Discover Varco Sabino: Nature, Trails and History

Varco Sabino combines protected natural areas, marked trails and historic sites with special experiences at Lago del Salto. If you are looking for a holiday apartment for a varied vacation, you will find opportunities here for both active days and cultural discoveries. You can sensibly choose your accommodation based on whether you primarily want to hike, experience landscapes, get to know historic sites or plan water sports.

Nature reserve and trails for active days

The Monte Navegna and Monte Cervia Regional Nature Reserve includes Varco Sabino and protects around 3,600 hectares of particularly valuable natural areas. Around 70 % of the reserve is covered by predominantly natural coppice forests and productive chestnut groves. For planning hiking days, there is a network of approximately 90 km of continuously marked and well-maintained trails. This scale offers many opportunities for travelers who like to spend their days in nature and choose their excursions by theme or distance.

One specific destination is the CAI 325 trail. It begins at Fosso della Mola below Varco Sabino and leads to Fonte Le Forche on the southern slopes of Monte Navegna. The nature reserve's long-distance trail network also includes the Cammino Naturale dei Parchi, the Cammino di San Benedetto, the Sentiero Italia and the Sentiero Europeo E1. The “Laudato Si” trail runs between Ascrea and the Forche di Varco Sabino. This allows groups with different interests to choose between individual trail sections and longer-distance routes without limiting the trip to a single activity.

Exploring on foot, by bike or on horseback

The Ecomuseum of Salto and Turano also offers different ways to explore the area: its routes can be explored on foot, by bicycle, on horseback or by car. Another distinctive option is the Ippovia along the shores of Lago del Salto. It is more than 200 km long and passes through Varco Sabino. From Monte Navegna, Lago del Salto and numerous places in Cicolano can be seen. This makes it possible to include nature experiences, viewpoints and longer routes as different focal points in your vacation planning.

Villages, churches and traces of history

Varco Sabino also offers an opportunity to take a closer look at the history of its individual places. Poggio Vittiano is a well-preserved medieval village and a hamlet of Varco Sabino. Rocca Vittiana also belongs to Varco Sabino and has a small labyrinth of narrow lanes and arches on a rocky promontory above Lago del Salto. The Roman Bridge is well preserved and bears witness to the area's importance as an access route to Abruzzo.

Religious and historical points of interest include the Church of San Girolamo, with a bas-relief of a processional cross from the 15th century, as well as the rural church of Sant'Angelo de Varco, first mentioned in 1252 in a register of churches dependent on the Abbey of San Salvatore Maggiore. The Chiesa della B. Vergine Assunta in Poggio Vittiano has medieval origins. The Ecomuseum's themed faith trail also includes the Grotta di San Michele di Varco Sabino.

Older settlement history is also visible: Mirandella is an ancient settlement of Varco Sabino that was abandoned around the 17th century. The small village of Varco Sabino arose in the 15th century after an earthquake destroyed nearby Mirandella. The Ecomuseum's themed cultural route “Itinerario dei Castelli e delle Rocche” includes Rigatti; Rigatti Castle was probably founded in the 12th century.

Lake experiences and local traditions

Lago del Salto complements the trails and cultural destinations with a sporting perspective. Wakeboarding there is suitable for both cable and freeride operation. If you are planning a trip with different daily rhythms, you can combine nature and cultural trails with time by the water. “Estate in Festa” includes the gastronomic tour “Salli e Magna”. The event is linked to the week around Ferragosto and includes performances of plays in dialect.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Varco Sabino, it is therefore worth deciding in advance what you want the focus of your vacation to be: Would you like to explore marked trails and long-distance hiking routes, visit historic sites and churches, include horseback riding and cycling options, or experience Lago del Salto by wakeboard? Varco Sabino offers concrete opportunities for these different travel ideas without requiring you to limit yourself to just one way of exploring.

Other places for orientation

For further travel planning, you can also take a look at Forano, Configni, Antrodoco, Cantalupo In Sabina, Poggio Mirteto, Ornaro, Cottanello and Montebuono.

For the higher-level travel overview: Rieti.