If you love snow and want a worthy alternative to skis, we suggest an increasingly popular sport: the “ciaspolata” or, snowshoeing.

The most suitable area in Umbria to try out this experience is the area of Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini near Castelluccio di Norcia. The Piana di Castelluccio, beautiful and enchanting not only during the ‘fiorita’ (flowering) in summer, is frequently covered with snow (the plain is at circa 1350 meters above sea level) as is the adjacent Monte Vettore. The temperatures in winter are very cold and can even reach -30 degrees centigrade. These ideal conditions ensure there are heavy snowfalls, creating fantastic expanses suitable for snowshoe hiking. In this area you can choose between various trails and snowshoe hiking experiences, which will allow you to discover corners of the plain, or follow specific circular routes that surround the mountains.

You can choose whether to dedicate yourself to the pian Piccolo, from where you can see the village of Castelluccio and discover the beautiful woods that surround it, or whether to climb the trails along Vettore, which are more difficult with a greater difference in altitude. Alternatively, why not try one of the excursions organized at night or just as dusk settles: you will always remember the colors of the sun on the snow as it sets in one of the most enchanting landscapes in Italy.

We also suggest a snowshoe hike up to the Pantani di Accumoli. The trail starts at the parking lot of the Genziana Refuge, with your back to Mount Carrier. You walk towards Monte Signori up to the Pantani di Accumoli where the sky meets the earth in the small lakes hidden in a valley immersed in the snow. The Pantani di Accumoli are lakes of glacial origin located on the border between the Sibillini Mountains and the Monti della Laga, nestled in a small valley surrounded by pastures and panoramic landscapes. 

Another choice is a walk in the Colfiorito di Foligno swamp near Perugia. It is a protected natural area and the smallest regional park in Umbria. The Piani di Colfiorito, or Plestine Plateaus, are made up of seven karst basins, occupied in distant times by lakes. The Palude di Colfiorito is currently the only area of ​​the highlands where the water remains all year round. It is the reference point for a large number of birds, which build their nests in the reeds, reproduce and feed. The trail is of medium difficulty, starting from the swallow hole of the Colfiorito swamp. It will lead you to reach the CAI path 308, climbing and skirting the Monte Orve, up to the pass of the hamlet of Annifo.

Or, you can hike up Monte Terminillo, on the border between Umbria and the province of Rieti. The hike will take place in one of the most beautiful and uncontaminated places in Terminillo, from the Sebastiani Refuge to the Vallonina amphitheater. The walk will lead to the Sebastiani refuge, from where you can admire the highest peaks of the area: Mount Elefante, the valley of the Sun, the three peaks of Terminillo, the east wall. You can then continue up to the Chiaretti saddle to admire the walls of Terminillo from below and from very close, to then descend towards Vallonina, skirting Monte Porcini.

Going around these locations with snowshoes “forces” you to walk slowly and fully savor every detail of the experience: the breath-taking scenery, the silence that surrounds you, the softness of the snow under your feet. These are all the hallmarks of a unique and unforgettable experience.

The post Snowshoeing in Umbria appeared first on Discover Italy Magazine.

Bike tourism continues to grow in popularity as active travelers appreciate the destination immersion that a cycling vacation affords: getting close to the landscape with a front-row seat to the scenery, combined with cultural attractions and gourmet stops along the way.

According to the Italian National Tourist Board, cycling vacations are so popular among U.S. travelers that a number of tour operators specialize only in bike tourism. Throughout the country, there’s high demand for both self-guided and organized tours. Of the top routes, the seven-night Bolzano to Venice tour starts in Bolzano, renowned for the dramatic landscapes of the Dolomites and the archeology museum that hosts the alpine iceman, Ötzi. Then takes in the Adige River Valley and Lake Garda. The famous cities of Verona and Padua follow after touring the vineyards in South Tyrol, before concluding in Venice. Other favorite routes include Venice to Florence, connecting the two romantic cities by way of vineyards and charming villages. The Via Francigena route, which starts in Siena, showcases the glorious Tuscan countryside before finishing in Rome.

