GUIDE TO THE PRE-ALPI MOUNTAINS 

If you are coming to Italy in the early spring or late fall, one of the often overlooked areas to explore is the Pre-alps (Prealpi). Given their lower elevation (compared to the Alps and Dolomites) these mountain areas have been utilized to pasture cows and produce several colder weather crops. With small access roads and earlier snow melts, this is a perfect area to explore challenging classic climbs on bike or hike the battlefields of the First World War. After the day's exercise you can either stay on the mountain and enjoy rustic local foods, or return to the valley were you will find walled cities and plenty of other amenities to visit. 

The Prealps are a group of mountains in the Veneto Region, Lombardy Region, and Friuli Venezia Region of Italy. These mountains were formed by the same plate movement that created the Alps, but since the Italian Dolomites had already been formed, the naming of the group became the Prealpi, or 'first part of the Alps'. The Prealps, are the mountains a traveler sees as they cross the main train lines from Milano to Venezia. They constitute a unique eco-zone: you can move from just below sea level to 2000 meter (more than 6000 ft) in less than a 30 kms span. These mountains have been home to refugees during invasions and utilized to develop trade goods for thousands of years.