“The mountains are calling, and I must go”

So said the great man of the mountains, John Muir, and it’s a sentiment that resonates with many a walker. The soaring peaks and clear air, meadows bursting with wild flowers, and the gentle music of cow bells are salve to the soul. There’s really nothing quite like reaching a magnificent view and stopping to drink in the majesty of the mountains.

Does that sound appealing? Then do take a look at our Alpine routes for your next walking holiday. From France to Slovenia we have itineraries that will suit hikers looking for everything from modest mountain walking to something a bit more challenging. None of them require serious mountaineering experience, but all will reward with heart-stopping views and a huge sense of achievement.

Visit the Dolomites in northern Italy for towering rocky peaks and tree-clad valleys. You’ll journey from the Germanic influences of the South Tyrol to Italian Cortina, stopping at a jolly mountain refuge on the way. It’s a short summer season, so do plan ahead!

Still in Italy, a gentler route on the fringes of the Alps will take you from Lake Maggiore with its lovely island villas and gardens, to the top of Mottarone – quiet in the months when the winter sports facilities are deserted. Descend to little Lake Orta, with cultural and spiritual sites to visit and plenty of restorative Piedmontese food and wine to sample.

At the southwestern tip of the Alpine range, the Alpes Maritimes descend through France to the coast at Menton. Here the medieval villages perchés are the highlights, with mazes of tiny, winding streets and cosy cafes. On reaching hilltop Ste Agnes, the view of the Mediterranean suddenly opens gloriously before you.

At the opposite eastern end of their massif, the Alps tip into Slovenia, where our Slovenian Highlands route will take you into the lower reaches of Triglav, the national peak. It’s a land of steep valleys, tumbling waterfalls, and crystal clear lakes, complemented by hearty cooking and some great Slovenian wines and beers. Finish your holiday in style with a visit to picturesque Lake Bled.

These words from Edward Allhusen, following an adventure through the hills of Southern Tuscany, were just too good to keep to ourselves:

“A very, very well planned wander through the vine clad, rolling hills and ancient, fortified hill top towns of Tuscany where steep narrow alleys often resort to time worn steps and corners that had not anticipated the arrival of motor cars 500 years later. We quite expected to meet a fourteenth century merchant clad in dark robes with fur collar hurrying to deliver an order for marble required by Michelangelo or more wine for yet another Medici banquet. Surely Dante rested beneath this gnarled oak, quill in hand, as he pondered on his next work of genius.

“Many of the excellent choice of hotels and hostelries that On Foot holidays had researched on our behalf seemed unperturbed by the triviality of modern times, confident that their ancient walls would out-see the present era. Their comfort and local fare perfectly enhanced the surroundings giving plentiful succour to tired limbs.

“For those not wishing to think too much, or indeed at all, about admin matters when on holiday, preferring to enjoy the ancient landscape and ponder on the thought that Sandro Botticelli once walked this route as he headed to Florence to receive his next commission, or maybe Caravaggio fled along the woodland track pursued by those more interested in his violent deeds than his mastery of chiaroscuro?

“Help is at hand! Stepping away from the mists of bygone ages we were hugely impressed by the technology provided by On Foot. Having done many of these holidays we know that the paperwork can often detract. Once we had reams of maps and instructions held in ungainly wallets that required constant reference to remember where we are, had we yet passed the cross roads at point 26.3? Constant debate with fellow travellers about whether that is the village we need or is it another. No longer! Now all is held within the ubiquitous phone. A polite ‘ping’ alerts us to pay attention for a moment. An amusingly reproacful ‘pong’ if we dared to wander 50 yards from the route. And much else besides. Snippets of history, geography, local customs, recommendations for aperitifs and dinner. All in the palm of your hand delivered from above. Galileo, master of celestial movement, would have loved it. I am sure he smiled when we stood beside his tomb.”

Photo by Tony Ward 

Our brand new walking holiday explores the Cilento National Park in Campania – gateway to southern Italy. This is traditional Italy to its core, with unspoilt medieval villages, green vistas, and a pretty coastline dotted with sunset-soaked fishing villages.

And of course there’s fabulous food and wine – the ‘Mediterranean Diet’ was first identified in these quiet hills, and the area has more than its share of centenarians.

Start on coastal paths between the seaside towns of Agropoli and Santa Maria di Castellabate (location, along with Castellabate, for much of the cult Italian film ‘Benvenuti al Sud’) before heading around Punta Licosa, a rocky outlook named after one of the sirens Ulysses met in ‘The Odyssey’. Then climb into the mountains, with fabulous views to Cilento’s glitzier neighbours, the Amalfi Coast and Capri.

Explore Castellabate, one of the “most beautiful villages in Italy”, before a glorious walk to Perdifumo, and onwards to Rocca Cilento, walking the Valley of the Mills the following day. Then the highlight, a steady ascent of Monte Stella, the spiritual heart of ancient Cilento, before a gentle descent through chestnut woods to a welcoming agriturismo at Galdo.

Your final walk to the quiet fishing village of Acciaroli passes through Celso, where the rebellion of 1848 began, and more small, historical villages, each with its own story.

It’s a laid-back experience in every way, with Medium-graded walks (or Easy-Medium with a few shortcuts), plenty of time to enjoy the history and culture, welcoming hotels, and refreshingly quiet trails. This is your chance to really get to the heart of this lovely part of Italy.

Add on: Visit the World Heritage Site of Paestum, a major ancient Greek city with three well-preserved temples, which can be added at either end of the walk.

Use our new app to navigate this route:
Following requests from our clients and our own wish to reduce the amount of paper and plastic used in Walkers’ Packs, we’ve developed a new navigation app, which is now available for you to try on some of our routes.

For this new Cilento route, navigation will be by using the app only. It also includes your itinerary and all other information – ie, we won’t be sending out any printed materials. Are you ready to give it a try?!