The word Liguria instantly evokes the charm of sparkling seaside pictures: the Riviere, the Cinque Terre and the romantic Tigullio and Poets gulfs only to cite a few.
The blue of the sea is the colour that immediately suits this narrow region stretched out towards the Mediterranean, which has fostered its glory and wealth since the times of the Maritime Republics.
Nevertheless, Liguria is much more than sea. The region, in fact, is a land of dualisms representing its authentic added value - a vertical dualism concerning the integration between coast and entroterra (70% of the territory stands at an altitude of more than 1,000 metres, 34% is hill country and a scarce 1.1% plain), a horizontal dualism with reference to the pronounced differences between the Riviera di Levante and the Riviera di Ponente.
The west coast is characterized by the presence of bays encircling the mouth of rivers, vast, deep coves with level beaches of sand or cobbles. The east coast is a succession of rugged cliffs, high and interspersed with tiny gulfs (with the exception of both Tigullio and La Spezia) and promontories - a conformation that has not favoured the growth of settlements and industries. Actually, the familiar tourist setting rich in olive groves (fasce, dry-stone walls, vineyards and glasshouses), palms and cluster pines is due to the hard work of ancient Romans and Benedictine monks: the original landscape was an uninterrupted ribbon of orange groves and pastures, which grew more and more wild towards the entroterra.
Diversity is the main feature of the region’s habitats and geography: steep, jagged mountains alternating with gentle plains (e.g. the piana di Albenga), rocks turning here and there into soft sand, gulfs hosting secure ports, secluded valleys unravelling their beauty only to not accidental visitors. The fight against stereotypes and common places is always rewarded in this land wonders.
The Alta Via dei Monti Liguri provides a unique and extraordinary fil rouge across the whole region. This crest route follows the entirety of the regional watershed from Ventimiglia to La Spezia (400 kilometres of well-marked stages).
The Alta Via deservedly figures into two important European excursion routes, the E-1 and the E-7: the first links the North Cape (Sweden) to Capo Passero (Sicily), the second connects Lisbon to Konstanz.
The original project of the itinerary developed within the frame of Liguria’s Territorial Plan with an eye to sustainable tourism and local socio-economic growth. In 1993 the project became effective: nonetheless, it should be noted that the Alta Via is an ever changing in progress project evolving through time.
Along its 400 kilometres the Alta Via follows the tracks of the ancient trails once devoted to trade and sheep breeding (not to forget their role as escape routes in the age of Saracen invasions…), the most outstanding of network to discover during your stay in Liguria.
Enjoy an immersion into nature and have your pick from an range of paths varying in length and difficulty: mountains, rocks, forests, streamlets and lakes will be your travel companions, a sequence of red and white trail marks will guide your steps through settings of touching beauty, the sea a cobalt ribbon at the horizon.
The Alta Via dei Monti Liguri offers routes fit for everyone, expert excursionists, average trekkers and families with kids. The choice is up to you: the brave will embark on a multi-day trip along the whole span of the route, whereas beginners will opt for a short one-day excursion.