Slated to be completed sometime this year, Ciclovia Garda (“Garda by Bike”) is an 87-mile route started in 2018 that circles the crystal-clear waters of Lake Garda in northern Italy. The Italian National Tourist Board also notes a new route called Ciclovia Vento that’s in the works. Connecting existing trails from Turin to Venice and continuing along the Adriatic Sea, the project would create a new bike path that’s more than 800 miles in length.

Puglia, located in the “heel” of Italy’s boot, has been wildly popular, while the Tuscany Bike Tour is an eternal classic, the best of the best hotels, wine, meals, and absolutely charming local personalities. Expert guides and local connections are essential to create unique itineraries for small-group cycling vacations. There is also an intimate Chef on Wheels Bike Tour available, with local chef Stefano Righetti, who was born and raised in the mountains above Lake Garda. At 16, Chef Stefano entered the restaurant world in Lake Garda, spending six years at Michelin-starred Vecchia Malcesine.

We found two companies that offer excellent bike tours throughout Italy:

https://ciclismoclassico.com/destinations/italy-bike-tours/
https://www.duvine.com/region/europe/italy/

The post Bike Tourism Boom appeared first on Discover Italy Magazine.

Attentive eyes can’t miss them – the gray or black-brown backs with the pointed fin. Suddenly they appear, drifting like mysterious submarines on the rippling waves, only to disappear just as quickly under them again. When fin whales appear in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea – off the coasts of Tuscany and Liguria – it gradually becomes summer in the northern hemisphere. Water masses with nutrient-rich salts rise from the depths. The penetrating sunlight causes huge amounts of phytoplankton to develop in them, and as these micro-sea plants multiply, so does krill. This is what marine biologists call the tiny, shrimp-shaped crustaceans that feed on phytoplankton.

“Whales, in turn, target krill,” says biologist Alessandro Giannì. The miniature crustaceans are the giants’ main food. An adult fin whale needs two tons of krill – day after day. The marine mammals track down their meal during dives at depths of 325 feet or more. With amazing agility, the up to 65-feet-long giants circle the smallest marine animals. Once they have rounded up a dense shoal, they eat it. Together with the krill, enormous amounts of water enter the whale body, up to 80 tons. This causes the animals to double their body volume for a short time. They squeeze the liquid out again through their baleen. The crabs, on the other hand, get stuck on the baleen sieve.

North with the current

Until fall there is enough krill in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, and until then the giants roam in these waters. The northern Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ligurian Sea with the island of Elba, Capo Sant’Andrea and the other islands of the Tuscan archipelago lie in the middle of the “Santuario dei Cetacei”, the “Sanctuary of the Whales”. In this protected area, the marine mammals are supposed to remain largely untroubled by humans. Who would like to experience the fin whales, after the blue whales the largest living beings of the today’s world, from the proximity, can go with numerous providers on whale safari. Of course, the observation tours are carried out under strict nature and animal protection conditions.

The fact that fin whales are sighted in large numbers off Elba and especially at Capo Sant’Andrea has to do with their “travel behavior,” explains marine expert Giannì. When they leave their winter quarters in the southern Mediterranean and head north in the spring, they follow a certain current. This runs along the Tyrrhenian coast. It splits off the coast of Elba. One branch flows between the islands of Elba and Corsica. The other flows first into the Piombino Channel and then along the north coast of Elba. Whales following this current are guided by the dynamics of the water to Capo Sant’Andrea.

The biggest secret of the Mediterranean

Generally, the sea giants keep at least a mile distance from the coast. However, guided by the current, they often also appear in the bay of Elba’s port Portoferraio, where they come much closer to land. When fall arrives, Balaenoptera physalus, its scientific name, begins its return journey. The whales then take a similar route, once again passing by Elba’s northwestern tip. Dozens of times, many of them travel this north-south passage in the course of their lives. Fin whales can live to be around 100 years old. When the animals return at the beginning of summer, they have their young in tow. “We still don’t know exactly where the whale calves are born,” says Alessandro Giannì. “This is probably the best-kept natural secret of the Mediterranean.”

You can find more info on https://www.caposantandrea.it/en/

The post Whale watching in Italy appeared first on Discover Italy Magazine.