L'Aquila is an Italian city of about 70,000 inhabitants and nearly 30,000 university students. It is the capital of the Abruzzo region and it is conveniently located 100 km (62 miles) to the east of Rome. The city is on a hill at 720 m (2365 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by mountains, most notably to the north by the Gran Sasso range, which includes the highest peaks (up to 2900 m) of the Apennines, with a number of small lakes, trails and mountain climbing routes as well as deep caves. Within the province of L’Aquila there are also two national parks (Parco Nazionale Gran Sasso Monti della Laga and Parco Nazionale della Majella).
The city itself is full of history, traditions, beautiful buildings (like the Spanish Fortress) and churches (like the Basilica of Collemaggio). There are also a lot of good restaurants, pubs and places where students get together every night. The city is also the home of L'Aquila Rugby. This team won the Italian championship five times.
For more practical and historical information about L'Aquila, click here.

Some more details about excursions around L'Aquila can be obtained from this page on our site.