Mountains reflecting in lakes, trails suspended above spectacular panoramas, and refuges where you pause after hours of hiking to rediscover the most genuine flavors: Italy offers high-altitude experiences that don’t go unnoticed even abroad. To celebrate them this time, the Guardian has gathered readers’ tips on the most beautiful mountain vacations to experience in Europe.
Between Switzerland, the Pyrenees, Austria, Ireland, and the Balkans, Italy dominates the list, appearing three times. From the Brenta Dolomites to the mountains that overlook Lake Como, up to the foothills of Mont Blanc, they are three places that are distinct from one another yet united by truly spectacular scenery.
The Dolomites of Brenta, the calmer side of the Dolomites
The first Italian location praised by the Guardian is the Dolomites of Brenta, described as the gentler face of the Dolomites, distant from the areas most crowded by tourists and “instagrammers.”
The reader who flagged them explains they based themselves in Pinzolo, then set off from Madonna di Campiglio for a three-day trek among refuges, via ferratas, and sharp ridges. The most beautiful moment of the trip? Reaching the Rifugio Agostini, at 2,410 meters, in the heart of Val d’Ambiez: a place admired for its hospitality, mountain fare, and especially for the jagged peaks that fill the panorama from its windows. The itinerary then ends in Molveno, with an aperitif on the lake’s shores.
We are in Trentino, in the western part of the Dolomite area: the Dolomites of Brenta are protected by the Adamello Brenta Nature Park and stand out for their imposing rock faces sculpted into spires and pinnacles.
The Monti Lariani Route above Lake Como
There is then a decidedly different way to discover one of Italy’s most famous lakes, namely viewing it from above. The Guardian highlights the Via dei Monti Lariani, a long hiking itinerary that traverses the mountains along the western shore of Lake Como.
The route, about 125 kilometers long, connects Cernobbio to Sorico, skirting the border with the Swiss canton of Ticino. You walk among alpine pastures, small towns tied to the history of frontier smuggling, and panoramas open toward the Alps. Making the experience special are also the stops at refuges and agriturismos, where you can taste traditional dishes such as polenta “uncia” and pizzoccheri.
Rifugio Bertone with a View of Mont Blanc
Yet it is the Aosta Valley that wins the most important recognition of the selection: the Guardian designates the advice about Rifugio Giorgio Bertone, perched above Courmayeur at 2,000 meters above sea level, as the “winning tip.”
What strikes first are the incredible views of Mont Blanc, but the panorama is only part of the experience. There is the food, the atmosphere of an authentic alpine refuge, and above all the Balconata della Val Ferret, regarded as one of the most beautiful routes in the surrounding area. The moment not to miss comes at sunset, when the light shifts across the glaciers and, as darkness falls, a starry sky appears above the massif.
