Italy's Secret Apennine Mountains

An absolutely top-notch venue for beautiful walking, in an area that seems to be little discovered by British tourists. The scenery, wildflowers and butterflies rivalled anywhere that I've walked previously in the Alps. It was well signposted and the paths were good, better than previous walking holidays in Italy. The food and welcome from all the hosts was excellent.

The walking was exciting and challenging for us in our late seventies but we felt a great sense of achievment. We particularly enjoyed days 4, 5 and 6 as they led us higher up and afforded wonderful views above the tree line. The woodland walking was mostly very enjoyable and provided some shelter from the sun. Because of a path closure on day 3 we took an excellent but challenging route from Lizzano via Monte Pizzo to Pianaccio. Going up the ridge to Monte Pizzo involved extensive stretches of rock scrambling which we enjoyed but it was very slow going and might not suit all. The day 4 walk had a well graded ascent but long, steep and slow descent; it would have worked better for us if done the other way round. We were very glad we had booked the pick up from Segavecchia. Day 6 was the highlight and we started at Cavone (no problem to the taxi) which gave a really enjoyable and not too exerting round walk. We found the day 1 walk the least satisfactory and as Porretta Terme has little to recommend it we suggest it better to have a transfer from the train direct to Lizzano and have an extra day there.

We loved our walks in the Apennines and our short stay in Bologna as a great contrast. Both were very well organised, and all arrangements worked well. We found the walks very well structured with few other walkers on most days, a real variety of scenery and history. We were lucky with the weather only having rain on the day we transferred to Bologna so could do all the walk options we wanted. Like others we read "Love and War in the Apennines" for background and it helped bring home the difficulty of the terrain and the rugged life of those who lived and fought there. Bologna was a delight for architecture, history and food.

Wonderful walking in stunning landscapes.We discovered Komoot on the holiday which will be useful for our next trip as we did have a couple of mishaps with the instructions. This was probably down to us as concentration was lacking especially towards the end of the walks. 

The scenery, accommodation , travel information were all fantastic and the food exceeded expectations. A lovely part of Italy to experience. You get immersed in the local culture!

This was our first experience with Inntravel and it exceeded our expectations. The hotels were great with friendly hosts and ample tasty food. All the transfers etc worked well. The walking notes were excellent and easy to follow. Would definitely recommend and use Inntravel again

We travelled to Bologna by train, starting our journey by walking to our local station near Glasgow. This required an overnight stop in Paris. The ride from Paris to Milano was particularly interesting, with the train racing through the countryside to Lyon before giving us a more leisurely view of the Alps and picking up speed again across the rice paddies of northern Italy.
Bologna was a delight – what a beautiful city! We followed Inntravel’s walking tour and found several interesting sights not mentioned in it: hidden canals, Roman remains under the glass floor of the Salaborsa, the raised tombs of medieval law scholars in Piazza San Domenico and the anatomy lecture theatre in the Archiginnasio. The two famous towers were closed for remedial engineering work so we viewed the rooftops from the clock tower of the Town Hall.
Moving on to the Apennines, we found the hotels friendly and the set meals excellent and varied. A minor problem was the weak internet connectivity in Pianaccio. I like to download a map to go with the gpx files but this was impossible in the evenings. Luckily I found sufficient bandwidth before breakfast. We bought a bag of the local chestnut flour from Hotel Montegrande in Vidiciatico and made some tasty shortbread (using half-and-half plain and chestnut flour) back home.
Our favourite walk was Monte Gennaio (Day 4 around Pianaccio), where we went over the summit. The views were brilliant and the ground spotted with numerous wildflowers. We were grateful that we had brought fleeces and gloves when we reached the windy ridge. The cloud never cleared from Corno alle Scale (Day 6 around Vidiciatico) but we were lucky to be able to do this walk at all, given earlier adverse weather forecasts. We experienced a few rain showers during the week but nothing more serious; the heavy rain fell overnight. The walk to Monte Belvedere (Day 2 around Lizzano) was notable for the flowers in the meadows: we saw several species of orchid and encountered the extraordinary tassel grape hyacinth. The view from Monte Belvedere itself was disappointing, obscured by trees. Many of the paths are in dense forest with no views; the shade might be welcome in the summer but we found the environment somewhat tedious, particularly on the walk from Pianaccio to Vidiciatico (Day 5). The occasional sighting of a hut for drying chestnuts was interesting, however; on the Porretta Terme to Lizzano (Day 1) walk we took a diversion (suggested by a notice on the side of the path) highlighting the traditional chestnut harvesting and drying processes.
The paths were clear and route-finding straightforward, with only a couple of minor exceptions. The grading of 2–3 felt appropriate. Conditions underfoot were good but might be slippery and muddy after rain. All the rifugios were closed but the cafés in villages were open. We met other inntravellers on the same holiday, a day on either side of us. This was enjoyable and we exchanged tips.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: This customer did our city add-on in Bologna, followed by our self-guided walking holiday 'Italy's Secret Apennine Mountains'

