Wine is an integral part of Sardinia’s history and economy, with archaeological discoveries pointing to a winemaking heritage dating back at least to Roman times and possibly even the Phoenicians before them. Grapes are grown all over the island and a good...
Following the announcement of new tourist rules for Venice this year, the platform for day-trippers to purchase the €5 fee to enter the city launched on January 17th, allowing visitors to make their payment before arriving in the city. The fee does not apply...
We work on our fitness all year round in preparation for our seasons of hiking and we always encourage our guests to start getting fit well before the tours start. The benefits are manifold and lead to an increased level of enjoyment and a reduced risk of...
We're all more aware than ever of our carbon footprint, and much has been written about the contribution that clothing manufacturers can make to the planet's health. As we gear up for our 2024 season you might be thinking about sorting your hiking kit, so here are...
The last stop on our The Island of Corsica tour is in the wonderful Restonica Gorge which, in addition to providing some glorious hiking, also gives us time to explore the pretty town of Corte, the former capital of Corsica. The town has a charming historic...
Jackie's latest guest article for US online magazine Sixty & Me explores nine gastronomic reasons to holiday in Italy. From cured meats to gelato, discovering Italy's food culture will be a huge part of your trip, and it can be as educational as it is...
One ingredient we always try to have on our lunchtime picnic tables is a taste of local honey. It is delicious on bread, with cheese or drizzled on a fresh apple or pear, and wherever we are walking in Italy we try to find the best, locally produced,...
If you're looking for some festive fizz this Christmas you might like to search out a bottle of Italy's famous sparkling wine from the region known as Franciacorta. The vineyards are sandwiched more or less between Bergamo and Brescia in the Lombardy region in the...
Cathy Samson and her husband Paul took their first Hedonistic Hiking steps in the Italian Lakes in September 2023. In contrast to last month's interview with Chris Bell, who completed his 20th tour in 2023, we caught up with Cathy this month to check out the highs and...
Every town in Italy has a patron saint and each one has a day in the year dedicated to its celebration, known locally as the "Festa del Santo Patrono". Stumbling across one of these saints days unwittingly can have two outcomes. You might find it...
We are lucky to work in Italy when it comes to rustling up picnic lunches because the selection of ingredients is extensive, high quality and delicious. The picnic lunches on our hiking tours in Italy are the stuff of legend (even though we say so ourselves!)...
Palazzo Pfanner - Lucca Lucca is one of Tuscany's gems, encircled by impressive Renaissance walls, and is the first stop on our Lucca, Volterra and Elba tour which runs in May. We have a little stroll around the 4 km walls as we arrive into the town, and...
In 2023 Chris Bell completed an impressive 20 tours with Hedonistic Hiking. First joining us in 2008, he has been a regular visitor to Italy ever since and many of our guests will remember hiking with him across the peninsula. And he's not stopping at 20!...
Autumn is the season when we start to see pumpkins appearing in Italy's shops and markets. In the UK and US they play an important part in our celebrations for both Halloween and Thanksgiving. In Italy, however, it is the pumpkins themselves that are...
One of the highlights of our Etruscan Trails in Central Italy tour in May is our hotel stay immersed in the Tuscan landscape that surrounds Montepulciano. But the town’s midway location right in the heart of Italy makes it an ideal top or tail to any central...
Explore Portoferraio - Elba's Capital City About Portoferraio Portoferraio is the capital city of the island of Elba, in the Tuscan archipelago. Elba is the third largest Italian island after Sicily and Sardinia. It has rich mineral deposits and...
2024 will see us returning to the border area between France and Italy, hiking in two stunning National Parks which are home to a unique cultural and natural heritage. On the French side we hike in the Mercantour National Park and on the Italian...
Orvieto is one of Umbria's most striking towns. It sits high on a cliff of dark volcanic tufo rock with impressive vistas across rolling vineyards and olive groves. It was an important city for the Etruscans, as well as the Popes in medieval times, and its...
Jackie's latest guest article for Sixty & Me looks at ten of Hedonistic Hiking's favourite smaller museums and attractions in Italy, which are just a little off the beaten track. These hidden pint-sized gems don’t have the size and grandeur of...
Explore Colle di Val d’Elsa - Italy's Crystal City About Colle di Val d’Elsa Colle di Val d’Elsa is a town which sits right in the centre of the region of Tuscany, a little to the north west of Siena. Unusually for a Tuscan medieval town it has an...