“Celebrate your Easter differently in Abruzzo”
7 Day Easter Experience Cooking and Food Tour in Abruzzo, Province of Chieti
Hotel dei 7, Via S. Michele, 66, 66054 Vasto, Province of Chieti, Italy
Food Tour and Cooking Vacation in Italy
Join Italia Sweet Italia on this Italian cookery tour in Abruzzo, central Italy. You will be part of a small group of people and will be able to develop your culinary and wine skills and discover the region’s off-the-beaten-track secrets and atmosphere during Easter time. The highlight of this tour is the chance to experience traditional Easter celebrations, religious events, festivals, and food of Abruzzo.
Highlights
- Easter religious and food festivals
- Hands-on cooking class: pasta and Easter dessert
- Street food tour, cheese making, and cheese tasting tour
- Art experience, trabocco demonstration, visiting artisans, farm, castle,
- 6 breakfasts and 8 meals in selected restaurants and farmhouses
- Personalized cooking booklet and apron
- 6 nights accommodation
- Airport transfers
Styles
6 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Italian
Group size: 2-16 participants
Airport transfer included:
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Accommodation
Facilities
- Gym
- Air-conditioned public areas
- Bar
- Concierge desk
- Multilingual staff
- Restaurant
- Baby sitting
- Currency exchange
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry
- Newspapers
- Tour assistance
Recently renovated, Hotel dei 7 is the perfect setting for your stay in Vasto. In their practical and elegant ambiance, you can relax with all the modern comforts and in absolute tranquility nearby the Villa Comunale (municipal park) and Belvedere San Michele, one of the most fascinating viewpoints of the town. Most of the rooms have also a small kitchen and an amazing view of the Adriatic Sea and Vasto bay. It is five minutes' walking from Piazza Rossetti, Vasto main square.
Program
Day 1: Rome airport pickup and welcome to Abruzzo dinner (dinner)
PM
You will be picked up at the Rome Fiumicino airport at 2:30 p.m. and transferred to the ancient Roman town of Vasto on the Adriatic Coast after crossing beautiful Abruzzo mountains looking at amazing landscapes.
Check in at the charming and family-run Hotel dei 7 (or a similar accommodation) in the historical downtown. Get to know your guide and learn more about this seven-day cultural and culinary vacation. Then, walk to a traditional restaurant to enjoy a welcome group dinner in the heart of Vasto.
Enjoy the “sepolcri night” atmosphere. One of the most interesting traditions about Holy Weekin Italy is the custom of visiting the sacramental altars, called “sepolcri - sepulchers” in Italian, of 3, 5, 7, or more different churches on the evening of Holy Thursday. The custom entails a plenary indulgence and it usually consists of putting many lights around the church altars. Historically, these lights included torches and lanterns.
Day 2: Holy Friday, discover the fascinating Trabocchi coast, fish-based aperitif on a trabocco fishing hut, visit a typical “agriturismo” to learn everything about Abruzzo farming, farm-to-table lunch, explore Vasto and procession of Dead Christ (breakfast, tasting, cooking lesson, lunch)
After a leisurely traditional breakfast made of freshly baked bread, whole fruit country-style preserves, cake, pastries, coffee, tea, and freshly squeezed juice:
AM
After breakfast, you will drive along the famous Trabocchi coast. You will visit a trabocco (the symbol of the area), mostly built with acacia wood and railway iron sleepers.
Weather permitting, Rinaldo your host will show you how to fish from it and the secrets and history behind Abruzzo’s unique fishing platforms that have been featured in the BBC TV show: Escape to the Continent.
During a seafood aperitif, you will be able to relax breathing the sea breeze and taking some photos of the many beautiful marine landscape.
Next, you will make your way to a farmhouse where Pina and Berardino will reveal the secrets of farming letting you immerse in an authentic slow food experience. You could relax in the beautiful Abruzzo countryside or take part into some or all of these experiences.
Today, you will be able to milk a sheep or a cow. You will also learn how to make a special bread called “pizza scima - stupid pizza”, a pizza without yeast.
After collecting some organic wine from their winery, you will have an aperitif including a taste of their production: cheeses, salami, and extra virgin olive oil. Next, you will learn how to prepare ricotta cheese. Finally, you will collect the fresh vegetables from their garden that will be used for your farm-to-table lunch.
PM
A delicious traditional farm-to-table lunch will be prepared and served. Almost everything you will eat is produced in the farm (wheat to produce the organic flour to make different kinds of breads, cookies, and fresh pasta together with eggs from their hens, organic extra virgin olive oil, wines, liquors, juices, jams, cheeses, many varieties of salami, meats, and vegetables).
After a short break to relax, in the afternoon, you will explore Vasto historic center: Loggia Amblingh, a promenade overlooking the fascinating crescent-shaped coastline, the old town with its medieval castle, charming lanes, a tower, the cathedral and Piazza Rossetti, dedicated to Gabriele Rossetti, a poet from the town and father of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Enjoy the Venerdì Santo (Holy Friday) atmosphere by partaking in the procession of “Cristo Morto – Dead Christ” in Vasto city center.
