Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sicily's highest peaks, wooded
slopes, wolves, wildflowers
May-Jun,
Sep-Oct
Madonie
hiking, horse riding
Majella
mountains, deep gorges, bears
hiking, cycling
Jun-Sep
hiking, horse riding, bird-
watching
Maremma
reclaimed marshes, beaches
May-Oct
hiking, mountain biking,
paragliding
Monti Sibillini
ancient hamlets, mountains, eagles
May-Oct
mountains, canyons, forest, Larico
pines, rare orchids
Pollino
rafting, canyoning, hiking
Jun-Sep
forest paths, albino donkeys, Giara
horses, wild boar
Prigionette
hiking, cycling
May-Oct
Sciliar-Catinac-
cio
pasture lands, valleys, storybook
alpine villages
hiking, cycling
Jun-Sep
wooded hills, lakes, remote vil-
lages, mushrooms
skiing, hiking, canyoning,
horse riding
Dec-Mar,
May-Oct
Sila
year-round skiing, hiking,
cycling, mountain biking
Stelvio
Alpine peaks, glaciers, forests
Dec-Sep
The Alps
The Alps stretch from Slovenia in the east, via the southern borders of Austria and
Switzerland, to France in the west. For hikers, they offer heady mountain vistas, swooping
forested valleys and views over large glacial lakes such as Garda, Como and Maggiore.
To the east in Friuli Venezia Giulia you'll find the Giulie and Carnic Alps, where you
can hike in pursuit of lynx, marmots and eagles amid supercute Tyrolean villages. Head-
ing west, the white ridges pass through Trento's Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, northern
Italy's (and the Alps') largest national park, spilling into Lombardy. Lombardy's great
lakes - encompassing Garda, Como, Iseo, Maggiore and Orta - are prime hiking territory
mixing mountain and lake vistas. Particularly scenic is the crumpled ridge of mountains in
Como's Triangolo Lariano, and Garda's Monte Baldo.
Finally, in the far west, dropping into Piedmont and Liguria, are the Graian, Maritime
and Ligurian Alps, which take in the Valle d'Aosta, the vast Gran Paradiso park and the
lesser-known Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime, before making a sharp and dramatic
descent to the Cinque Terre and Portofino park on the Ligurian coastline.
Accommodation in the mountains is in
rifugi
(huts) or chalets, which should be booked
ahead in high season. For serious hiking you'll need to bring appropriate equipment and
