National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Al fresco in Italy
With new hiking and biking trails opening up and old favourites being rediscovered, it’s time to head outdoors — be it for an adventure or to relax. Words: Delle Chan
Italy is nicknamed Bel Paese (Beautiful Country) for good reason: from its dramatic peaks and coastline to Renaissance towns and postcard-pretty drives, it’s hard to beat Italian alfresco living. And with a host of openings and anniversaries to inspire new trips, options are never scarce.
One of the best ways to take in the country’s rural heart is to hike stretches of the Sentiero Italia Cai (Grand Italian Trail). The world’s longest mountain path spans all of Italy’s 20 regions — from the Alps to the ‘boot’ of Puglia, then across the isles. First conceptualised in the 1980s, this epic 4,359mile route was finally opened to hikers in its entirety in 2019, and from 2021 parts of it have been made accessible to mountain bikers, too. A further 620-mile extention is in the works; while the masterplan will take until 2033 to complete, the resulting Sentiero dei Parchi (Path of the Parks) will connect all the country’s 25 national parks.
These include the Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy’s oldest, which celebrated its centenary in 2022. It sprawls some 173,000 acres around the eponymous mountain — the highest located entirely on Italian soil at 13,323ft. Dotted with 59 glaciers and 183 lakes, as well as streams and waterfalls, the park is home to the endangered ibex, which can be spotted along the 25-mile Alpine Ibex Trail. Also celebrating its 100th birthday in 2022 is the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, which plays an important role in the conservation of the Italian wolf, Abruzzo chamois and Marsican brown bear.
Over on the Italian Riviera in the region of Liguria, Cinque Terre’s famous Lovers’ Lane trail — closed for renovation since 2012 following a landslide — is set to finally reopen in 2023. Less than a mile long, the footpath connects the fishing villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola, but hikers can go on to complete the entire Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail), a seven-mile route that links the string of five villages making up the Cinque Terre. What’s more, the country has set aside €20 million (around £17 million) to restore the Roman-era Appian Way, which ran for 360 miles from Rome to Brindisi. The project is in its early stages, but sections of this superhighway — which was put forward as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2022 — are open to the public, including in the Park of the Appian Way in Rome.
If you prefer to get around on two wheels, Garda by Bike, a continuous 87-mile cycle path circling Italy’s largest lake, is slated to be completed by 2026. A 1.2-mile section on Lake Garda’s western shore is already open to the public. Suspended 164ft above
The country has set aside around £17 million to restore the Roman-era Appian Way, which ran for 360 miles from Rome to Brindisi
water, the wood and steel pathway offers cyclists and walkers views of the lake and its surrounds. Food lovers can also pedal along the Cammino del Bardolino, a 60-mile hiking and cycling trail opened in 2020 on the eastern bank of the lake. Known as the Riviera of Olives, this shore has for centuries been home to olive groves and vineyards, and the new path — divided into 18 stretches of varying length — encourages visitors to discover its history and flavours.
Looking for something more relaxing? The Tuscan spa resort of Montecatini Terme was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, putting the country’s storied wellness culture and outdoor thermal baths back in the limelight. Built around spring waters, the art nouveau town is one of 11 European destinations recognised as ‘Great Spa Towns of Europe’ for bearing testimony to the continent’s 18th- and 19th-century spa phenomenon. Elsewhere, the northern city of Bologna has new guided tours to discover its 25 miles of city-centre porticos, another 2021 addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List. In a destination most famous for its traditional cuisine — lasagne, tortellini (hand-twisted pasta) and meatbased spaghetti al ragù — the recognition brings much-deserved attention to one of Italy’s most iconic urban landscapes.