A comfortable pair of shoes and a few free hours: that’s all you need to take part in the National Walking Day. On October 10 and 11, the initiative promoted by FederTrek returns, inviting people for more than a decade to rediscover the simplest and most natural act there is.
All proposals are free, ranging from city strolls to park hikes and walks through the villages of the Apennines. The full calendar is on the official website; here we propose some of the most interesting ideas for the weekend.
Rome, on foot along the GRAB
Sunday, October 11, Rome reveals itself on foot along the GRAB, the Grand Ring Road for Bicycles, a circular cycling route of about 44 kilometers that connects the Colosseum, Trastevere, St. Peter, the Galleria Borghese and the Auditorium, skirting the Tiber, the Aniene and the Almone. The route is 70% through parks, riverbanks and pedestrian streets, and largely flattish.
The meeting point is at 9:00 AM at the Arch of Constantine, after which each participant chooses how far to walk, from a single kilometer to the full circuit. Participation is free, but requires a reservation. The event is for pedestrians only, so no bikes!
From Santo Stefano di Sessanio to Rocca Calascio, Abruzzo
Also on Sunday, October 11, in the heart of the Abruzzo Apennines, you can take part in a hike that will carry you back in time. It starts from the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio and follows the ancient transhumance routes, the paths trodden for centuries by shepherds with their flocks.
The destination is Rocca Calascio Castle, one of the highest fortresses in Italy and a symbol of these mountains. The route is about 10 kilometers long, with 400 meters of elevation gain and a duration of 5–6 hours. The difficulty is hiking-level, so the event is suitable for even younger walkers, as long as they’re used to a few hours on the trail.
Ioanella, stories of shepherds and panoramas of the Adriatic, Abruzzo
Now we move to the Teramo hills where on October 11 in Ioanella, a small hamlet of Torricella Sicura, you will discover an area still little known even to those who live nearby. The hike is part of the Cultural Festival of the Rural Villages of the Laga and combines walking with storytelling about the land.
Between tales of the past and accounts of mountain herding from times gone by, you explore the village, a centuries-old waypoint for travelers, together with the devotional heritage kept along the trails. Then you ascend to the Piane di San Pietro, a natural terrace with a view over the Teramo hills reaching to the Adriatic Sea.
Park of the Castelli Romani, Lazio
Beyond Rome, in the Park of the Castelli Romani, you walk along the Path of the Aqueducts, the ancient route connecting Genzano di Roma to Nemi. The track runs mid-slope along the crater’s rim, among holm oaks, oaks and chestnuts, and follows the traces of preroman and roman hydraulic works—channels and tunnels carved into the rock.
Between one tree and another, there are glimpses of Lake Nemi, until you reach the alleys of the village, famous for its wild strawberries. The loop is 9 kilometers long, with 400 meters of elevation gain and about 5 hours of walking.
Monti Prenestini, in the footsteps of pilgrims
Finally, we recommend one last stop that blends nature and spirituality. From Pisoniano you ascend along the Karol Wojtyla Path, named after the pope who loved these places, winding through groves of oaks, chestnuts and holm oaks, with a few steeper stretches. The destination is the Sanctuary of Mentorella, one of Italy’s oldest Marian sanctuaries, perched at over a thousand meters on a rocky spur above the Valle del Giovenzano. After a break at the sanctuary, you descend toward Ciciliano along the Pilgrims’ Path, the ancient route walked for centuries by the faithful bound for Mentorella.