In the evening, you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants of Vasto. After the big lunch, based on Italia Sweet Italia’s many years of experience, they know that nobody is looking for a rich dinner, so travelers usually enjoy spending time like a local trying a simple aperitif, a gelato, or a pizza. Obviously, Fabrizio will suggest you his favorite places.
Day 3: Holy Saturday, a visit to the market, make homemade pasta with Mamma, free afternoon (breakfast, cooking lesson, lunch)
AM
After breakfast, you will walk and visit Vasto’s colorful market to get seasonal products. Here, you will have the possibility to practice a little bit of Italian even if you do not speak any of it.
Next, you will drive to the beautiful countryside of Vasto where you will meet Fabrizio’s family to have an exclusive cooking class with them. You will learn how easy it is to make fresh pasta and you will also be introduced to Abruzzo sauces.
An example menu based on Fabrizio’s family recipes, includes bread with meat sauce, pasta alla chitarra with meat sauce and polpette (meatballs), cavatelli with vegetables and tarallucci (typical biscuits from Abruzzo) - of course this depends on seasonal availability.
PM
Enjoy lunch with the scrumptious dishes that you prepared in the morning, while enjoying the relaxing family atmosphere.
Italia Sweet Italia knows that not every minute of your time must be packed with organized events, this way you will be able to explore on your own and actually live like an Italian.
So today, you will have a free afternoon for your own activities, which could be: going to one of the many beaches, visiting Vasto’s museums and art galleries, taking part into some extra activities / excursions, or just doing some Easter shopping visiting artisans or having a walk in the “piazza” to enjoy the relaxing Vasto Easter atmosphere.
In the evening, you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants of Vasto. You can also partake the Holy Saturday service in one of the many churches in Vasto city center.
Day 4: Easter Sunday, exploring Sulmona’s historic center, Madonna che scappa in piazza (Running Madonna) event, Easter lunch (breakfast, lunch)
AM
After breakfast, you will drive through the beautiful Abruzzo mountains and you will get to Sulmona, the town of the Roman poet Ovid, the most illustrious son of Sulmona.
You will discover Sulmona and see the medieval aqueduct on Piazza Garibaldi. But, this is a special day in which you will be assisted to the Madonna che scappa in piazza (Running Madonna), a narrative and very emotional evocation of the encounter between Mary and the risen Christ. This is the most famous Easter event of the region with more than 10,000 people observing this tradition every year.
PM
Enjoy a traditional Easter lunch in Sulmona. You will have some free time to explore Sulmona and to taste confetti (sugar coated almonds) for which Sulmona is famous for all over the world. In the evening, you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants of Vasto.
Day 5: Angel’s Monday, Roccascalegna Castle and medieval festival, exploring Punta Aderci Nature Reserve (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
AM
After breakfast, you will make your way to the village of Roccascalegna where you will explore the enchanting Abruzzo castle in the sky and enjoy a festival with demonstration of medieval fights, demonstration of hunting with falconry and theatrical performances that will bring you directly into the magical atmospheres of the Middle Ages.
PM
Street food lunch with typical arrosticini (sheep skewers from Abruzzo), focacce, and pastries. You will have a short and easy walk inside Punta Aderci Nature Reserve, one of the 10 most beautiful Italian beaches according to the British daily news, “The Telegraph”. Enjoy a group dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto.
Day 6: Tuesday, Talami in Orsogna traditional feast and make your own Easter gift with an artist
AM
After breakfast, you will make your way to the village of Orsogna to experience the “Talami”, one of the most popular events of Easter time in Abruzzo. The Feast, a breathtaking parade of seven floats carrying sacred images inspired from the Bible, takes place every year on the Tuesday after Easter and thousands of people are drawn by this show combining theatre with folk traditions. From 2011, the Talami are “Heritage of Italy for Tradition”.
You will enjoy a collective lunch in the main square with a traditional dish: “Gnuccune aristufate”(a special kind of pasta).
PM
After a short break at the hotel, you will drive to the little hilltop village of Lentella at Ettore’s “Fattoria d’Arte” (art farm).
Surrounded by an amazing landscape with a stunning view of the sea, mountains, hills, and small towns, you can enjoy an artistic experience with Ettore, which will let you create your own Christmas gift (a little sculpture or a postcard made with natural colors produced at the moment mixing leaves and flowers that you can pick at Ettore’s property). You will have an aperitif and a traditional lunch with Ettore and his wife Barbara.
Day 7: Wednesday, goodbye and transfer to Rome airport
After breakfast, you will leave (usually at 9:00 a.m.) for Rome Fiumicino airport or your next destination (Rome Fiumicino is about 3.5 hours’ driving from Vasto) so make sure to get an afternoon flight.
