Listen, there’s no denying Rome is the most renowned location in Italy, if not Europe as a whole: it’s home to world-renowned landmarks like the Colosseum, the Trevi Water fountain, and it even plays host to the Vatican City, so you can’t be exactly mad at tourists for gathering there in the very first location.
Be that as it might, we can’t be the only ones who feel the novelty of Rome has actually far diminished. It has actually been on the radar of travelers for a minimum of two centuries, and things are just intensifying in the age of social networks.
We’re called Travel Off Path for a factor, though, and as you may have guessed at this point, it’s the lesser-known gems that truly stimulate our interest– and you understand, if you happened to be trying to find an underrated Italian location yet to be ruined by the masses, you have actually come to the best place:
< img width= "1200 "height= "800"src="% 23e3e3e3'/ % 3E % 3C/svg % 3E "alt="Main Square In L'Aquila, Historic City In Abruzzo, Italy"data-src="https://www.traveloffpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Move-Over-Rome-This-Is-The-Top-Cultural-Destination-In-Italy-For-2026.jpg.webp"/ > The Italian Capital Of Culture For 2026 Is … Every year, the Italian Ministry of Culture selects a brand-new ‘Capital of Culture’.
To put it simply, a city that has contributed significantly to the nation’s cultural tapestry, which’s not always Rome, Florence, or Venice. We’ve had Pesaro in 2024, Agrigento(a concealed gem of Sicily )in 2025, and for 2026, the crown goes to L’Aquila, the much-overlooked capital of Abruzzo, a little Italian area east of Rome, straddling the Adriatic Sea. Nevertheless, if you’re expecting turquoise seas, postcard-ready pebbly beaches, and vibrant beach bars, you may be in for a bit of a surprise. L’Aquila isn’t seaside: in reality, it bestrides a hillside in the middle of the Apennine Mountains.
< img width= "1200" height=" 1200"src=" https://www.traveloffpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Historic-Center-Of-LAquila-Italy.jpg.webp "alt ="Historical Center Of L'Aquila, Italy"/ > With just around 70,000 residents, it’s far smaller, more compact than the vast cities of Milan or Naples, and unlike these other urbane examples, it’s not precisely outgrown its
initial, largely medieval townscape: A Medieval City Surrounded By Walls
Encircled by walls, just like it was in the 13th century when it was at first founded, it makes up a maze of cobble-paved, narrow streets, piazzas bounded by lovely coffee shops, and a collection of outstanding Baroque churches.
As you may have guessed, it simply ticks all of packages as far as Italian city breaks go, but you might be wondering what it is about L’Aquila in particular that warrants the Capital of Culture classification. Well, for starters, it’s a well-reputed university town:
< img width ="1200" height="1200"src= "https://www.traveloffpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Aerial-View-Of-LAquila-Italy.jpg.webp"alt ="Bird's-eye view Of L'Aquila, Italy "/ > The University of L’Aquila, whose history can be traced back to the 16th century, plays host to a variety of organizations, from a Fine Arts academy to a State Conservatory, a Movie Institute, and even a Repertory Theater. To put it simply, art buffs from all over Italy, consisting of much more developed city centers, pertained to L’Aquila to pursue their research studies, offering it a particular intellectual atmosphere. This alone could warrant the ‘Capital of Culture’ classification, however there is more.
What To See In L’Aquila
L’Aquila’s architectural wealth is unparalleled, beginning with the striking Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio, developed all the way back in 1288. Featuring a pink and white exterior, it is best known for hosting the Perdonanza Celestianiana, a spiritual celebration rooted in middle ages customs.
Found in a public square surrounded by majestic structures, the Fountain of 99 Spouts is most likely the most iconic monolith: as the name shows, it has just short of a hundred spouts, and each of them represents the 99 villages that are stated to have come from the larger city of L’Aquila.
L’Aquila’s history has actually been marked by ravaging earthquakes from 1703 to today.
The Luminous Water fountain, a modern-day installation, represents the city’s strength and repeated renewals. To experience this long-lasting spirit up close, check out the rebuilt Basilica di San Massimo, or the Baroque Santa Maria del Suffragio.
Searching for fairy tale castles? This is Europe, after all, and L’Aquila is no exception to the Vintage guideline: it is controlled by a 16th-century Strength Spagnolo, built by the Spanish upon their conquest of the city during the Renaissance era.
Check out Abruzzo’s Rich Nature Though the surrounding nature does not always add to L’Aquila’s culture, it’s an inherent part of its appeal as a location. A short drive away from town, Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga is a national forest home to Italy’s ‘Little Tibet’.
A hiker’s paradise, it is characterized by its myth-shrouded hermitage routes, ancient chestnut forests that seem to extend for unlimited miles, alpine meadows that equal Switzerland’s in charm, and soaring snow-capped peaks.
Over in Sirente Velino, on the other hand, you’ll discover gentler tracks resulting in postcard-ready limestone gorges, filled with alpine rivers, rich wildlife, and remote middle ages villages, consisting of the hilltop, storybook town Rocca di Mezzo.
Lastly, when it pertains to the Adriatic Sea, L’Aquila is a bit too far from the coast to function as a beach getaway, however if you don’t mind the(somewhat) long drive, the resort cities of Pescara, Montesilvano, and Francavilla al Mare have to do with 1.5– 2 hours by automobile.
L’Aquila Is A Lot Cheaper Than The Typical Italian City
We must add that, contrary to Italy’s usual vacation hotspots, L’Aquila is a lot more affordable: B&B stays in the heart of the Old Town typical $70–$85 per night, while 3-star hotels begin with around $95, like at Hotel Amiternum, a contemporary listing within brief strolling distance of the primary sights.
Food is similarly economical: a supper at Osteria Corridore, a standard, family-owned eatery in the historical center, will run you up $16–$28 usually, depending upon whether you’re purchasing a starter and how many glasses of locally-sourced red white wine you’re needing to wash everything down.
< img width="800"height ="800"src="https://www.traveloffpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pasta-Being-Prepared-In-Italy-Italian-Food-Southern-Europe.jpg.webp"alt=" Pasta Being Prepared In Italy, Italian Food, Southern Europe "/ > The locally well-known Ristorante Da Lincosta is on the costlier end, with prices balancing$22–$ 39, but it won’t break the bank, precisely, and the herb-infused roasted lamb and fresh burrata deserve splurging on.
Craving pasta rather? Pisellino Uova e Farina serves the very best pizza frita and spaghetti alla chitarra in the area (an Abruzzo specialty), and the quality of the wine selection is quite impressive for a mid-range restaurant where costs balance just $20–$31.
How To Reach L’Aquila When In Italy
If you’re questioning how to reach L’Aquila this fall, the simplest method is by means of Rome. The Abruzzo capital itself does not have a global airport, which becomes part of the factor it remains authentically Italian and safeguarded from overtourism.
Direct regional trains are readily available daily from Roma Termini Station; however, some routes may need a transfer at Sulmona.
In basic, the journey duration is 2 hours (or 2.5 hours in case of a connection), and advance tickets cost in between $15 and $25.
Schedule your tickets directly through Trenitalia, Italy’s nationwide railway operator, here.
< img alt=""src ="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/670a9f78091c16bd874672b1cb939f4e22e64fe6c391eb68b0f897b10dbfd49e?s=96&d=mm&r=g"height ="96" width="96"/ > Vinicius Costa Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has more than 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a flair for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.
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