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Walking in Italy's Stelvio National Park

Italy's largest alpine national park

Guidebook to the Stelvio National Park in the Italian Rhaetian Alps. The 38 day walks and hikes described offer a wide variety of routes on well-maintained and signposted paths, linking a network of picturesque villages and hospitable mountain refuges. The Stelvio National Park borders the Dolomites to the east and Switzerland to the west.

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Quick facts

  • Guide name: Walking in Italy's Stelvio National Park: Italy's Largest Alpine National Park
  • Location: Italy – Stelvio National Park, Italian Rhaetian Alps; bordering the Dolomites to the east and Switzerland to the west
  • Routes covered: 38 day walks (5–18km/3–11 miles)
  • Typical duration: 2–7 hours per walk; walks easily extended into multi-day experiences with overnight stays in alpine refuges
  • Difficulty: Graded 1 to 3; suitable for beginner and experienced walkers; grade 3 walks involve peaks and more demanding alpine terrain
  • Terrain: Well-maintained and waymarked alpine paths, glacial valleys, mountain lakes, high passes, waterfalls, and summit approaches
  • Navigation/mapping: Sketch maps included for each walk; Tabacco 1:25,000 series recommended for on-the-ground navigation; full map guidance provided
  • Key centres: Bormio, Santa Caterina Valfurva, Sulden, Martell, St Gertraud, Peio, Rabbi, Malè
  • Highlights: Stelvio Pass, Forno glacier, Ortler and Cevedale mountains, Val Zebrù, Valle di Rabbi, Martelltal glacier trail, ibex and chamois, lammergeiers and eagles, traditional Ultental valley
  • Accommodation & logistics: Full accommodation appendix covering alpine refuges and guesthouses; practical notes on local transport, getting there, food and drink, and park dos and don'ts
  • Best time to go: Late June to October

Detailed overview

Walk in Italy's Stelvio National Park and discover the country's largest alpine national park, a vast and spectacular wilderness of glaciers, high passes, thundering waterfalls, and soaring peaks in the Italian Rhaetian Alps. Bordering the Dolomites to the east and Switzerland to the west, the Stelvio is a haven for wildlife including ibex, chamois, lammergeiers, and eagles, and one of the great walking destinations of the Alps.

Suitable for beginner and experienced walkers alike, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook by prolific alpine author Gillian Price describes 38 day walks across the Stelvio National Park. Routes range from 5 to 18km (3–11 miles) and can be enjoyed in 2–7 hours, graded from 1 to 3 to cater for a range of abilities, with walks easily extended into multi-day experiences with overnight stays in alpine refuges.

Choose from 38 graded day walks across the Stelvio National Park, following well-maintained and waymarked paths through dramatic glacial valleys, past mountain lakes and cascading waterfalls, and up to high ridges with views across the Rhaetian Alps to the Dolomites and Switzerland.
Discover the highlights of the Stelvio National Park, including the thrilling Stelvio Pass, the Forno glacier and the Forni Sentiero Glaciologico Alto, the Ortler and Cevedale mountains, ibex and chamois in Val Zebrù and Valle di Rabbi, and the traditional culture of the Ultental valley.
Navigate with confidence using sketch maps included for each walk, with detailed guidance on the park's numbered and waymarked path network and recommendations for the best commercial maps covering the Stelvio.
Extend your walking into multi-day adventures by combining routes with overnight stays in the park's network of hospitable alpine refuges, with a full accommodation appendix covering rifugi and guesthouses throughout the Stelvio.
Plan your Stelvio National Park walking holiday with detailed practical information on getting there, local transport, accommodation, food and drink, and key bases including Bormio, Santa Caterina Valfurva, Sulden, Martell, Peio, and Rabbi.
Deepen your experience of the park with introductory sections on the geography and history of the Stelvio, its plants and flowers, and the remarkable wildlife that makes this national park one of the best places in the Alps to see ibex, chamois, lammergeiers, and golden eagles.


Explore the glaciers, valleys, and high peaks of Italy's largest alpine national park with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. From the Stelvio Pass to the wildlife-rich valleys of Val Zebrù and Valle di Rabbi, this is the essential companion for walking in one of the Alps' most spectacular and rewarding protected landscapes.

