Italy On Foot
Location: Alpe di Siusi, South Tyrol.
Length: Trails of different lengths give the option of tailoring the hike to your requirements.
Difficulty: The Alpe di Siusi themselves are a gentle stroll, but there are some challenging hikes in the area.
The view: The largest high-altitude meadow in Europe, in the summer the rolling green hills with herds of grazing cattle, colourful flora and gentle streams make it easy to forget that you’re at almost 2000m altitude. The mountains surrounding the Alpe di Siusi, especially the ever-visible twin peaks of the Plattkofel Sassopiatto and the Langkofel Sassolungo, make this one of the most unforgettable views in the world.
Don’t miss: The hospitality in the “rifugi”, or mountain huts. Whether stopping for lunch or spending the night, the staff are always friendly, the food is first-rate, and you’ll wish you could take the view from your window with you when you leave.
Pros: The trails are varied but always beautiful, the rifugi are well signposted, and the air is clear and crisp. Italian is learned in schools here as a second language (after German) so it is spoken slowly and is easy to understand!
Cons: Access is not easy, but with cheap flights from the UK to Bergamo, and then trains to Bolzano (from where it’s a short bus journey up to the villages around the Alpe di Siusi) you should not be put off.
The Alpe di Siusi, with the Sassolungo and Sassopiatto in the distance