Hiking Italy

Vacation Planning - Hiking/Walking Italy

Northern Italy is an exceptional choice as an active vacation for those who love to get around by foot.·There are great walks and hikes throughout the regions that lets you explore·the multi layers of history and culture, the varied geographical profile, and these small ecosystems that offer varied food and wine products, a walker·has multiple choices to keep them engaged during their visit. This section is a general guide to assist you in planning your adventure.· Once in Italy you will find plenty of local information but it is not always tourist friendly, I will try and help bridge that gap.·

Hiking Italy

In the northeastern regions of Italy have several options for hiking and walking. You could choose a multi-day trek on one of the classic migration routes through mountains, base yourself in a village or in a mountain hut and explore specific mountain groups, you can walk from this small villages to larger communities and utilize the public transportation to expand the distance you're able to explore. The most important thing to remember or to understand what you're planning to do this are the various geographical locations in the best way to approach planning your discovery.

First there is a Central Alps, these mountains form the boundary between Austria and Italy there are several great traverses or trails crossing from one Valley to another. This area of the Alps is where they found the prehistoric hunter 'Oltzi'.· They are are still snow fields in small glaciers in many of the mountain groups and the actual window to explore is very limited and centers around the July and August months. These ranges are of higher elevation and really showing be considered by experiments hikers. There are one or two small excursions you can do but it is very very easy to over extend yourself in these mountain groups.

Just to the east of the Central Alps are the Carnic Alps and Giulie Alps.· These two ranges are slightly lower than the central Alps and border border between Italy with·parts of Austria, and Solvenia.· These ranges are probably the least known of the mountain groups in Italy. There are some great walks in many areas that have·important historical significance, but these ranges are much more remote, so careful planning should be taken when organizing your excursions.

City just south of the Alps or the Dolomiti Mountain Group and these are probably the most famous mountain in Europe and due to their unique formations have become an UNESCO national monument. There are some spectacular walks but if you're looking for peace and tranquility it is best to stay away from the areas you see promoted in travel articles. Because the Dolomiti mountains are within easy reach of several major cities during peak holiday time and weekends you will encounter busloads of tourists, much like being in Venice when the cruise ships come to Port. There are several great walks and just getting away from the main points you have a spectacular experience waiting for you to discover.

In south of the Dolomites are the pre-Alps or Prealpi, these lower mountains were formed at the same time the Alps were formed and being at a lower elevation the Prealpi make a great early season destination and a good choice to mix a few days up in the mountains with a new days the historical cities of Veneto.

And as a walker and someone who just likes to get around but you're not looking to explore the upper elevations walking the Colli (hills) that separates the Veneto plain with the Prealpi you have an atmosphere much like Tuscany but denser and more varied in cultural sites. Following the original tracks of Roman roads, pilgrimage trails to Rome, or the migration tracks of tribes who have settled in the region over the centuries you'll find a fascinating landscape to explore.

Maps and Reference Information:

I love maps and books I am surprised at times how many varied types of maps I have collected over the years. I enjoy using the GPS however, you can now rely solely on the GPS as a means of navigation anywhere, you must combine the GPS with a good map. When you are traveling in Italy as a walking guide a good up-to-date road-map at the scale of 1:200000 is usually sufficient. Combining this road map with the train and bus system you will have unlimited options to plan your adventure.

However, hiking in the upper elevations you need a good contour map and you should make sure you understand how to read. There are multiple maps available or you and once you get into Italy and the area you're going to explore always stop by the information center to see if they have any specially produced maps of their particular community, province, or region. The information center is also a great resource for small booklets and brochures to let you know other points of interest you need never hear about in the mainstream guidebooks.

Other planning considerations