The best hiking routes in Piedmont

Piedmont offers a stark choice between the high, rocky terrain of the western Alps and the forested, water-carved valleys closer to the plains. In the north, Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso presents classic alpine walking, where paths are often steep, stony, and flanked by scree slopes and glaciers. In contrast, the eastern border along the Parco Lombardo della Valle del Ticino features flat, sandy riverside tracks through deciduous woodland and wetlands, where the walking is level but can feel humid in July.

For those seeking isolation, Parco Nazionale della Val Grande offers a dense wilderness of steep, abandoned valleys where old stone ruins are being reclaimed by chestnut forests. Here, the paths are often narrow, overgrown, and require careful navigation underfoot. This is not a landscape of manicured meadows or signposted family strolls, but a rugged terrain shaped by past forestry and grazing that have long since ceased.

Further south, the maritime influence begins to show. Near the Ligurian border, the Beigua - Turchino area features grassy ridges and blocky sandstone paths that feel entirely different from the sharp granite peaks of the north. In October, these southern ridges often catch the mist rising from the nearby sea, dampening the dry grasses and making the rocky descents slick.