carapelle Calvisio and the plateau road

for the plateau and shepherds' villages

The shepherds' village. Huddled on its hill, Castel del Monte keeps its covered passages and tower houses, at the start of the road up to Campo Imperatore. Close by, Castelvecchio Calvisio draws a perfect oval of houses. The downside: tiny villages, and a long, cold winter.

Where to stay in this area

Hotel Miramonti Mid-range

A village hotel in Castel del Monte, at the start of the road to the Campo Imperatore plateau.

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DESTASU' Bed and Wellness Mid-range

A guesthouse with a wellness area in the old town of Castel del Monte.

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Pros

  • The plateau twenty-five minutes away
  • The gentlest prices in the massif

Cons

  • Tiny villages
  • A long, cold winter
4

The Teramo side Isola del Gran Sasso, Pietracamela, Prati di Tivo, Fano Adriano, Castelli and Colledara

for forests, peaks and ceramics

The north face of the massif, greener and steeper. Above Pietracamela, the resort of Prati di Tivo spreads out below the walls of the Corno Piccolo, amid thick beech woods. To the east, Castelli has lived from its ceramics for centuries. The downside: far from the southern villages, and a tunnel to cross to reach L'Aquila.

Where to stay in this area

Locanda del Parco Mid-range

A hotel at Ornano Grande, in the municipality of Colledara, with pools, a restaurant serving Teramo cooking and views of the massif.

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Pros

  • The forests and northern rock faces
  • The motorway close by

Cons

  • Far from the southern villages
  • The tunnel to reach L'Aquila

Our tips for booking the right place

  • Sleep in a village, not just in the city: In the evening, once the day visitors have left, Santo Stefano and Calascio find their silence again. It's the moment L'Aquila won't give you.
  • Check the plateau road: In winter, part of the road to Campo Imperatore closes with the snow. If you're staying on the southern side, ask your host about the roads before setting off.
  • Book early for August: The villages have few rooms, and on 15 August Italians come up in large numbers. Book weeks ahead, or come in June or September.
Where not to stay in the Gran Sasso
  • Staying in Rome to see the Gran Sasso as a day trip: two and a half hours' driving there and back, and the plateau barely seen.
  • Arriving in mid-August without a booking: village rooms are full.
  • Counting on the plateau road in winter: part of it closes with the snow.

FAQ: where to stay in the Gran Sasso

Where to stay in the Gran Sasso for a first visit?
In Santo Stefano di Sessanio or Calascio: a medieval village, the fortress on foot and the plateau half an hour away.
L'Aquila or the villages?
L'Aquila for the city, the restaurants and the cable car. The villages for silence, stone and starry nights.
Where to stay on a budget in the Gran Sasso?
In Castel del Monte, where a B&B can be found from $68*, or in the neighbouring villages. Come in June or September rather than August.
How much does a night in the Gran Sasso cost?
Allow from $68* in Castel del Monte, around $113* for a good hotel in L'Aquila, and often over $230* in a restored medieval house.
Where to stay to go up to Campo Imperatore?
In Castel del Monte in summer, by the plateau road, or in L'Aquila, twenty minutes from the cable car, all year round.
Do you need a car in the Gran Sasso?
Yes: buses serve L'Aquila but hardly reach the villages, and the plateau can only be explored by car or on foot.
Keep exploring Things to do in the Gran Sasso

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