Overall a very enjoybale trip. We had to take low level options on 2 days because of the rain and wind, but the views on day 6 were spectacular.

This was an exceptionally well-planned holiday. The walks were very varied and explored different aspects of the region; the accommodation and food were excellent. The weather in September ranged from hot sun by the pool in Lizzano (followed by spectacular thunderstorms) to snow and fierce winds on the Passo de Cancellino. I regretted not packing a pair of gloves. 

We thoroughly enjoyed this holiday, our fourth with Inntravel. It is in a beautiful part of Italy, the scenery was stunning and the walks varied and interesting.  Each hotel had it's own bonus, the Hotel Il Fondaccio has a lovely pool and garden area, the Antica Locanda Alpina has wonderful food and picnics, the Hotel Montegrande also serves lovely food and without exception we received a warm welcome in all of them.

A bit of advice is that if you go in September there is no heating on in the hotels which if the temperture drops, as it did with us, the rooms were a bit chilly as were the dining area so we recommend taking some warm layers. Don't let this put you off as we also had some really lovely warm weather and it is a great holiday.

Excellent routes with stunning views and surprise vistas.  Much of the climbing has tree shade so this is a good tour even in the height of summer. 

Great walks, great accomodation, lovely authentic Italian food. It was just wonderful.

This is our first experience of using Inntravel and we will definately be using you again. Everything ran extremely smoothly from the first contact with yourselves right through to landing back in the UK again. All the pre-holiday information was received in good time and was clear, concise and comprehensive. The walking routes were perfect and provided a fantasitic overview of the Appennines. The city of Bologna was well worth exploring and two nights is plenty of time to see it all without rushing.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: This customer did our walking holiday 'The Secret Apennines' followed by our city add-on in Bologna.

Overall a challenging hiking holiday set in amazing mountains and wooded areas. Such friendly locals. Always welcoming. Fabulous rustic hotels and food. Would highly recommend.

Absolutely fabulous walking in this region, the hotels Il Fondaccio, Locanda Alpina and Montegrande all having individual charm, very warm welcomes and wonderful meals!

A glorious series of walks though beautiful woodland full of birdsong breaking into wondeful views across the green hills and to the various peaks as we gained height.

Excellent and varied hikes with a few spectacular ridge walks. All hotels very welcoming, with great hospitality and delicious meals.

Useful to note: During summer months there is also a bus available from Bologna airport to city centre. It terminates at a piazza about a 15min walk from hotel. 

The Secret Apennines is among our top 5 Inntravel walks. The food (especially the pasta) and the hospitality in Emilia Romagna are outstanding. The walks were challenging but very doable. The weather was mostly fine in early June and the wildflowers were a delight. We would have skipped the Dardagna Falls if doing over, especially on a weekend as the area gets very crowded. Monte Gennaio circuit was our favorite (such variety) with Corne alle Scale a close second.

Bologna is a real treat, much nicer and less touristy than Florence. Bologna to Florence made for some long days but a real sense of accomplishment. If the weather had not been fine, the stones underfoot could have been treacherous. A rest day or two worked for us. San Piero a Sieve provided a nice respite in a welcoming hotel and an interesting town. In Fiesole, Bistrot al5 is terrific for lunch and dinner. Not inexpensive but worth it for the food and service. The restaurant at Bencista was also very good with an excellent view. For us the room with a view of Florence was not worth the additional price. We ended with two nights in Florence and wished we had gone to Siena or back to Bologna instead. Florence is magnificent and terrible. Perhaps it was the contrast between the idyllic and largely empty countryside and the overwhelming tourism and art in Florence. If you are going to Florence, book early for the Academia especially. Luckily I had seen Michaelangelo's David before since I couldn't get in with a few days notice.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walks The Secret Apennines and From Bologna to Florence

We loved this holiday, and it was interesting for us to travel in May--earlier than usual--because the temperatures were far more manageable. The one downside was that there was an increased threat of rain, which was significant on this trip because it would have been so much more dangerous if the trails had been wet. But we lucked out, and it was glorious.  The food was delicious, and the staff at the various Inns very accomodating and friendly! 

