The Gran Sasso Storytelling Towns Festival returns on 27 and 28 June.
There are places you visit and places you listen to.
I Paesi Narranti del Gran Sasso belong to this second category: villages, communities and landscapes that preserve stories capable of recounting the most authentic identity of Abruzzo. A project that today represents one of the most interesting examples of Experiential tourism in Abruzzo, capable of enhancing small towns through meetings, culture, walking routes, and authentic relationships.
On 27 and 28 June 2026, the Grand Sasso Storytelling Countries Festival, now in its third edition. A widespread event that crosses Capestrano, Castelvecchio Calvisio and Calascio, transforming squares, paths, alleys and meeting places into spaces dedicated to culture, participation and the construction of new visions for the future of small towns.
The Narrating Countries continue to tell stories made of places and people. Stories that change, resist, build identities and imagine future scenarios. A collective narrative that centres communities, territory, and the value of relationships.
What is the Gran Sasso Storytelling Countries Festival
The Festival was born within the project Paesi Narranti del Gran Sasso, a network that unites fifteen countries in the Gran Sasso area into an integrated tourist destination founded on the valorisation of its cultural, environmental, and human heritage.
The aim is to tell the story of another way of experiencing and visiting the inland territories: slower, more mindful and deeply connected to the people who inhabit them.
In a territory known for its mountains, its trails, and its historic villages, the Festival is an opportunity to discover the Gran Sasso d'Abruzzo through a different approach: not just visiting extraordinary places, but having experiences that put local people and communities at the centre.
During the festival, the countries become places for meeting and discussion where nature, art, music, words, and landscape engage in dialogue. You don't participate as a mere spectator; you become part of a shared story.
Every street, every square, every view contributes to building an experience that unites people, ideas and visions.
Officina Futura dei Piccoli Paesi: the bootcamp that envisions the future of rural areas
Among the most innovative initiatives of the 2026 edition is Future Workshop of Small Towns, the residential training bootcamp linked to the Festival, from 24 to 27 June.
This is a design and debate workshop involving students, administrators, professionals, researchers and experts engaged in the development of inland territories.
For four days, participants work together to analyse the challenges and opportunities facing small municipalities, building ideas and proposals capable of generating real impact on local communities.
The bootcamp isn't just a training opportunity, but a concrete occasion to connect different skills, experiences, and visions. The reflections and projects developed during Officina Futura then feed into the Festival, creating a direct dialogue between those who study the future of inland areas and those who live in those territories every day.
This is precisely one of the distinctive elements of Storytelling Countries: transforming the narrative of the territory into an opportunity for growth and shared planning.
In this sense Officina Futura becomes a concrete space for reflection on the future of Gran Sasso National Park and more generally of the Inland areas of Abruzzo, promoting new forms of social innovation, inclusion, and sustainable development.
Sunday 28 June: an experience of walking, storytelling, and community
Among the most anticipated events of the Festival is the Experiential day on Sunday 28 June, designed for experiencing Gran Sasso through the slow rhythm of walking and encountering those who preserve the soul of these places.
For those who love Slow tourism in Abruzzo, This experience represents a unique opportunity to traverse some of the most striking landscapes of the Gran Sasso and to get to know the stories of the people who continue to live and protect these territories up close.
The experience will start from Castelvecchio Calvisio, between stone alleys and open views of the Abruzzese mountains. From here a route will begin through paths and pastures accompanied by Valentino Mosesso, known as the “Shepherd Farmer Poet”, capable of transforming the journey into a tale of nature, traditions, and memory.
The arrival at Calascio it will be an opportunity to meet Mimì, a historic shepherd of the area, guardian of authentic stories that tell of mountain life, the relationship with the landscape and the value of traditions that still resist today in the heart of Gran Sasso.
The initiative combines hiking, storytelling, and meeting with the local community, perfectly interpreting the spirit of Experiential tourism in Gran Sasso promoted by the Narrating Countries.
The day will continue with a convivial moment dedicated to sharing, local flavours and meeting people, before continuing through the alleys and vistas of Calascio and Castelvecchio Calvisio, letting yourself be guided by the stories, emotions and deep identity of the Talking Countries.
It won't just be a hike.
It will be a way to feel part of a collective story and to understand the territory through the people who inhabit it.
The day can be booked by calling Il Bosso's tourist office on 085 9808009.
The villages, stars of the Festival
The 2026 edition involves three symbolic locations in the Abruzzo hinterland:
Capestrano
A town rich in history and culture, known for the famous Warrior of Capestrano and for its strategic position between Gran Sasso and the Tirino Valley, one of the most visited territories in the Abruzzo hinterland thanks to its outdoor, naturalistic, and sustainable tourism experiences.
Castelvecchio Calvisio
One of the most fascinating medieval centres in the Apennines, characterised by an elliptical fortified urban structure and a strong connection to pastoral tradition.
Calascio
Iconic emblem of the Gran Sasso, known worldwide for its extraordinary historical and landscape heritage, dominated by the evocative Rocca di Calascio, considered one of the must-see landmarks in Abruzzo.
Why take part in the Festival of Storytelling Countries
Taking part in the Festival means experiencing one of the most authentic experiences dedicated to small towns in the Gran Sasso area, coming into contact with communities, traditions, and landscapes that tell the truest face of Abruzzo.
It means listening to authentic stories, meeting people who choose to live in small towns every day, walking through extraordinary landscapes, and discovering new ideas for the future of rural areas.
Through workshops, concerts, community gatherings, cultural activities, and local experiences, the Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Festival offers a unique opportunity to discover the most authentic Abruzzo.
For those looking for events dedicated to Slow tourism in Abruzzo, opportunities to get to know the small towns and New perspectives on the future of inland areas, the Festival dei Paesi Narranti is an event not to be missed.
Countries aren't just places.
They are walking stories.
It is the people, relationships, memories and visions that continue to shape the future at the heart of the Gran Sasso.
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