Top Ten Italy Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

The Alta Via follows the ridges of the Appennines, running parallel to the sea for 300 km from Ventimiglia, on the French border, to Spezia. The trail's elevation ranges from 500 to 2,000 meters and passes through different landscapes, including chestnut and beech forests, fir forests, meadows, and barren rocks. The view is superb all along the trail; on a clear day you can see the white-capped Alps on one side, and the sea and Corsica on the other. The itinerary can easliy be divided into stages; after a day's walk you will reach a route down to the coast. The whole tour of the Alta Via will take a month and it can be done any time of year.