Walking in Italy's Stelvio National Park

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.

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

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 Cedèc

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