“Va' Sentiero is a wide-ranging project that aligns perfectly with our responsible tourism policies that we have been pursuing for years,” explains Anna Ferrino , CEO. “We are pleased to support a project that promotes our country not only for its artistic and cultural beauty, but also for destinations related to outdoor activities such as trekking. Once again, thanks to the guys at Va' Sentiero, we demonstrate how the Italian mountains are capable of offering nature trails of great attraction and charm.”
What is the Sentiero Italia?
Defined by CNN as “the greatest of the great routes”, the Sentiero Italia is the high route that runs through all the mountain ranges of Italy, continuously. About 8 times longer than the Camino de Santiago, with its 7000 km the Sentiero wins the title of longest trek in the world.
An unparalleled path that passes through 350 small enchanted villages, large walls, centuries-old forests, ancient traditions and dialects of 20 Italian regions, from Friuli-Venezia Giulia to Sardinia. Created in the 1990s thanks to the Sentiero Italia Association and the Italian Alpine Club, over the years the long route has been gradually abandoned. But in 2019 the Italian Alpine Club started an important restoration project thanks to its volunteers. Today it is not only the dream of every hiker, this path is a symbol of environmental protection, a hymn to slowness, an opportunity for those who take care of their territory.
How the Va' Sentiero guide works
Available free of charge and in English at www.vasentiero.org , the Va' Sentiero guide is an open access and user-friendly digital resource designed to guide anyone who wants to set out on a journey along the Sentiero Italia, providing everyone with all the necessary information: maps and GPS tracks, photos and video highlights, a description of the route and a list of accommodations for each stage. Must-try recipes, historical curiosities, local legends and popular traditions. All this for 14 regions, 240 stages and 4,881 km (for now) of the Sentiero Italia. Each point in the guide is based on the direct experience of the guys at Va' Sentiero, who have documented the route from every point of view day after day, including information on the variants tested during the expedition and advice on points of interest in the immediate vicinity of the route.
Who are the guys from Va' Sentiero?
Va' Sentiero is “Walking, discovering and… sharing” born from the dream of 3 young people united by their love for the mountains of their country, Italy. Va' Sentiero is a social initiative based on the idea of sharing, with the aim of enhancing the environmental, cultural and social heritage of the Italian highlands in the name of sustainable tourism.
The team today has 6 young walkers and since 2019 has been engaged in a real expedition on foot along the Sentiero Italia which everyone can join, pandemic permitting. Made up of a Guide & Project Manager, Photographer & Communications Manager, Logistics & Events Manager, Videomaker, Philosopher Steward and Social Media Manager, the team is engaged in a real exploration and documentation of the trail, engaging in multimedia restitution. To date they have crossed 14 out of 20 regions and in the spring they will set off again to complete the expedition by October 2021.
Deviations from the CAI Italian Trail
The Va' Sentiero expedition aimed to follow the Sentiero Italia Cai as a main route, in order to document the route, the High Lands crossed and promote a conscious and sustainable approach to the mountains.
As specified in the Va' Sentiero guide, the expedition sometimes deviates from the route identified by the Italian Alpine Club and called Sentiero Italia, a 7,200-kilometer itinerary that embraces the whole of Italy, restored and renewed by the Italian Alpine Club in 2018. Such deviations, made based on the advice of locals or the practicability of the route, are always indicated and motivated in the affected stage sheets.
