When you are joining a walking holiday for the first time you will doubtless think about well-fitting walking boots, and comfortable walking trousers/shorts and shirts. We have lots of helpful information on our Kit Page about what to wear and how best to...
Explore Aosta - a Roman town at the foot of the Alps About Aosta Aosta is a mountain town with over 2,000 years of history. It sits at 583 metres above sea level and is surrounded by magnificent alpine scenery, overlooked by some of Europe's highest peaks: Mont...
Jackie's latest guest article for Sixty & Me looks at some of her favourite spots in Tuscany taking the visitor away from busy tourist centres. With a little thinking outside the box you can experience the pleasures of Tuscany without the crowds,...
First-time hikers with Hedonistic Hiking often ask about the use of poles. Whilst this is a very personal decision, we ourselves always use them and would highly recommend them to our groups.. However, like wearing in a new pair of boots, you will benefit from a...
Explore Pontremoli, an evocative town in Tuscany's unknown Lunigiana region About Pontremoli Pontremoli is a picturesque town which sits at the confluence of two rivers, the Magra and the Verde, and is the northernmost town in Tuscany. It is the perfect...
If you're heading out to hike with us this year in Italy, and feel like brushing up on your Italian language skills, then watching TV can really help! As well as listening to the spoken language, watching a film or mini series gives a good insight into Italian society...
Get off the beaten track at charming Maratea in southern Italy About Maratea Maratea is jewel of a coastal town, set high above the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy’s Basilicata region, with views to rival those of the Amalfi Coast. The nearest airport is 200km away...
This year the neighbouring cities of Bergamo and Brescia in northern Italy have joined forces and won themselves the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2023. The region of Lombardy, where they are located, suffered hugely during the first...
Stopping by a castle or palace on holiday in Italy is a great way to learn about the history of the region and the country, and it will often come hand in hand with some eye-popping views. Many of our tours visit some of Italy’s most spectacular castles, fortresses,...
Pecorino is the generic name for all 100% ewe's milk cheeses in Italy. They are largely made in the central and southern parts of the country, as well as the Mediterranean islands, and are named after the word for a sheep which...
Will Binder is Jackie's nephew and the newest member of the HH team. Many Hedonistic Hikers will recognise Will as he has already participated in a number of our tours over the years in Piedmont, Slovenia, Austria and the Dolomites, France and the Maritime Alps...
Jackie's latest guest article for Sixty & Me looks at some the best gastronomic adventures you can have in Italy and highlights some of her personal favourites. Whether it's joining locals at a seasonal food festival, taking a cooking class or dining in a...
If you’re an Italophile in search of new vistas and experiences, make sure the Abruzzo is near the top of your list. While the central Italy Abruzzo region is one of the country’s least well-known, its landscape and unique atmosphere certainly make it one of...
Beechworth is one of north east Victoria's best-preserved gold-rush towns and a charming place for visitors to the region to spend a few days. Our Hiking around Beechworth weekend takes place from 14-16 April 2023 and includes two...
Nestled in the beautiful hills of Piedmont in the tiny village of Pollenzo is Italy's University of Gastronomic Sciences and, within this 19th century complex, is the "Banca del Vino". Literally translated as The Wine Bank, this unique project came to life to...
2023 marks 100 years of Verona's stunning summer opera festival. It was in 1913 that the famous production of Aida was staged to celebrate the centenary of the birth of its composer, Giuseppe Verdi. After that performance, an annual opera festival has...
For those of you in Australia next March looking for a little alpine adventure, then look no further than our Hiking the Victorian Alps long weekend from the 8th - 13th March. This is a Level 5 itinerary, but peppered as always with fabulous...
On the final evening of our Tuscan Harvest tour we dine in one of very few restaurants in Italy to have 2 Michelin stars. The restaurant is called Arnolfo and is in the centre of Colle di Val d'Elsa, a small town more or less half...
Thanks to Covid, 2022 was the first year we have been able to run our fabulous new island tours in Sardinia and Corsica. These long-awaited departures finally took place in September and the feedback from the Hedonistic Hikers who took part has been...
Following on from our Blog last month about how easy and fast train travel is in Europe, and how much better for the environment, this month we take a look at three of Italy's most interesting scenic railways, and show how you could extend our Italian walking...