The Simbruini Mountains: waterfalls, forests, and the silence of the Apennines

Between the provinces of Frosinone and Rome, not far from the capital, lies the Monti Simbruini Regional Nature Park, covering 30,000 hectares of unspoiled nature. It is a landscape suspended between heaven and earth, which seems to tell of a past that has remained intact and immaculate in the face of nature.

The mountains reign supreme here, and the landscape is indeed a realm of tranquility. The peaks exceed 2,000 meters, such as Monte Cotento, which exceeds 2,015 meters, and Monte Autore, which reaches 1,855 meters, while their surfaces are covered by some of the most extensive beech forests in Europe. Further down the valley, oak and holm oak woods and shrubs emerge, creating a contrast between the alpine and Po Valley landscapes in Lazio.

The park is a laboratory of biodiversity, home to the Apennine wolf, the symbol of Rome, as well as golden eagles and peregrine falcons in the skies.

The area is one of the rainiest in the Central Apennines, and Simbruini derives from the Latin sub imbribus, meaning ‘under the rain’. Water is a vital and sacred element for the park, and rainfall exceeds 2,000 millimeters throughout the year. The park's springs still feed the Aniene aqueduct and supply Rome, demonstrating the importance that the Monti Simbruini park still holds today.

The park covers many municipalities, and in all of them you will find monasteries, medieval fortresses, the sanctuary of the Holy Trinity, Vallepietra, but also the Trevi arch and the archaeological area of Comunacque. This is to show that the park also has historical charm: it really has everything.

Approximately 450 km of trails extend throughout the park, which is a place for everyone. We especially recommend visiting the karst plateaus of Campo Buffone and traveling along its trails by bike to take in the breathtaking views. The park is a place for everyone, not just for trekking or mountain biking enthusiasts.

If you want to be part of an ancient landscape surrounded by nature, exploring the Simbruini Mountains is ideal. Here you will find an authentic atmosphere, where beauty whispers something that regenerates the soul.

Photo credits: Vides Ut Alta - Licensed by CC 4.0