Thank you!

Definitely a hidden treasure, perfect time of year to visit. Do check your expectations for exertion and terrain!

This was a culinary delight of regional Italian food with daytime walking to redress the balance. Very quiet as we were only guests in 2 of the hotels. The walks I would grade as moderate to strenuous, especially for a couple in their late 70s.

Being able to tackle some challenging walking with confidence, with the highlight being to stand on the top of Monte Grande, and knowing that the hospitality we would return to at the end of the day was of such a superb standard, made for a relaxed and stress-free experience. This was our first trip booked through Inntravel, we would certainly recommend and look forward to our next adventure.

We loved the adventure of moving around with every day looking different and bringing different challenges. We appeared to have the hills to ourselves most days enabling us to feel as if we really were secretly enjoying the Apennines. The wild flowers were amazing, clumps of hill top gentians were such a reward for our efforts. All good food for our souls. There was a warm welcome at the end of each day. Beyond our delicious meals notable treats were the swimming pool at Hotel Il Fondaccio, cold beer and crisps sitting outside at Antica Locanda Alpina and the home made liquers that rounded off our excellent meals at Hotel Montegrande. So many golden moments. We were extremely fortunate that conditions allowed us to reach all the tops giving us such a great sense of achievement at the end of each day and feeling rather pleased with ourselves by the end of the week.

Monte Gennaio day was our highlight; Monteacuto on walk to Pianaccio is well worth a stop; the high level walk Corno alle Scale was excellent too (we did not do the waterfalls, dropped off at Cavone). Excellent food, picnics and lovely hosts. A great first trip with Inntravel.

HIGHLIGHTS: Apennines walk was super. Il Fondaccio was our favourite hotel there. So lovely to have such a spacious comfortable room. Linda is a lovely host and it was a charming village. Everywhere we went we received the warmest welcome and the generosity of the local people was exceptional. On the Lake Iseo walk, our favourite hotel was Il Due Roccoli. Again the warm welcomes, beautiful rooms with views and stunning food in the restaurants made the whole experience so memorable. We highly commend Inntravel for the choices of hotels in every case. 

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walks The Secret Apennines and Secret Lake Iseo with our City add-ons in Bologna and Verona

Some of the views were glorious and the villages and countryside we walked through were peaceful and attractive. Go to Mt Belveder, maybe miss out climbing up to Monte Grande as you can see very good panoramas from the path along the ridge. There was never a problem with water as most villages had water fountains available. Walking poles very helpful on some of the ascents/descents. Finally, if time allows stay a few days in Bologna - it's lovely.

All hotel hosts were welcoming and the food very good, particularly the dinners at Lizzano. All the walks were challenging but manageable and highly satisfying, passing through glorious scenery with hardly another soul around. Overall I would rate this as one of the best Inntravel walking holidays I have been on. Perhaps worth mentioning is that while I'm not a massive sufferer from vertigo the downward views into open space at the high points of days 4 an 6 did affect me quite a bit to the extent that we avoided the high ridge on day 6, altering the route slightly. It may be worth a warning to customers who have any fear of heights.

Excellent itinerary in relation to walking and hotel accommodation - hotel owners at Lizzano, Pianaccio and Vidiciatico were all very friendly and helpful, especially Carmen at Vidiciatico when our flight was cancelled and Pianaccio when Jim's leg was troublesome. The food was outstanding. We particularly enjoyed Monte Gennaio and walking around Corno alle Scale (we omitted the waterfalls section as this seemed too long a day).

A good trip. Organisation was very good throughout. All connections and accommodation happened as planned. The hotels were very accommodating and welcoming. The walk was pleasant, with some challenging stretches more than made up for by the surroundings and the hotel waiting for you at the end.  The various villages were lovely. All round, very enjoyable.

A fabulous selection of walks through a lesser known part of northern Italy. We were lucky with the weather and got to see the spectacular viewpoints from the hills. The hotels all hit the spot; well chosen with great service and plentiful amounts of locally made food. The walks are challenging and rewarding in equal measure. We added on a couple of nights in Bologna at the end which was well worth it, a fantastic city. Great for wandering, soaking up the atmosphere and people watching from a street cafe. In the evening choose from one of the literally hundereds of amazing places to eat. A really great 10 days. Thanks to all of the team at Inntravel.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walk he Secret Apennines with our Bologna City add-on

HIGHLIGHTS: Very well organised. Beautiful scenery. Good Accommodation and Great hospitality. Excellent Meals and Picnics.

