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Trekking in Italy: 5 itineraries to follow by foot, riding a horse or a mountain-bike

10/11/2016

Hiking is not just a simple pastime, it is a real lifestyle. It is a great oopportunity to live nature in its intimate and pure soul, (respecting its evolutions and changes), the elements and animals that live there. For this reason a real trekking lover try not to make a lot of noise, step on virgin territories, annoy the local fauna and, above all, ruin the environments he would like to discover and explore. Spirit of adventure and ability to survive in areas with steep terrains complete the ideal profile of a real hiking enthusiast.

 

The most traditional hiking model has been enriched, for quite some time, with different ways as an alternative to walking, offering the possibility to live diverse emotions by following different itineraries. A same place suitable for trekking can be alternatively ideal for a slow walk, a wild horse ride or an athletic bike ride.

 

Which are the most beautiful places to explore in Italy?

 

Here a practical and interesting rank of the most fascinating places in Italy, from the North to the South, to discover while walking, riding a horse or a bike.

 

Location: Trentino Alto Adige – Tovel lake and Malga Tuena Mountain
Travel plan: walking

 

Val di Tovel represents the north-eastern corner of the Adamello Brenta natural park, in the charming landscape of Trentino Alto Adige. Tovel lake, the biggest lake in the region, is located on the peak of Val di Tovel 1178 meters above the sea level.

Surrounded by dense pine forests and an immense landslide on one side which creates almost lunar effects, Tovel lake is a unique destination of its kind. Walking along a side of the lake, anyone can easily reach Malga Tuena, a paradisiac destination where you can admire the magic nuances of the lake from above and the Dolomites.

 

Location: Piemonte – Park of Ticino
Travel plan: mountain-bike

 

The protected area of the Natural Park of Val Ticino is located in the province of Novara, rich in resurgences, forests and ancient branches which are not irrigated by the Ticino anymore. This area has been turned into wetlands rich in biodiversity.
The Piemonte Park boasts the protection and recovery of historical – architectural and agricultural structures, among which there are the Museum of Oleggio, the old mill of Bellinzago, and the Castle of Galliate. They can be entirely visited both outside, across off-road trails, and inside.

 

Location: Toscana – San Casciano in Val di Pesa
Travel plan: walking or riding a mountain-bike

 

The heart of Chianti is located between the provinces of Siena and Florence and is a magic place where you can admire a deep connection between land and human beings as an evidence of an unrivalled territorial wealth. Among red, brown and yellow colour effects, Val di Pesa boasts an unmissable climb with a transparent lift on the piezometric tower, called Torre dell’Acqua, which gives, with its 33 meters in height ( added together with the 320 meters of San Casciano, district in which it is located) a 360 degrees unique landscape: the Fiorentine mountains, Vallombrosa, the Apuane Alps, the Pisani mountains and the Montagnola Senese with its villages, the entire Chianti and Florence with the Cupolone.

 

Considered one of the most beautiful hiking itineraries in the Meditarrenean, Sentiero degli Dei offers a view of one of the most famous and suggestive sky-line in the world.

This route impresses with its coastal landscape where the ridge of the Lattari Mountains flows and sinks into the blue sea towards the island of Capri. The amazing itinerary tells thousands of years of history, and also today is still alive (through myths and legends) in the inhabitants’ minds.

Rich in Mediterranean vegetation, the most cultivated fruit here is the fruit of the vine. You can go across rows that produce a particular type of grape called “Pede ‘e Palomma” which is typical in the area and features a particular shape and a light pink colour, rare to find.

Pinnacles, groups of ground limestone and deep gorges hidden amongst the green hills immediately capture the attention of the hiker. On both sides, some plots of land are arranged in a terrace (vines, citrus fruits, fig and apple trees) and distributed on several levels with sustaining walls made of limestone and lime mortar.

This path, which has played a unifying role since ancient times, was the base for trade flows between the villages on the coast (Positano, colony of the Hellenic Republic) and the inland settlements (the Altopiano of Agerola). It was the only viable way on the Mediterranean side of the Lattari mountains, between a dramatic rugged coastline and gentle slopes of the inside, and was ideal for the passage of goods such as: bran, coal, milk, spices, wood, cloth, precious stone, ceramic, wine and oil.

Different examples of the typical coastal architecture, with connections to the Mediterranean Arab world, are the remains of ancient houses distributed along the entire path. You can continue to walk along the trail suspended between pinnacles, deep gorges, precipices, oak woods, caves, ferns, brambles, broom and numerous species of aromatic herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary and arugula.

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