7 great walks across Italy

Italy is an ideal destination to explore on foot, with mountains, lakes and forests criss-crossed with hiking trails and pretty towns to spend the night in.

Here are seven of the most beautiful walking trails in Italy.

The Sentiero della Pace crosses northern Italy, traversing valleys and mountains to enjoy panoramic views of the Italian lakes. The route also connects several sites of historical significance from World War I, including crumbling fortifications and historic battlefields. You can tailor the 500km-long trail to your ability, with both easy options as well as challenging paths for experienced mountaineers. The Path of Peace runs from Passo del Tonale to the Marmolada, partially overlapping with other Dolomite alpine hiking trails. Located en route, Bike Rooms La Fattoria is a delightful place to stay on the shores of Lake Garda; have a hearty barbecue in the garden after a long day’s walking.

Though it’s traditionally a pilgrimage, you don’t have to be religious or spiritual to appreciate the Via di Francesco. Following in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi, the route follows an ancient Roman road from Florence to Rome, finishing at the Vatican. Passing hilltop chapels visited by St Francis, through olive groves, vineyards and the undulating Umbrian landscape, you’ll be enjoying some of Europe’s most idyllic scenery. Although the terrain and occasional steep inclines make the trail relatively demanding, you’ll be rewarded with peace and natural beauty, including the chance to visit picture-perfect towns like Assisi, Gubbio and Spello. Spend a night at the peach-coloured Country House Poggio Fiorito just outside Assisi, with a huge outdoor pool and patio for relaxing and resting your weary legs.

The Via Francigena is a well-known trail from Canterbury to Rome but most modern pilgrims do just the final section, passing through seven Italian regions. You may well not want to complete the entire italian part of the route, though it can also be attempted by bike or on horseback. Some of its most scenic stretches traverse Tuscany, taking in sights like like the hilltop town of Colle di Val d'Elsa, scattered with castles and fortresses, or the fifteen towers of 13th-century San Gimignano. Check into Antico Borgo De' Frati in San Gimignano and enjoy the property’s vineyard-covered valley views.

If you prefer to go slightly off the beaten track, the Via della transumanza is a lesser-known walking trail that dates back to ancient Italian pastoral culture. This journey follows the route that shepherds took in search of better pastures for their livestock, crossing the hilly regions of Eastern Mezzogiorno, forming a network of migrating paths are known as ‘tratturi’. One of the most famous is the Tratturo Magno, connecting L’Aquila to Foggia and passing verdant valleys and sites like the fortified medieval city of Termoli. Don’t miss the chance to experience an ‘albergo diffuso’, a concept launched in Italy in the 1980s whereby a hotel is spread across different buildings within a small community. One such accommodation along the Via della transumanza is the Residenza Sveva, located in the historic centre of Termoli.

Used by bandits and fugitives at the time of Roman colonisation, this mountain path follows the Calabrian Apennines ridge. Walk through the Stilaro Valley, with its fast-flowing river and Byzantine monasteries, and soak your feet in the pools of the Cascata del Marmarico, the highest waterfall in the Southern Apennines. The complete trail is 120km-long and – depending on your pace – takes between six to eight days on foot. Stay at Civico 64 Bed & Breakfast in the small, seaside town of Palmi along the way.

The Magna Via Francigena has a history that dates back millennia; it’s a path that’s been trodden by Normans, Romans and millions of pilgrims and travellers crossing the island of Sicily. Recently reopened, it’s now possible to walk this ancient trail again, though you may want to just select a few stages as the entire route covers 180km. Heading off the designated route, you’ll get to see sun-baked plains of orange trees, beautiful frescoes, characteristically-Sicilian villages, mountains and unblemished beaches. Stop outside Palermo in the town of Corleone, to spend a night at Il Bevaio di Corleone, where luxurious wooden bungalows offer panoramic views of the rocky hills from each suite’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

This 400km-long, circular route in southern Sardinia is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Miners, following the island’s traditional mining trails to historically and religious sites and towns. Exploring the Sulcis-Iglesiente area, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, the route has 24 stops, with one of the most spectacular being Masua beach. Here, you’ll find tunnels carved into the cliffs and old silos which once contained minerals to be loaded onto steamboats. Check out the view from the Pan di Zucchero, a 132 metre-high white calcareous rock stack emerging from the sea. Stay at Sa Corti De Sa Perda Piscinas for its views of the countryside around Piscinas.

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