Top Ten Italy Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

Photo Essay: Hiking the Andes with Mountain Lodges of Peru

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There are many ways to explore Gran Paradiso Park in the northwestern Alps, but why not treat yourself like royalty and following the King's Road? Grand Paradiso, once the king's game preserve, is now a sanctuary for wildlife including ibex, deer, marmots, and eagles. As one would expect of a king's preserve, the park is an area of great beauty, with high peaks, larch forests, and rare alpine flora.

King Vittorio Emanuele built the road from Ceresole to the Sella refuge so that he could reach his hunting huts in a carriage. The trail can be followed on foot, mountain bike, or horseback (skis will do in the winter), and there are refuges with food and shelter along the way. The trail is easy, though steep, and can be covered in a week.