My personal highlight was acheiving the ascents and descents each day through the national park, and particularly the 970m ascent to above the tree line from Antica Locanda Alpina. The food was also a highlight, really felt like we experienced good local cuisine. Suggest this is not a walking holiday for people who are not reasonably active in their everyday lives and willing to sweat more than just a little. Only minor issues were the smell of cigarettes in the morning at Antica, the very flat pillows and the 7:30 pm evening meals. We understand this is the Italian style but found it pretty hard to stay awake until 7:30 when we finished our walk each day at 4-4:30 pm.  

Everything about this holiday was fantastic. Beautiful locations and scenery, great walks, top hotels all serving gorgeous food. Dinner at 7.30pm was a standard in the hotels and was a bit late after a day walking, but we understand and accept that's just how it's done in Italy.

In our opinion we would class this walk as 3 boots or maybe we are just too old.

Excellent food & accommodation throughout, walking spectacular, especially The Dardagne Falls & the Corno alle Scale walk.

This was definitely one of our best holidays! Excellent service from Inntravel, with good accommodation and meals. Recommend walking poles as some of the uphills were more challenging than anticipated and the gradient profiles on route notes suggested. Highly recommend this trip for those keen to walk 'off the beaten' track and experience rural Italy.  

This was our first walking holiday, so we didn't know what to expect in terms of the walking or the hotel and travel arrangements. Everything went very smoothly and although some walks were more challenging than we were expecting, we coped and had enough time to rest before the next day! Being in the rural areas of Italy was very special and if anything, returning to Pisa was more of a shock to the system than the week's walking!

The Monte Gennaio circuit was our highlight for walking scenery. We had perfect weather and the views and terrain along the ridge were stunning. Discovering ancient fountains running into stone troughs, and small villages perched on hillsides, learning about the historical chestnut harvest, history and the wonderful food were all highlights. We felt like each of the hotels went out of their way to highlight local food specialities and we thoroughly enjoyed every meal. Unfortunately due to weather we were unable to do Option A around Vidiciatico.

All four of us very much enjoyed the trip. The 2-night at a hotel format was good and the hosts were all charming and welcoming. The Apennines was new to all of us and we are now fans and can't imagine why (but are selfishly rather grateful) that it isn't a more popular area. Much of the walking is in the woods which is a relief when the weather is hot. Having the short city-break in Bologna afterwards was also an enjoyable contrast.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walk The Secret Apennines with our Bologna City add-on

The scenery was beautiful and I would recommend this holiday for the seasoned walker, although none of the days were heavy on mileage they were quite challenging. However it was all really enjoyable. As the meals are provided each night comprised a four course meal, which we would never usually eat. It was also quite late when we had finished the meal so less time to digest before needing to go to sleep. 

The Apennines: This was a great holiday. We enjoyed the remoteness of the walking (rarely met anybody on the trails), the hospitality of the hotels and friendliness of the locals. We read the book Apennines Love and War by Eric Newby and that added a special understanding of the WW2 memorials we saw and the atmostphere when we were walking through the heavily wooded landscape.

Tuscany: Volterra was a delight and worth extra nights. It was quiet and less touristy than the other towns. We enjoyed the walking.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walks The Secret Apennines and Hill-Top Towns Of Tuscany

Thank you Inntravel for another 2 memorable walking holidays and 2 city stays. Yet again the choice of hotels was excellent, transfers easy and the choice of walking routes great. We love the combination of track notes, hard copy map and GPX files. We had to change some of the walks because of the weather, but with suggestions from hotel staff, and the information we had, it was easy. Our only regret is that we didn't have any 'down' days - our legs were tired at the end of our second walking holiday! 

INNTRAVEL NOTE - these customers combined our Through the Soca Valley and The Secret Apennines holidays.

Without Inntravel we would not have considered exploring the "Secret Appenines". We thoroughly enjoyed the trek. This is a lovely and very quiet part of the country. The paths were really good and well waymarked. On most days, we met very few, if any, other walkers. Every 3 years, in early June there is a week-long series of events to mark the US-led liberation of the area in WW2. We arrived the week before, and were welcomed on the summit of Mount Belvedere by some locals preparing for the events, who were only too happy to share their food and wine.

