Last month we completed the first departure of our hiking holiday in Northern Lombardy. This itinerary took us from the fascinating city of Bergamo to the vineyards of Franciacorta. We explored Lake Iseo both on foot and on the water and finished in the high valleys of the Valtellina, close to the border with Switzerland.
So you’re looking for a new adventure and toying with the idea of embarking on your first walking holiday. It’s not as mad as it sounds. And it’s not just you – walking holidays are becoming increasingly popular as we seek out healthy holidays, more immersive experiences and embrace the benefits of a slower pace of travel.
Emilia-Romagna is perhaps not considered among Italy’s elite wine regions like Piedmont or Tuscany, but it’s former reputation for quantity over quality is improving all the time. Today it is viewed as increasingly exciting, especially by those who appreciate distinctive, food-friendly wines.
The EU is introducing a new Entry/Exit system from 12th October 2025 for non-EU nationals. This means you’ll get your fingerprints and photo taken when first entering or leaving the Schengen area, which will be stored in a digital file. The new checks are planned to enhance security and reduce illegal migration.
Wine growing in Liguria is a challenging endeavour shaped by the region’s steep, dramatic landscape and Mediterranean climate. Despite its small size and limited vineyard area, Liguria produces high-quality wines. Vines often grow on terraced slopes which offer no access for modern machinery, so they require manual labour, which is part of what makes Ligurian wine special and scarce.
Understated, scruffy in places and largely overlooked by tourists, Genoa remains slightly under the radar compared with many of Italy’s cities. But this only adds to its appeal. As part of the Milan-Turin-Genoa industrial triangle, it’s a living working city – but with the added charm of the sea and a fascinating maritime history.
Staying hydrated while hiking is essential for maintaining energy, regulating body temperature, and preventing heat-related illnesses. When you’re out on the trail, especially in warm or high-altitude environments, your body loses fluids more quickly through sweat and respiration.
The Aosta Valley is a mountainous region in the far north west of Italy bordering France and Switzerland. It is home to several native grape varieties, many of which are unique to the area. Due to the high-altitude vineyards and alpine climate, the wines from this region are distinct, made in small quantities and often unavailable outside of the valley.
This year hiking enthusiasts Martina McGinn and Pedro Geleris from Australia booked three back-to-back tours with Hedonistic Hiking. We were interested to discover their impressions of each of the three tours and to see if sharing their experiences could help to inform future guests to choose the best hike for them.
Our first hike in the UK has just come to an end and we’ve had a real blast! Exploring two of England’s best-loved National Parks with our group of pioneers has been exhilarating and fun. We cannot wait to return again next year, in September.
Piedmont is a highly prestigious wine region both at a national and international level. It is home to a number of key native grape varieties, many of which are not widely grown outside the region. Located in the foothills of the Alps, Piedmont’s vineyards enjoy optimal sunshine by day and cooler temperatures by night.
Anyone planning to be in Italy next year might be interested to take a look at the Verona Opera Festival programme. If you are joining our Austria and the Dolomites tour in July 2026, then you will be just in the right place for a truly unforgettable performance of Aida.
Lombardy is one of Italy’s most diverse and complex wine regions, both geographically and viticulturally. It sits at the very the north of the peninsula and shares a border with Switzerland. The terrain ranges from high mountains in the north to the Po plains in the south, with many micro-climates in between.
Our most recent article for US online magazine Sixty & Me looks at ways of immersing yourself in Italian culture by planning your trip round one of Italy’s numerous colourful festivals and events. Many are connected to tradition, religion or, very often, dedicated to a local food delicacy.
In Jackie's recent article for US online magazine Sixty & Me, she looks at ways to get the most from your art experiences when travelling in Italy. Even if you lived in the country for a full year, the extraordinary selection of world-class art on offer would be...
The expression "full of beans" has long been used to describe a person who is full of life and energy. No surprise when you discover that beans are high in protein, full of important vitamins and minerals and also a good source of fibre. The Italians have a...
Veneto lies in the north east of Italy and encompasses a wide area from Venice in the east to the shores of Lake Garda in the west. It has one of the largest vineyard surface areas of all the regions of Italy, with an historic reputation for producing good quality...
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is located in the very north east of Italy and shares borders with Austria and Slovenia. It is one of Italy’s top wine regions, especially renowned for its white grapes, producing elegant, crisp and aromatic wines due to the cool Alpine...
The Pennine Way is one of the most famous long-distance hiking trails in the UK, and this year it celebrates its 60th anniversary. It stretches approximately 268 miles (431 km) from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. The route follows the...
Jackie's latest article for US online magazine 60 & Me looks at ten different ways to spend more time outside. Being in nature fuels our well-being and, in the natural world, we appreciate the simpler things in life. There are many activities we can all do to...