5 mountain destinations for summer holidays in Italy

Summer is like a car with an autopilot: it automatically lines up priorities and safely leads desires and needs to a specific destination. In this case, for those who need to disconnect completely from the metropolitan routine, the destination is well-defined. Hundreds of meters up from the sea level the uncontaminated nature of the mountain cheers the mood and regenerates the spirit, but above all gives the much deserved relaxation. The mountain destinations offer many unexpected activities that can be combined with all kinds of travel ideas: for a slower and relaxed tourism the perfect combo consists of hotel, spa and excellent local food, for sports lovers walking, trekking, mountain biking, climbing and trail, all surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, the perfect backdrop for a zen moment of rejuvenation and reconciliation with yourself and with nature. Fortunately Italy is full of many areas to choose from to spend a summer holiday away from the torrid-asphalted city and its frenetic rhythms. nss G-Club is here to show you 5 amazing destinations in the mountains in Italy, suitable for all tastes and accessible, a few kilometers from home.

Lessinia - Veneto

A few steps from the majestic city of Verona, you can easily access the Venetian Pre-alps, where nature and architectural beauties perch the landscape. Here stands out the sanctuary of Madonna della Corona, reachable through a path of one thousand and five hundred steps (but that is worth them all) the Castle of Avio, protected by the Italian Environment Fund, and the Sphinx Valley. Lessinia is famous among locals for the wide range of trails available: from the easiest to the most demanding, all the trails give the eyes the boundless natural beauty of semi-alpine areas, and almost all of them end with a happy ending; each route often culminates in a refuge waiting for hikers,  typically called "malga", restaurant where you can refresh yourself and taste the delicacies of the place. A real must are the alpine gnocchi, made with a dough halfway between the sweet and salty and dipped in butter... to replenish the energy and keep the smile on your face.

Fun fact: Cows are really everywhere on the mountain trails. Docile and harmless, they must be respected and not disturbed. If you walk in the mountains at night and see black and white silhouettes, it could be them, don't be scared!

San Pellegrino Terme - Bergamo

If you love relaxation and Wes Anderson movies, this is the place for you. The location is where the most famous and mispelled Italian water in the world, San Pellegrino, flows and is bottled. The city is truly a paradise for lovers of body care and Art Nouveau style. Home to the famous QC Terme, the capital of the Brembana Valley was frequented by jet set characters of the early twentieth century. The city also hosts to some of the most important examples of Art Nouveau architecture and design in Europe such as the Grand Hotel and the Casino, with a exquisitely vintage-echoing atmosphere at the Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson. From May to September you can also visit the Grotte del Sogno, the first caves discovered in Italy, in 1931. There is also sport, with excursions and rafting not far from the center.

Fun Fact: On the label of the bottles of mineral water San Pellegrino, at the top appears the Municipal Casino stylized with the background of snow-capped mountains, in reality absent, since higher. The drawing was copied and adapted from a vintage photo of 1907, taken during the inauguration.

Gran Sasso d'Italia e Monti della Laga - Centro Italia

The Gran Sasso is a real gem for lovers of the mountains. Reachable from most of the Italian cities with a few hours drive, offers the most varied activities. Between Marche, Lazio and Abruzzo ancient villages, archaeological sites, castles, sanctuaries, abbeys, rock churches, hermitages and caves decorate the amazing mountain landscapes of the Park, an exceptionally rich nature of forests, springs, waterfalls, grasslands, highlands, dizzying ridges and impressive rock faces where you can walk, bike and for the most romantic, even on horseback. The ideal thing is to get a good backpack and go around as much as possible, rest in the shade of the magnificent and varied flora of the park and in the evening enjoy the delicious medieval villages with the typical foods of the region that runs along.

Fun Fact: The mountain range extends for 150,000 meters and touches 3 regions of Italy. You can also touch all three regions in one day during a hike!

Terminillo - Lazio

Monte Terminillo, mountain part of the Reatini Mountains, is located in the heart of Italy, near Rome. Silent landscapes, not too crowded spaces far from the city effervescence give moments of contemplation and true immersion in nature to visitors. In summer it is a perfect destination for trekking and walks in nature, and is particularly recommended for lovers of night photography: thanks to the reduced light pollution the Terminillo is one of the few places in Central Italy suitable to photograph the Milky Way well at night .

Fun Fact: The Terminillo is well known for the ski resort, frequented especially by the inhabitants of the capital today and by the "Roma Bene" in the postwar period, in fact it is also called the "mountain of Rome". In Roman times, its ice was used as a refrigerator for food storage.

Valle Isarco - Dolomiti del Sud Tirolo

Barbiano, Brennero, Bressanone, Chiusa, Fortezza, Funes, Maranza, Naz-Sciaves, Vipiteno are just some of the names of the villages of Valle Isarco, in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, where you can enjoy a relaxing escape into nature. Between the lush alpine meadows and the gentle hills of the Valley of the Paths walking and feeling the alpine air is a real dream, and getting bored is almost impossible: trekking, Nordic walking, mountain biking, paragliding, rafting, canyoning, golf courses, horse riding and excursions for the "Sporty Spices", medieval villages rich in history and culture, with village festivals and traditional markets. An ideal day here takes place with a morning excursion, one of the best are Chestnut Trail, which extends for 63 km from Bressanone to Bolzano or the one for the Stanghe Waterfalls, and then in the evening spend some time doing a gastronomic tour to discover the culinary tradition of the destination: wine soup, the "Tirtln" (typical pancakes) or the "Minkelen" (typical sweets) are the local dishes that you would not find elsewhere.

Fun Fact: The Valley also preserves some wonderful medieval castles, a temple of history and culture. In particular in Castel Trosburg, in Ponte Gardena, the custodian of the castle still lives there and works the land, after having seen the last owners leave 40 years ago. Wonder how many stories she has to tell...