This ten-day Walk like an Italian journey links five neighboring areas, each with its own unique character and charm.
The itinerary takes us through a variety of contrasting landscapes including:
- the elegant parks, piazzas and palaces of Parma;
- the rugged coastal trails and little towns of Cinque Terre National Park;
- the marble mountains and ancient villages of the Alpi Apuane mountain range;
- the cultivated countryside around the hill-top town of Volterra, Tuscany;
- the picturesque villages and mountain trails of Elba Island.
As the landscape changes, so does the cuisine. Each place we visit has its own culinary style based on its climate and geography. As the food changes so does the wine. Your guides will help you discover the local specialties, and introduce you to favourite wine-bars and eateries along the way. In this way the hikes are complemented by the meals, and the meals are complemented by the wines. It all adds up to a rich, sensory experience of Italy’s landscape and culture.
The distances between each stop on the trip is remarkably short. The itinerary has been carefully designed to minimize the travel-time while maximizing the experience of Italy’s regional diversity. Each day there are short and long hikes to choose from. While you walk you need only carry a light day-pack.
More about the accommodation:
The first night of the tour is a taste of life in one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, Parma - home to historic buildings, precious art, excellent cuisine and incredibly-stylish citizens. Our accommodation here is a 4-star hotel in Parma's historic city-center.
For nights 2 & 3 the group will be accommodated in vacation apartments scattered throughout Corniglia, the smallest of Cinque Terre National Park’s famous five villages.
High in the Apuan Alps of north Tuscany lies the village of Pruno (population: 75), our home for nights 4 & 5. Here we’ll stay in vacation apartments, most of them owned by local families currently living elsewhere in Italy.
Our accommodation for nights 6 & 7 is a small 3-star hotel in the heart of Volterra, a hilltop town in Tuscany.
For the last two nights of the tour we’ll stay in another small 3-star hotel in the seaside town of Marciana Marina, Elba Island.
