Sulmona

An underappreciated city of fantastic restaurants, narrow medieval streets and half-discovered mountain magic, Sulmona sits strategically on a plateau surrounded by three national parks, making it the ideal base for outdoor excursions in Abruzzo. It's easy to reach from Pescara or Rome, and simple to navigate once you arrive (trails fan out from the city limits). The city can trace its history back to the Roman town of Sulmo, where the poet Ovid (of Metamorphoses fame) was born in 43 BC. It is also known within Italy for its confetti – the almond sweets, not the coloured paper scattered at weddings.