Mountain hiking in Italy

Hiking to Italian mountains | Italian beauty and diversity

Italy is not for nothing the number 1 European vacation destination for many people. Italy is often praised for its delicious cuisine, the nice weather and the variety of the landscapes. And all these things are true! To this I would like to add that Italy has a very rich history and cultural scene. Remains of the Roman Empire can be admired in abundance in cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice and Pisa. But also the small villages in Italy are well worth a visit. Think of Vernazza, Burano, Misurina or the island of Sicily and Sardinia.

Despite all this splendor, I have a deeper love for Italy that goes beyond food or culture: the mountains. How worthwhile it is to travel a little further than Germany, Austria or Switzerland and visit our southernmost neighbors for a hike in the mountains. Because Italy has many beautiful mountain areas and the country is about 7 times bigger than the Netherlands, I would like to help you on your way in this blog. You get an overview of the best mountain hiking areas in Italy and some famous mountains. Of course you can also read more in my blogs about mountain hiking in Italy.

Hiking areas in Italy

The most beautiful hiking areas of Italy can be found below. Italy can meet the needs of every type of hiker. From rolling hills in Tuscany and Umbria to steep 'Via Ferrata's' in the Dolomites, Italy can do it all!

Dolomites

The Dolomites are a mountain range in Italy known for sharply defined limestone cliffs, which used to be a seabed. You can find the Dolomites on the south side of the Alps, in the north of Italy. The Dolomites extend over the provinces of South Tyrol and Provincia di Belluno. SüdTirol belonged to Austria until the First World War. In this area, therefore, mainly German is spoken, in addition to Italian and Ladin.

In the Dolomites you can do a lot of sports. Hiking in the mountains, a long hike in huts or steep climbs. It is all possible. There is also a lot of paragliding, mountain biking and in the winter you can do fantastic skiing. Bolzano (Bozen) is the capital of the Dolomites and is also known for its fantastic wines. The famous Lagrein grape is processed here in the red wine that you can buy at authentic wineries.

The highest mountain of the Dolomites is the Marmolada (3343m) but the most beautiful climbing wall can be found a little further at the Civetta (3220). There you will find the north wall of 1100 meters. For the most beautiful and largest alpine meadow of the area you go to the Seiser Alm. The Seiser Alm is located near the Schlern Massif and offers fantastic recreational opportunities with mountain views.

Apennines

The longest mountain range you will encounter in Italy are the Apennines. The highest peak is 2912 meters and is located in the Abruzzo region, in the mid-west of Italy. It is a green and vast area of 1350 kilometers that sometimes goes inland, but often extends to the coasts of the country. There are many walks in these mountains. the area is protected by the government through national parks. You can find the most beautiful mountain walks in the Sibillini Mountains in the National Park 'Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini and in Abruzzo. For this you can visit the National Park 'Parco Nazionale D'Abruzzo Lazio e Molise. It is located about 200 kilometers south of the Monti Sibillini park. Both areas are easy to drive from Rome, where you can fly to for about 100 euros.

Valle d'Aosta

Much closer to our flat frog country you'll find one of my favorite areas for mountain hiking. Valle d'Aosta. Here you can go hiking in the mountains. Valle d'Aosta evokes with me fantastic memories of hut trips with good facilities and hikes with beautiful views. Read here about my mini trip to Valle d'Aosta where I did a climb of Punta Basei and Becca della Traversiere.

Aosta itself is called the Rome of the Alps. Many excavations can be visited here and the colorful cottages overlooking the mountains never disappoint. For the most beautiful mountain hikes you head to the west of Valle d'Aosta. The border area with France and Switzerland gives us a fantastic environment with well signposted routes along many huts. Valle d'Aosta is part of the Italian Alps, which stretch across the entire northern border of Italy.

Famous Italian mountains

Are you a real peak hunter? Then Italy also has a wide range of famous and infamous mountains where you can go crazy with your climbing skills. For example, there are no less than 6 mountains higher than the magical 4000 meter border and many hundreds of other interesting peaks. Here are some famous mountains from Italy.

Monte Rosa

The Monte Rosa is a mountain massif on the border of Switzerland and Italy. The highest peak of the massif is the Dufourspitze (4634m), which lies just in Switzerland. The southern part of the massif lies in Valle d'Aosta. The Monte Rosa massif is known for its high peaks and large glaciers.

Monte Bianco di Courmayeur

Those driving through Valle d'Aosta regularly see green signs above the highway with routes to the 'Monte Bianco' Mont Blanc (4809m) is almost the highest peak in Europe and the massif stretches across France, Italy and Switzerland. Monte Bianco di Courmayeur (4748m) is the highest peak in Italy and the second peak of the Mont Blanc massif.

Gran Paradiso

From the top of Becca della Traversiere you have a view of the Gran Paradiso (4061m). It belongs to the famous Italian mountains because this is the highest mountain that stands entirely on Italian territory. There are many local guides who can take you to the top of this relatively easy to climb mountain. It is worth it because after a long climb that starts early in the morning you have views all the way to Mont Blanc & the Matterhorn!

Etna

We haven't read about it in the news in a while. Yet the volcano Etna has gone nowhere and with 3329 meters still stands proud on the island of Sicily. The volcano is quite active and last October 2020 there was also lava that was spurting out of the mouth of the volcano. The volcano can be climbed all year round. To make this mountain hike you start at Rifugio Sapienza and you can walk around or cross the craters of the volcano.

Lees hieronder mijn blogs over bergwandelingen in Italië