Immersed in history and nature, at the foot of the charming medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, at the shore of a small lake, stood an old barn.
Today it is transformed into an enchanting corner in which one can lodge and taste the authentic flavors of the Abbruzzi Mountains.
"La locanda sul lago" gives guests who stay in its seven rooms, the peace and tranquility of the splendid panorama unique to this village. Santo Stefano is listed among the 100 most beautiful villages in Italy and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The town invites you to relax and meditate while the splendid scenery of the National Park of the Gran Sasso and of the Monti della Laga urges you to take long hikes in the astonishing wilderness. The Locanda is warm and welcoming and offers to lovers of the table the opportunity to savor all the authentic flavors of the Abbruzzi mountains.
Warm, welcoming and comfortable, our rooms occupy two floors of the renovated barn. They are accessible from the cozy breakfast room where our guests can entertain themselves during the day playing cards, watching the news on the splendid 32" LCD screen or simply absorbing the atmosphere.
The renovations were completed in January of 2006. The rooms, with private bath and shower, have been furnished with care and with meticulous attention to detail. The furniture is authentically antique and the window treatments are simple and rustic. The terra cotta floors remind us of the old country houses in the mountains as do the wooden beamed ceilings.
Each of the seven rooms looks on to the town or the lake situated in front of the Locanda, and based on the views an appropriate name has been chosen which characterizes each room.
Adorned with large bright windows which look on to the charming lake in front, the restaurant is decorated in a rural style with simple art which makes one long for the traditional flavors of our grandmothers' cooking. Some dishes to savor are: lentil soup with fried bread crostini, pasta made by hand, ricotta of cow and sheep's milk, lamb raised in the plateau of Campo Imperatore, cured meats and cheeses in L'Aquila's tradition as well as the well known sweets of "I sapori del borgo", the noted artisan bakery of Santo Stefano. All is accompanied by the best wines of Abbruzzi and the typical liqueurs of the area, such as the genziana, the canina rose liqueur and the prugnolino.
After a hike in our beautiful mountains, there is nothing better than a lovely and tasty dinner.
The "Locanda sul lago" offers its guests a variety of traditional dishes of the region, beginning with excellent antipasti and ending with homemade sweets. All accompanied by one of the wonderful Abbruzzese wines from our wine list.
You can begin with an antipasto of locally cured meats and cheeses made from local milk, and served with local honey or homemade wine jam.
As for the first course, you may choose among the classic lentil soup, the traditional ricotta ravioli, delicious homemade pasta such as fettuccine with lamb sauce, pappardelle with mushrooms and truffles, maltagliate with the prized saffron from I Navelli and asparagus or tasty gnocchi with chickpeas, saffron and fresh tomatoes.
As a second course you might sample lamb with herbs, a house specialty, or the traditional lamb on the grill accompanied by crunchy potatoes. You might also savor pork loin in an apple sauce or, for lovers of game, braised wild boar with a salad. These are a few of the varied dishes offered.
You may conclude your dinner with a delicious dessert, from the classic lemon sorbet to ricotta marbled with coffee. In addition, delectable mint cream with biscotti from the artisan bakery "I sapori del borgo", plus a variety of homemade cakes.
After such a satisfying meal, we suggest you try one of the digestive liqueurs such as la genziana, il prugnolino or the extract of rosa canina, all produced with wild berries and herbs by "Delizie d'Abbruzzo" of Santo Stefano.