Day 3

Archeological tour of Sepino

After the breakfast, private transfer by minivan to Altilia district (Sepino).
We’ll start an hiking over the centuries, through the rich history of a small town in Molise: Sepino.
We’ll visit San Pietro di Cantoni, Conventino, Saipins and Saepinum. All archeological areas.
Packed lunch.
Private transfer by minivan to the cottage for the rest.
Cooking classes for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Night in cottage, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

If there is snow, the excursion will be on snowshoes.

Starting from Regio Tratturo “Pescasseroli-Candela”, old tracks for the transhumance of sheep and shepherds in the South Italy, we climb the first hills and we arrive at the Samnite temple and then the Christian cult area of San Pietro di Cantoni. Between phases of frequentation and phases of abandonment, the Samnite temple dates back to the 4th century BC and is dedicated to the goddess Mefite, protector of fertility. Instead, the Christian church refers to the fourth century AD. Along the ascent we find the ruins of Conventino of Santa Maria degli Angeli, a small nineteenth-century Franciscan monastery. Even more towards the hills we visit the Samnite village of Saipins, in Terravecchia, at 953 meters above sea level, we visit the ruins of the pre-Roman city (4th century BC), with a double defensive wall made of large boulders and three small doors: Matese seating area, the door of the Acropolis and the one of Tratturo. Once arrived on the top of the hill, we go down until the magnificent Roman city of Saepinum (a foundation of the 2nd century BC and maximum splendor in the Augustan age, between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD). A real archaeological jewel, the Roman city has the classic urban layout with decumanus (still paved) and cardo, the entire city walls to delimit the boundaries, four monumental doors, the theater, the baths, the forum, the basilica, the campus complex -piscina-porticus, the macellum, two neighborhoods of housing and much more.

TECHNICAL FEATURES OF THE JOURNEY
DURATION: 4 hours
LENGHT: 10 km
TOTAL DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT: 550 metres up,  550 metres down
DIFFICULTY: easy

Day 4

Hiking from Campitello Matese to Pianelle, through Serra le Tre Finestre and the hermitage of Sant’Egidio

After the breakfast, private transfer by minivan to Campitello Matese (San Massimo), where we’ll start a hiking until to Pianelle, through Serra le Tre Finestre and Eremo di Sant’Egidio.
Packed lunch.
Private transfer by minivan to the cottage for the rest.
Dinner in cottage.
Night in cottage, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

If there is snow, the excursion will be on snowshoes.

Located in one of the largest plains of Matese and surrounded by peaks and woods, the ski resort of Campitello Matese develops with several kilometers of slopes on Monte Miletto (2050 meters above sea level), Colle del Caprio (1800 meters above sea level) and Colle del Monaco (1708 meters above sea level). Moving away from alpine ski slopes, you are soaked in a soundless nature, between high altitude grasslands and beech woods. Snowshoes trekking goes through the Wood of Campitello, characteristic beech wood with fair-sized examples, until reaching the top of Serra le Tre Finestre (1731 meters above sea level), from which you can enjoy a beautiful view of the rest of Sannita Apennines and hills of central Molise. Fully enjoyed the view, we descend on the northern side of Serra le Tre Finestre, to reach Monte Acerone (1594 meters above sea level) and enter the Monte Acerone Woods, another beech forest with large size of magnificent beech trees and evocative environments. Then we come first to the beautiful hermitage of Sant’Egidio (IX century) and then to Pianelle, crossing another beautiful beechwood (Bosco Pianelle), between panoramic balconies and steep valleys.

TECHNICAL FEATURES OF THE JOURNEY
DURATION: 4 hours and half (rest-times not included)
LENGHT: 12 km
TOTAL DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT: 970 metres up,  1180 metres down
DIFFICULTY: medium

Day 5

Hiking to discover karst phenomenons

After the breakfast, private transfer by minivan to Sella del Perrone (Guardiaregia), where we’ll start a hiking to discover karst phenomenons.
Packed lunch.
Private transfer by minivan to the cottage for the rest.
Dinner in cottage.
Night in cottage, in twin rooms with private bathroom.

If there is snow, the excursion will be on snowshoes.

We are on the border between Molise and Campania. It is a wild and solitary place, rich in luxuriant beech-woods, with amazing panoramic balconies on the peakes of Matese and on a large and fascinating karst lake, the lake of Matese. What will give greater emphasis to snowshoes trekking are the deep abysses of Pozzo della Neve (-1048 meters depth and over 8000 meters of development) and Cul di Bove (-913 meters depth and 3900 meters of development), large caves born from water erosion and very famous in the speleological field. Picnic. Dinner in farmhouse and night in cottage.

TECHNICAL FEATURES OF THE JOURNEY
DURATION: 5 hours (rest-times not included)
LENGHT: 18 km
TOTAL DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT: 670 metres up,  740 metres down
DIFFICULTY: moderate

Day 6

Campobasso

Time to say goodbye and go back.
After the breakfast, transfer by minivan from cottage to Campobasso. Visit of the historical center and transfer to the railway or bus station of Campobasso.

Travel information

This program may be to change, before and during the journey. Changes are based on the climate, the needs of travelers and the people that host the group of travelers.  

Local representative

During the stay, professional nature and interpretive AIGAE guide will be at your disposal.

Level of difficulty

Medium (out of five categories: Easy, Moderate, Medium, Challenging, Difficult): 4 walking days, covering a total distance of 56 km. A few moderate uphills. Many downhills and plateau walks. The trail contains a mix of steep uphill and plateau walks. In three days out of four the total uphill and downhill height differences are about or slightly exceed 1000 meters. The remaining one day it exceed the total 500 meters, both downhill and uphill. The routes do not present any technical difficulty (use of mountaineering equipment). Hikings are suitable to everybody, though you need to be trained for mountain walking and on the snow (if any). Hikings are on foot. Fixed and same place for the overnight. Short trips are by car. Overnights are comfortable.

Available dates

This programme is available for the dates mentioned on the website www.italy.viaggiemiraggi.org.

Prices

FOR FURTHER DETAILS CONCERNING THE PRICING TAB YOU MAY CONTACT THE AGENT

What is included:

• All breakfasts, packed lunches and dinners
• All nights in twin rooms with private bathroom
• Transfer during the six (6) days in Molise
• Agency fee

What is not included:

• Trip from the own residence, with any transport, to and from Molise
• No single rooms
• The Filodiretto Assistance Trip Cancellation Coverage is purchasable
  at the agency within 32 days before the departure date
• Injury insurance can be activated on request.

ll quotations are subject to availability at the time of confirming a reservation.

Conditions

The minimum number of participants required to activate the trip is 8 people.
Travellers will be informed 15 days prior to departure, in order to confirm.

Registrations

For registration terms and conditions please consult the following website: How we travel – italy.viaggiemiraggi.org

Information

For information do not hesitate to contact us
• italia@viaggiemiraggi.org