[Image Cammino Retico on Facebook]The Dolomites Mountains in Italy are stunning and dramatic and an ideal region for exploring. Now, a new seven-day hiking trail has been opened taking hikers on a 170 km (105 mi) circular route. The hiking trail heads through wild, landscapes of the Dolomites mountain range rich with nature all the way.
Cammino Retico hiking trail through the Dolomite Mountains of Italy
[Image Cammino Retico on Facebook]The new hiking trail is dubbed the Cammino Retico after the ancient Raeti people who lived in the region before Roman times. Meanwhile, the trail isn’t just through nature, as it connects several remote villages along the way between the Veneto and Trentino regions.
The hiking trail has opened in the hope of bringing slow and sustainable tourism to some of the country’s lesser-known areas. These areas are currently at risk of depopulation, but the trail could let hikers explore an untouched and uncrowded side of Italy.
Hiking the trail through seven villages in seven days
Cammino Retico 7-day hike through the Dolomites Mountains in Italy [Image Cammino Retico on Facebook]The trail has been organized by the social association Carpe Diem and it starts and ends in Aune di Sovramonte, close to the city of Belluno. The trail also passes through 10 municipalities in the Feltrino and Tesino areas.
Along the trail, hikers don’t need to sleep rough as they can spend the night in a mountain community, including the pretty lakeside village of Arsiè, and the walled town of Feltre. Meanwhile, the route offers 50 accommodation options for hikers to enjoy.
Moreover, the hiking trail includes other pre-marked routes including paths plotted by Italy’s Club Alpino (CAI) and the ancient Claudia Augusta Roman road.
Nature on the trail
[Image Cammino Retico on Facebook]While exploring Italy away from mass tourism, the hiking trail winds along the Cammino Retico and ranges in height from between 400 and 1,450 meters above sea level. Due to the varying levels along the way, hikers can enjoy views of wild limestone peaks, lake shores and lush valleys.
Francesco De Bortoli of the Carpe Diem association spoke about the new hiking route, saying:
It is a chance for tourists to discover the culture and traditions of these uncontaminated, rural areas. And walking is the best way to do this.
Historic sites on the Cammino Retico in Italy
[Image Cammino Retico on Facebook]Meanwhile, the Cammino Retico takes hikers to several historical sites, including Monte Avena where traces have been discovered of Neanderthal populations. Moreover, hikers can visit the 12th-century, beautifully frescoed Sanctuary of Saints Vittore and Corona and the 17th Villa delle Centenere. Other attractions along the way include the bicycle museum in Cesiomaggiore and the Pedavena Brewery. Cyclists can look forward to a twin cycling route to be opened in 2025.
The Carpe Diem association is also taking inspiration from Spain’s Camino de Santiago by introducing a traveler’s passport and diploma for hikers who complete the route.
Readers can learn more about the new Cammino Retico hiking trail on its official website. While the website is in Italian, an option allows the content to be translated into English.
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