Leisure: mountain food, piazza Duomo market, Gran Sasso, evenings in the centre

Food and markets

The Aquila table is that of mountains and shepherding: arrosticini mutton skewers grilled over charcoal, lamb, pecorino and ricotta, maccheroni alla chitarra, sagne with beans, lentils from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, PDO L'Aquila saffron grown on the Navelli plateau, truffles, and for dessert the soft Aquila chocolate torrone, ferratelle wafers and Sulmona confetti from the province. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Pecorino are the wines.

The piazza Duomo market, daily from Monday to Saturday, returned to the centre after reconstruction with food, clothing and local-produce stalls; neighbourhood markets are held in the hamlets and in Pettino.

Mountains and parks

The mountains are the city's great advantage: from Fonte Cerreto the cable car takes you to Campo Imperatore for alpine skiing in winter and trails in summer (Corno Grande, Pizzo Cefalone, the Calderone glacier); Campo Felice and Ovindoli are the other ski resorts 30–40 minutes away; the Sirente-Velino Park and the Celano Gorges are to the south. Within the municipality, the Castle Park around the Spanish Fort and the Parco del Sole with the Villa Comunale are the urban greens; the cycle path along the Aterno and the hill trails towards Roio and Monteluco are used for running and cycling.

Sport

L'Aquila Calcio plays at the Gran Sasso d'Italia–Italo Acconcia stadium; rugby has a historic tradition (L'Aquila Rugby, several times Italian champions) and plays at the Tommaso Fattori. Skiing, mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking and trail running are the territory's disciplines, with clubs and alpine guides; the municipal pools and sports halls are in Pettino and Centi Colella.

Evenings and free things

Evenings concentrate along corso Vittorio Emanuele, in piazza Regina Margherita, at the Quattro Cantoni and in the streets of the rebuilt centre, with bars, pubs and pizzerias reopening year after year; in winter people eat and drink indoors, in summer the squares fill up. The Teatro Comunale, closed since 2009, is reopening in 2026; the L'Aquila Jazz Festival and the Perdonanza bring open-air concerts.

Free: the churches and the basilica of Collemaggio, the Fountain of the 99 Spouts, the Gran Sasso trails, the Castle Park, first Sundays of the month at the MuNDA, many events of the 2026 programme.