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Adventure in Northern Italy
As the birthplace of important artistic movements – like the Baroque and Renaissance
– and icons such as Michelangelo, Dante, and Leonardo da Vinci, Italy is one of
the countries that has contributed the most to European traditional arts, science, and
technology.
As one of Europe’s wealthiest regions, the Italian North exhales an entrepreneurial
spirit – most probably inherited from the merchant-controlled communes that spread
around the area after a long period of barbarian-rule – making trade a major means
of subsistence among mountain-dwellers. Its varied landscape introduces a mixture
of cold, dry air descendant from the mountains and a warm, moist breeze coming
from the Mediterranean, that when combined with the richness of the river Po basin
creates an incredibly fertile land. The northern region of Italy is often subdivided
into northwest and northeast. The northwestern side includes the districts of Valle
D’Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, and Ligúria. Places like Bérgamo, Bréscia, Milan,
Pavia, and the lakes of Como, Iseo, Garda, and Orta are some of the cities
in Lombardia. The Valle D’Aosta district (with Aosta as the capital), is located
between the Swiss and French Alps, while Turin is the capital of the Piemonte zone.
In Linguria – a narrow stretch of land bordered by mountains and sea – the cities
and towns of San Remo, Genova, Portofino, Cinque Terre, and Porto Venere are
some of the ones that comprise the region.
Besides its cultural heritage, the country is highly captivating for its natural
landscapes, gastronomy, wines, and historic monuments. Palaces, Medieval cities,
cathedrals and archaeological sites are surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery –
like the cliffs of the Amalfitan Coast; paradisiacal islands such as Capri; the vast
sunflower fields of Tuscany; eye-popping beaches of Sicily, and enamoring regions
where to enjoy a tranquil boat ride in Sardinia. Multifaceted, the country also hosts
ideal locations for the practice of outdoor activities; unequal tastes like the truffles
of Piemonte; charming atmospheres in Portofino, Cinque Terre and Liguria; as well
as romantic regions like Venice; cosmopolitan cities such as Milan, and one of the
world’s most important religious destinations: Rome.
Enveloped by the Alps to the north and west, and the more modest Apennines to
the south, it seems only natural that the Italian nord features some worldwide-known
mountains: the Matterhorn (Cervino) and the Gran Paradiso in the western Alps;
Stelvio and Dolomites on the eastern section of the range. For adventure seekers, a
mountainous region means skiing, snowboarding, paragliding, mountain biking,
as well as hiking and trekking. Fortunately, all of the above can be found in
northern Italy, among other adrenaline-filled traits. But despite having a versatile
list of attributes, the region is still most famous in the outdoorsy community for its
wide number of hikes and treks, strengthened by strategically placed refuges and
chalets, and everlasting historical vestiges.
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