Note about your itinerary
Your itinerary is a guide to your activities during the week. However, sometimes the final itinerary is modified to take advantage of the season and the weather. The goal is to ensure that everyone has a fabulous time, and that sometimes means tweaking the schedule even after your arrival. Your guide will provide suggestions during the week, and the group will decide whether to make any change. Be assured that only enhanced experiences are ever considered.
Included excursions
- Discover Sulmona and see the Roman aqueduct on Piazza Garibaldi
- Drive to the little hilltop village of Lentella at Ettore’s “Fattoria d’Arte”(art farm) for an artistic experience
- Explore Loggia Amblingh, the Cathedral and Piazza Rossetti
- Explore the enchanting Abruzzo’s castle in the sky in Roccascalegna
- Have a short and easy walk inside Punta Aderci Nature Reserve
- Partake in the procession of “Cristo Morto - Dead Christ” in Vasto
- Stop at Trabocco Punta Tufano to have a funny fishing experience
- Visit a sheep and cows farm to learn how to milk a sheep or a cow
- Visit the village of Orsogna to experience the “Talami”, one of the most popular events of Easter time in Abruzzo
- Visit Vasto’s colorful market to get seasonal products
Location
This wine tasting and cooking holiday will take place in Vasto, a city in Abruzzo region, Italy.
Vasto
In Vasto, a Roman coastal town in Abruzzo, just three hours from Rome, which flourished again in the 15th and 16th century, you will enjoy exploring the Centro Storico, its cathedrals and churches, the 15th Century Palazzo d’Avalos, the Rossetti Theater, the cafes, restaurants, the food, wine and gelato, vineyards, cheese factories, and olive oil mills.
You will also find many natural sites such as a selection of beaches, from sandy shores to pebbly coves, from the populous marina to the natural reserve, from dunes to trabocchi, the unique fishing huts you will marvel at, all within a short distance. Vasto is a perfect base for cooking, painting, Italian language and pottery holidays in Abruzzo.
Abruzzo
Green and just a short drive from Rome
Abruzzo is just a short drive from Rome and considered the greenest region in Europe with three national parks and many protected areas and species such as bears, wolves, lynx and golden eagles.
Mountains and a coastline
Abruzzo spreads from the Apennine mountains to the Adriatic sea so that you can admire the highest mountains of the Apennines, the Corno Grande directly from its coast. It is this huge variety of landscapes and seascapes that make it an ideal place to have a painting holiday.
A different approach
Trabocchi: Charming old fishing huts created in the eighteenth century that protrude "into the sea" and provide a safer way to fish in the Adriatic. They make a perfect traditional base for fishing experiences, cooking, painting, and pottery classes and are unique to Abruzzo.
A gastronomic heritage
Abruzzo and her four provinces: Teramo, L’Aquila, Pescara, and Chieti have a very diverse gastronomic heritage that includes wine, pasta alla chitarra (homemade pasta worked with a particular instrument called guitar), extra-virgin olive oil, cheeses, salami, truffle, saffron, and fish soups. Explore it through this cooking holiday.
Natural hospitality
You can see an authenticity and natural hospitality of the people, the value and warmth of human relationships, tranquility, and slow pace of life.
Off-the-beaten-track
Abruzzo remains unknown and off the beaten to many non-Italians.
Reawaken and remember
Abruzzo and her people the Abruzzese will reawaken your senses and provide an unforgettable Italian holiday you will never forget!
Distances
- Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) - 3.5 hours
- Vasto Harbor - 15 minutes
- Vasto Marina, 3 kilometers
Food
The price of this culinary holiday includes daily buffet breakfasts and eight meals (food, water, and house wine) in selected restaurants and farmhouses based on traditional regional dishes.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
- Easter shopping
- Going to one of the many beaches
- Visiting a natural reserve
What's included
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast buffet
- 8 meals (food, water, house wine) in selected restaurants, a farmhouse, a private home, a winery, and a trabocco fishing hut based on traditional regional dishes
- 1 hands-on authentic Abruzzo cooking class and associated food costs
- Art experience with a local artist
- Daily trips, experiences, and excursions
- Pick up and drop-off at Rome Fiumicino airport or city center on request
- Personalized cooking booklet and apron
- All transports for daily trips and excursions
- All entry fees for excursions, tours and wine, olive oil, and cheese tastings
- English-speaking tour manager throughout the vacation
- All taxes
What's not included
- Airfares
- Money spent for personal interests
- Snacks / drinks between meals, or any meals not listed on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like phone calls, visa costs, laundry, or tips
- Travel insurance (not obligatory, but recommended)
- Drinks not listed in the itinerary (an extra bottle of wine, for example)
- The cost of additional excursions or activities
How to get there
Recommended Airports
FCO
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
206 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flights to arrive at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO). Transfer from and to this airport is included. Italia Sweet Italia will pick you up at the airport.
Airport: Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Airport transfer included: Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookCulinaryVacations.com. All major credit cards supported.
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