Albergo Stella Ristorante - caffetteria Bono Vino&caffe

sulmona

by call_me_rhia

Sulmona is a small city - a town in fact - rich in art and in culture. It's also conveniently located near the Maiella national park, so it's easy to head out of the city and go hiking. There are two reasons why Sulmona is famous: it was the birthplace of the latin poet Ovid and it is where the best sugar-coated almonds are produced... because of this, some say that sulmona is the city of love.

Sulmona, aparently, takes its name after Solimo, who was one of Enea's comrades... he's supposed to be the founder of the city. What I liked best in Sulmona is its efficiency: the tourist office is open 7 days a week and the lady working there is extremely helpful and competent... everything seems to work, and banks and shops stay open longer hours than they normally would.

Sulmona aims at attracting tourists, and it's really doing a great job about it. Thumbs up!

Fabbrica e Museo dei confetti Pelino

by call_me_rhia

Sulmona is famous for its production of sugar-coated almonds - and the best brand of them is pelino. Just outside town it's possible to visit the museum and factory. The Pelino family has been producing these sweets since the late middle age, so in the museum you can also see the old machinery that was used.

The factory is open every day except Sunday, 9.00-12.00 and 15.30-18.30. Entrance is free.
It's located in Via Stazione Introdacqua, 55 - and buses going to Scanno stop nearby. Alternatively you can take a taxi, it's only a few kilometres from the centre.

A Town as Sweet as its Most Famous Product

by mikey_e

"Pleasant place, Pleasant people"

I came to Sulmona on my way from Pescara, on the Abruzzese coast, en route to L'Aquila. The guidebook I was using had remarkably little on Sulmona, but given that I had a fair amount of time to spare between trains, I decided to look around. The city centre was deserted but a very nice elderly woman (who, remarkably, had relatives in Ottawa) showed me the way to the main square. There is great rennaissance architecture here and, of course, no visitor should miss sulmona sweets - usually almonds covered in a sweet but not too sweet candy. You can buy them in many countries, but of course they taste best fresh!