Stiffe Caves and Subequana Valley
To fully enjoy this itinerary, you will probably have to choose where to stop and where not to
In about 30 minutes by car, bypassing the Subequan valley from Castello di Opi, after Bominaco, you reach Stiffe.
In Stiffe, before you leave, you can have a snack, a little shopping or, depending on the time of day, lunch at the old mill, where an English couple, but she with a native father, has opened a natural bakery combined with a small restaurant by reservation.
The Stiffe Caves
The Stiffe Caves are, technically speaking, a “resurgence,” that is, the point at which a river returns to light after an underground stretch; in the case of Stiffe this point is located at the apex of the gorge above the town.
The Stiffe resurgence has been known to the locals for many years, in fact there are documents that trace the knowledge of the first environments back to very distant times. It was precisely the presence of a copious watercourse inside the cave that allowed, at the beginning of the 20th century, the construction of a hydroelectric power plant: fed by the water transported downstream by means of a penstock, some sections of which are still visible near the entrance, and constituted a source of energy until its destruction during World War II.
The 700-meter-long tourist route is entirely traversed by an underground river whose waters come from the numerous sinkholes of the karst plateau of Rocca di Mezzo. Inside, as you go up the river, you can admire various small lakes, rapids and waterfalls up to 20 m high, the flow rate of which varies according to the seasons, making the underground landscape always different. In addition to stalactites and stalagmites of considerable size, one encounters grandiose environments with striking visual and sound effects created by water. Outside, it is possible to admire the waterfalls formed by the water flowing out of the cave.
The tour is always guided and will last 1 hour. The temperature inside is 10 degrees all year round appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes are recommended. You should arrive at the ticket office located at the cave entrance 20 minutes before the chosen time.
Reservation of the visit is not mandatory; however, without it, access to the Caves is not guaranteed.
After Stiffe we suggest descending the Subequan valley, along the Aterno River, stopping to visit at least some of the various villages that dot it.
Fontecchio, with its medieval square and fountain and clock tower, as well as its vibrant artistic life, enlivened by a tradition of art residencies that, thanks to the foresight of the municipal administration, has created a community of young international artists.
Tione with its “pagliare,” Acciano with the river that laps the medieval village of hamlet Beffi, with the very well-preserved church of St. Michael and the town’s watchtower, descending to Raiano, the most important center in the area before Sulmona.
In the territory of Raiano, of great interest is the Corfiniese aqueduct built in the imperial age, which crosses the valley: it is dug into the rock with a tunnel of more than 5 km and is bordered by a road on which 134 wells, which serve as vents, open.
At the narrowest point of the gorge, on a system of arches where the Aterno flows underneath, a shrine opens up like a mirage before your eyes; it is the hermitage of San Venanzio, among woods and cultivated land.
USEFUL INFO.
- Considering the possible wait at the caves, and the fact that various points of interest, in order to be appreciated, require walks that it is a pity to make in a hurry, unless you select for stopping only a few of the suggested places, we recommend doing in a half day Stiffe, and a full day through Valle Subequana to Raiano.
- The half day you “have left over” after Stiffe you can spend relaxing at Lake Sinizzo, or at Aquila or other destinations in the area
- For a meal of great quality and elegance, in a setting that combines ancient and contemporary, the Costa di Maggio restaurant in Fontecchio is not to be missed. We suggest dinner, so you can enjoy the different courses at your leisure. Very refined reinterpretations inspired by Abruzzo cuisine. It is NOT a “typical” restaurant, do NOT look for arrosticini etc.
- Depending on the timetable, from Raiano you can return to Caporciano via Popoli Capestrano or, if you have a passion for driving and a car with a manual transmission, from Popoli the direttissima to San Benedetto in Perillis/Navelli, which climbs with 14 km of hairpin bends, the site of a famous annual car race.
REFERENCES
Stiffe Caves
Via Del Mulino Stiffe, 2
67028 San Demetrio nei Vestini
Phone: +39 333 785 1582
Purchase Tickets
https://www.visitsandemetrio.it/
Location: 42.254206320017346, 13.541159535009578Rito Restaurant of Claire Staroccia and Dan Gibeon
via del Mulino, 4 -67028 – Stiffe (L’Aquila) – San Demetrio Ne’ Vestini
Phone: 3388811642
cstaroccia@gmail.comCosta di Maggio Restaurant
Via del Rio, 67020 Fontecchio AQ
Tel: 345 305 0285
Whether you choose one of our suites or one of the apartments, Palazzo D’Alessandro welcomes you with harmonious spaces, refined atmospheres and an elegance that accompanies every moment of your stay.