Overall we enjoyed our holiday, despite some of the challenges. The food, in particular, was excellent and the friendliness of the hoteliers and standard of accommodation couldn't be faulted. Lunches were enormous in some cases and we had to save food for later!

We met some lovely people on our travels, and being able to speak some Italian (with one fluent Italian speaker in our party) made this all the more enjoyable. People were very helpful and we had a lot of laughs. Other walkers we met of various nationalities doing the same itinerary were also very friendly.

One thing I'd stress is that the walks are not easy, with some steep and sometimes tricky terrain, so time estimates could be amended. I'd recommend early starts!

A great adventure for us, despite being in the Apennines during a 100 year storm and flooding in Bologna. We had rain 4 of the 6 days. Was still fun, though sad we missed out on the great views from the mountain tops. Part of what made it fun were the other hikers staying at the hotels - for the most part other Inntravelers. Appreciated the warm welcome as we arrived at each hotel wet and bedraggled. Linda (Hotel Il Fondacio) and Carmen (Hotel Monte Grande) were exemplary. Route instructions and GPX easy to follow on our phones. Lots of food, but we burned lots of calories on the hikes. The wine was a great value at all 3 hotels!

Personal highlights included:

• seeing a whole herd of wild boar, running in a straight line away from us through the field, including baby boar. 
• the thermal spa at the first hotel after a long day travelling
• warm Italian hospitality and great food 
• monte belvedere summit was very poignant reminder of the war
• the dardagna falls which were very full after all the rain

HIGHLIGHTS: Irene's cookery lesson. The dinners, especially Antica Locanda Alpina and Hotel Montegrande. Carmen at Hotel Montegrande. 

We thoroughly enjoyed this walking holiday. It is the third we have done with Inntravel. The Apennines were the most wonderful mix of shady beech forests and heathered high plains. Wonderful walking, some steep climbs but always rewarded with magnificent views and, in one case, a sleet storm - all part of the adventure! The hotels, as always, were welcoming, the food beautiful and the comfy rooms most welcome after a long walk. The hotel I'll Fondaccio was a standout for us.

Lovely walking, with fantastic views (when not raining; visited in late September) and very friendly and welcoming hosts at 3 small family run hotels.  Food and wine, as always in Italy, was simple but very tasty. We had lunch on arrival at hotels in Pianaccio and Vidiciatico and would thoroughly recommend their a la carte menus. Finally, it was a simple matter getting to and from Bologna airport at the start and end of holiday, which made transfers stress free.

The view from the summit of Monte Grande with the clouds below us was terrific.

Whilst it was very exhilarating walking on Monte Gennaio and Corno Alle Scale the mist obscured the undoubtedly splendid views. On both occasions we walked with a second couple.

Monte Belvedere and Monte Grande were highlights for us. We also greatly enjoyed the lovely ecosystem around the pilgramage church. We saw wild boar, deer, lizards, and lots of Fire Salamanders!

Inntravel should make it clear that there is a great deal of walking in trees with no distance views.

The hotels were well chosen and, other than a few comments, we were very happy with them.

The walking, the food and the scenery were excellent. Unfortunately we were not adequately equipped for the coldness of the September weather in this area, so it may be worthwhile mentioning this in your notes.

My personal highlight was getting to the top off corno scale; four attempts two succeses!

This was our first trip with Inntravel.  It was first class in that all the arrangements, bookings and information seemed seamless.

We were really impressed by the scenery and the warm welcome we received at the smaller hotels. The food at these hotels also exceeded our expectations...including the very welcome picnics! We walked through beautiful woodland with the sound of running water...and stunning viewpoints as a reward for some quite steep climbs. The walk to Porta Franca and Passo Cancellino was the hardest...but maybe because we did it on a day when the weather changed and visibility on the ridge was poor. However, we did feel a sense of achievement! The villages are lovely...just as described. The travel arrangements from Bologna are very easy and the whole week was meticulously organised. A wonderful opportunity to see a region of Italy which is not well known in this country...it should be! 

We had a wonderful introduction to this part of Italy combining great walks and scenery with warm, welcoming hospitality.

This was our first time with Inntravel and we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and appreciated the level of customer care that was provided both by the company and the hotels we stayed in. An example was there was a road closure that affected one of the walks. The hotel contacted the company who passed this on to us offering alternatives. The company obviously know the hotels well and the description of their features were accurate. The food was excellent and the walking fantastic.