Where and when to go

Seasons

late June through to October

Centres

Bormio, S Caterina Valfurva, Sulden, Martell, St Gertraud, Peio, Rabbi, Malè

Difficulty

single day walking routes graded 1 to 3 to allow for beginners as well as experienced walkers ready for peaks. Walks easily extended into multi-day expereinces with overnight stays in alpine refuges

Must See

the thrilling Stelvio Pass on foot or by bus, the Forno glacier, the Ortler and Cevedale mountains, ibex and chamois in Val Zebrù, Martelltal and Valle di Rabbi, lammergeiers and eagles, traditional Ultental

Table of contents

Introduction

Geography
History
Nomenclature
Plants and flowers
Wildlife
Valleys and bases
Getting there
Local transport
Information
When to go
Accommodation
Food and drink
What to take
Maps
Dos and don'ts
Emergencies
Using this guide

Walks

Walk 1 St Gertraud Alm Route
Walk 2 Höchsterhütte Circuit
Walk 3 Fischersee Walk
Walk 4 Rifugio Lago Corvo
Walk 5 Rifugio Dorigoni Tour
Walk 6 Baito Campisolo Route
Walk 7 Cascate di Saent
Walk 8 Ragaiolo Falls and the Venetian Sawmill
Walk 9 Val Cercen
Walk 10 Rifugio Larcher Tour
Walk 11 Monte Vioz
Walk 12 Sentiero dei Tedeschi
Walk 13 Malga Covel and Waterfalls
Walk 14 Forte Barba di Fior Loop
Walk 15 Lago di Pian Palù Circuit
Walk 16 Dosso Tresero
Walk 17 The Forni Sentiero Glaciologico Alto
Walk 18 Valle di Ced&##xe8;c
Walk 19 Rifugio Casati
Walk 20 Val Zebrù and Rifugio V° Alpini
Walk 21 Lago della Manzina
Walk 22 Santa Caterina to Sant'Antonio
Walk 23 Monte delle Scale
Walk 24 Valle Forcola Traverse
Walk 25 Monte Scorluzzo and Filone dei Möt
Walk 26 Goldseeweg
Walk 27 Berglhütte
Walk 28 Trafoi Waterfalls
Walk 29 Tabarettahütte
Walk 30 Hintergrathütte Tour
Walk 31 Düsseldorferhütte and Kanzel Circuit
Walk 32 Madritschjoch and Hintere Schöntaufspitze
Walk 33 The Martelltal Glacier Trail
Walk 34 Zufritt See and Larchboden Loop
Walk 35 Stallwieshof Traverse
Walk 36 Pedertal
Walk 37 Orgelspitze
Walk 38 Soyalm

Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Glossary
Appendix C Accommodation
Appendix D Useful contacts

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN9781852846909
AvailabilityPublished
Published11 June 2013
Pages192
Weight 220g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

Updates

  1. Updated

    Author updates

    Walk 33 Just before reaching Zufallhutte/Rifugio Corsi don't miss the detour L to the hanging bridge. Then below the refuge is an excellent WW1 museum, once the delousing bath house for Austrian soldiers!

    On the descent path below the dam wall you'll encounter three consecutive artistic lookouts over the chasm.

    Appendix 3 Accommodation

    Martelltal/Val Martello – add Gasthof Schonblick tel 0473 744776 www.gasthof-schoenblick.it/it/schonblick

  2. Updated

    Updates

    There's been an increase in cases of TBE tick-borne encephalitis) across Europe, Italy included. Walkers should be aware that they may pick up ticks while walking through grass and woodland up to approx 1500 metres altitude. Not all ticks carry the disease but better safe than sorry. Simple precautions and plenty of useful information is available on the website: https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/tick-borne-encephalitis. Vaccination is also an option.

    Oct 2017

    p142 The second torrent is uncrossable .

    (Thanks to Nigel Armistead)

  3. Updated

    Walk 27 Extension

    The way marked route 18 has been washed away by a truly massive landslide at the foot of the glacier. However, there is another path that has been made, marked with orange poles, that takes you higher and over some loose ground and you can use this to rejoin the marked route. So still doable.

    (Thanks to Sue Howie)

  4. Updated

    Walk 28 – Trafoi waterfalls

    There have been minor route changes - follow local signs.

Meet the author


Gillian Price has trekked throughout Asia and the Himalayas, but now lives in Venice and is exploring the mountains and flatter bits of Italy. Starting in the Italian Dolomites, Gillian has written outstanding Cicerone guides to walking all over Italy as well as Corsica and Corfu. An adamant promoter of public transport to minimise environmental impact, Gillian belongs to Mountain Wilderness and is an active member of the Venice branch of CAI, the Italian Alpine Club. Check her out at www.gillianprice.eu.