Think of northern Italy and you no doubt start picturing the steep, iconic, shapes of the Dolomites and the epic, Europe straddling, Alps. These two mountain ranges, which both dominate the region in their own respective ways, mean that northern Italy is home to some of the world’s most spectacular hiking destinations.
We’ve teamed up with Green & Blue, an initiative set up to promote this beautiful corner of the world as an ultimate adventure destination, to give you a flavour of what’s on offer here.
1) Hiking The Alta Via dei Parchi In Emilia-Romagna
The Alta Via dei Parchi cuts its way across the Apennines in Emilia Romagna, as well as a bit of a Tuscany and Marche. It offers walkers over 500 kilometres of uphills and downhills to get their hiking boots stuck into, and is a must visit for anyone who loves putting one front in front of the other in the great outdoors.
Featuring a mouth-watering cocktail of thick green forests, glacial rings, volcanic rocks, chalk cliffs and beautiful lakes backdropped by some of the most picturesque scenery imaginable; a hike here is like no other hike on earth. The route crosses two national parks, five regional parks and one interregional park. With Mount Cusna, Mount Prado, and Alpe di Succiso all situated within its boundaries – the national park of Appenino Tosco-Emiliano is where you’ll find some of the highest peaks in the Northern Apeninnes. In terms of the region’s hiking highlights, this place is definitely right up there.
2) Hiking In Carnia
Friuli Venezia Giulia, which is where you can find the hiker’s paradise of Carnia, is Italy’s north-easternmost region. It borders Slovenia, Austria, and the Adriatic Sea. With its sea, lakes, parks, lagoons, nature reserves, and mountains Friuli Venezia Giulia delivers some of Italy’s most beautiful and varied environments. If getting active outdoors is what you’re all about, this region, despite being one of the country’s smaller ones, is very easy to love and very difficult to get bored of.
Carnia is a part of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and, as we’ve already said, well worth a visit for people who like to stroll about outside. There are seven valleys here, crossed by torrents which give all of them except the Valcalda, their names. This place is pure, unfiltered, nature bursting at the seams with woods, waterfalls, canyons and mountain lakes to explore.
The Carnic Alps, which runs across Friuili Venezia Giulia in Italy and a part of southern Austria, has a number of jaw-dropping mountains over 2,000 metres. The highest of these and one that mountain hikers, scramblers, and climbers alike will relish is Mount Coglians (2,780m).
