Crossing Roads of Abruzzo, Molise and Campania

The day starts with a boost! The faunal area of the wolf is located at the entrance of the Museum of the wolf in Civitella Alfedena, where you spent the night. It is a fenced area in the woods of about 4 hectares, in which the wolves live in an almost wild condition and where you can find some lookout points to observe them in the nature. All the info for entrance and guided visits here.
Also, before entering the park, you can buy something for a picnic lunch from the local shop Alimentari Marilena in Piazza Umberto I in Civitella, since you are going to spend the rest of the morning in the woods.

After the encounter with wolves, the next stop is the district of Villetta Barrea, a small village of about 500 inhabitants that is just 3 km away from another natural reserve, La Camosciara, that you will visit later. It is a lovely urban establishment surrounded by the mountains and the lake, and crossed by the Sarno river. As the matter of fact there is a nice and refreshing walking path alongside the river shore, that pass through the city center.

From Villetta Barrea in 10 minutes you will arrive at the entrance of the natural protected area of La Camosciara, where there is a parking area to leave the car.
As suggests the name - in Italian camoscio is chamois - the reserve hosts the specie of chamois d'Abruzzo, plus deer and even bears. In the XIX century was used as a hunting reserve by the royal family of Vittorio Emanuele II. The luck to see them in their natural environment depends on what type of trail you choose. There are different trails suggested for different level of experience and also for different seasons, you can find all the information about it on the official site.

From the parc of Camosciara, you can also visit the beautiful water lily fall, which is part of a series of falls that are connected to the torrent Scerto and that crosses the regional parc of Abruzzo. It is possible to reach it also with a walk following the trail named G5, that you can see at the entrance of the reserve, where you can parc the car - there is a parking lot at the entrance - or with a little shuttle that connects the various trails.

After the wildlife experience in the natural reserve, the route will bring you to half way, in Venafro, a district in province of Isernia, Molise, which played an important role in the past as "passage" point between the regions of Abruzzo and Molise, towards the city of Naples.
Its origins are dated back to the III century a.C., where the Sanniti fought a battle against Rome. The center of the city appear as a medieval village with defensive walls and its higher part is where is located the ancient castle. The castle has been subjected to various transformations since its origins as a megalith structure, and it is today also the house of the National Museum of Molise, which serves as an artistic connection between the Molise, Campania and Lazio. It is opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 8,15 am to 19,15 pm, more info you'll find here.

Leaving Venafro and crossing the boarder with Molise, you are back in Campania region, arriving on the shores of the beautiful Matese lake. It is the second higher karstic lake of Italy, at 1000 mt of heigh and it is framed by the mountain chain of Matese. It offers a lot of different activities, from trekking, to kayaking, cycling, sport-fishing and horse rides - that you can find here - but also the possibility to just admire the landscape a go for a little walk on the shore before getting ready for a dinner with a lake view!

Very close to the lake, you will find your restoring point of the route, the Agriturismo Addò Zi Luigino, where you can taste a dinner based on local products. In facts the structure has also his own farm with animals and agriculture, that is possible to visit with a reservation. It is also very recommended to book a table in advance, since the restaurant is open from Thursday to Sunday. You can reserve your table here.