If you ever find yourself travelling in Italy, here are three very different – but very special – hikes you can take there.
The High Path – Cinque Terre
This 40-kilometer trail links the towns of Levanto in the north with the port town of Porto Venere in the south. The path is less busy than, for example, the most famous blue route, and takes you along the coast, through pine forests, vineyards and small villages. One of the nicest points on the route is Punta Mesco from which you can see all five of the Cinque Terre towns. The best time to walk this trail is between April and November.
The Path of the Gods – Amalfi Coast
The Path of the Gods (or Sentiero degli Dei in Italian) is an eight-kilometer clifftop trail above the Amalfi Coast in the province of Campania. It takes you along terraced rocks beside the sea, and you come across various orchards and old holm oaks on the way too. When the weather is clear, you can even see the island of Capri in the distance. An added bonus is to combine this hike with a trip to Naples – the starting point of the trail is approximately an hour-and-a-half’s drive from the city. In total, the walk takes about four to five hours.
Dolomiti di Brenta Trek – Campiglio
If you’re looking for something a little higher, then you might find this hut tour of interest. The 11-stage hiking trail takes you through the Madonna di Campiglio area. In the winter it serves as a ski resort, but in the warmer months you can, among other things, walk beautiful routes. The Dolomiti di Brenta Trek is a high-altitude trail and you sleep in a different mountain hut every night. There are variations of the route: The Expert is a bit shorter, but, as the name suggests, much more difficult; The Country, on the other hand, is a lot easier.
- We also wrote an article about the wonders of walking.
Text Bente van de Wouw Photography Michael Hacker/Unsplash.com