Italy boasts an array of splendid national parks and trails of every kind, from North to South, reveals a Holidu.it study.
Holidu.it’s list of Italy’s best national parks
As autumn unfolds, the allure of nature intensifies, showcasing the captivating wonders that make Italy a nature-lover’s paradise. Holidu.it, a prominent booking portal for holiday homes and apartments in Europe, has compiled a list of the top 25 national parks in Italy for 2023, based on the number of trails they have and their popularity.
Stelvio National Park - Ph credits Joseph Vary - Unsplash
Expansive mountainous landscapes and abundant wildlife
Leading the ranking is Stelvio National Park, situated in the Eastern Alps between Trentino-Alto Adige and Lombardy. It is Italy’s largest national park, featuring expansive mountainous landscapes and abundant wildlife. With an impressive 215 trails and a Google Maps score of 4.8, Stelvio National Park claims the top spot. The Silver Medal goes to the National Park of the Casentinesi Forests, Monte Falterona, and Campigna, located in the scenic regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. With ancient forests and an untouched natural environment, it boasts 128 trails and a 4.8 rating on Google Maps. The Gran Paradiso National Park, known for its ibex and chamois population, secures the third position with 102 trails and breathtaking alpine landscapes, extending between Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta.
Gran Paradiso - Ph credits Ulrich Knoll - Unsplash
Diverse ecosystems and rich biodiversity
In fourth place is the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park, which can boast diverse ecosystems and rich biodiversity, and has the highest number of trails for an Italian national park (237). Although slightly penalised by a Google Maps score of 4.7, it remains an exceptional destination. Closing the top 5 is the Sibillini Mountains National Park, spanning Marche and Umbria, which offers a unique blend of mountains and plateaus, with the prominent Monte Vettore as its highest peak and 97 remarkable trails.
Four Italian regions host three National Parks
Four Italian regions, says the Holidu.it study, host three national parks each: Tuscany (Foreste Casentinesi in second place, Tosco-Emiliano in fourth, and Arcipelago Toscano in 23rd), Lazio (Gran Sasso in sixth, shared with Abruzzo and Marche, and the National Park shared with Molise and Abruzzo in seventh), Abruzzo (in addition to the two shared with Lazio, Maiella in tenth), and Sardinia (Orosei and Gennargentu in ninth, La Maddalena in 11th, and Asinara in 20th).
Seven regions boast two National Parks
Seven Italian regions boast two national parks each: Emilia-Romagna (Foreste Casentinesi and Tosco-Emiliano), Piedmont (Gran Paradiso and Val Grande in 17th place), Marche (Monti Sibillini in fifth place and Gran Sasso in sixth), Puglia (Gargano in 13th and Alta Murgia in 19th), Campania (Cilento, Vallo di Diano, and Alburni in 14th and Vesuvius in 22nd), Calabria (Pollino in 15th and Aspromonte in 24th), and Basilicata (Pollino in 15th and the Apennines Lucan at the 25th). And Holidu.it also reports that a further eight regions host a single national park each, with a special mention for the National Park of the Island of Pantelleria in Sicily. For information: https://www.holidu.it/f/agriturismi-italia#migliori-parchi-nazionali
