Appennino Bike Tour Festival - Sante Marie Stage

The Appennino Bike Tour Festival in Sante Marie

The small town of Sante Marie, located in the province of L'Aquila in the heart of the Abruzzo Marsica region, has been chosen as the only Abruzzo stage of the Appennino Bike Tour Festival, the largest national journey dedicated to soft mobility and the enhancement of inland areas. For one day, the mountain village, situated at an altitude of approximately 850 meters, transforms into a showcase for sustainable cycle tourism and a hub for dialogue between local, regional, and national institutions.

A major traveling event along the Apennine ridge

The ABT Festival is promoted by Vivi Appennino in collaboration with the Italian Cycling Federation, ANCI, and Confcommercio. In 2026, the festival crosses Italy from north to south, from Genoa to Sicily, along the Appennino Bike Tour cycle path: over 3,100 kilometers of cycle routes connecting 14 regions, dozens of provinces, and hundreds of small towns. In this grand narrative of the territory, Sante Marie represents the voice of Abruzzo and its mountains.

The day's program

The heart of the event in Sante Marie is concentrated in a day full of free activities open to everyone:

• Apennine Promotional Area: in the afternoon, Piazza Donatoni hosts information stands and activities dedicated to discovering the territory and sustainable mobility.
• Promotional Bike Ride (20 km): a free group ride starting from Piazza Donatoni with an official guide from the Italian Cycling Federation, reaching the picturesque villages of Castelvecchio and Scanzano, with a tasting stop dedicated to traditional Abruzzo products.
• Regional Forum on Sustainable Development of the Apennines: between Piazza Donatoni and Via Don Paolo Frezzini, a discussion on the crucial issues of inland areas — depopulation, essential services, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, and sustainable village economies.
• Appointment of the Apennine Ambassadors: the closing ceremony that rewards those committed to the promotion and protection of the Apennine territory.

The territory and tradition

Sante Marie and its hamlets offer an ideal setting for slow cycle tourism: the trails, forests, and mountain panoramas of the Marsica region provide the backdrop for a day designed to rediscover the value of small villages. Tastings of local products along the route tell the story of the gastronomic richness of inland Abruzzo, while the Forum offers a space for reflection on the future of mountain communities. An appointment that combines sport, environment, culture, and civic commitment into one great widespread event.