Guided Walking at Norcia

• Our experienced leaders offer the choice of two different walks each day
• Choose the option which best suits your interests and fitness
• We provide flexible holidays. Choose easier walking one day and harder the next or just explore independently or relax around the resort
• Our leaders are friendly and welcoming making your holiday fun and sociable

Easier Walks      Harder Walks    Mountain Walking

Easier walks on well-graded tracks and paths, Harder walks with steeper gradients and rougher terrain. Mountain walking weeks offers more challenging routes which replace the usual harder walks.

Day 1: Arrival day

For those arriving on the Rome flights, the onward journey to Norcia is by coach. You should arrive at the hotel with time to settle into your room, and perhaps explore some of the town. On the first evening your leaders will explain more about the walks and there will be plenty of time to meet with your fellow guests.

Day 2: The Santa Scholastica Valley

The first day walks head south from Norcia into the wide valley which lies at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains. Following different routes, both groups will enjoy wide views of the Norcia region and have appetites whetted for the programme of walks to come. Both groups should return to Norcia in time to enjoy a relaxing drink in one of the town’s cafes and to begin an exploration of the many narrow streets and alleyways within the town walls.

Easier Walk: 6 miles with 740 feet of ascent and 1,180 feet of descent

Harder Walk: 8½ miles with 1,850 feet of ascent and descent 

Day 3: The Piano Grande (The Great Plain)  

Today we travel by bus into the Sibillini mountains. Our transport drops us near the Perugia refuge at a viewpoint which gives us breathtaking vistas over mountains and flat bottomed valleys. Those who visit the Sibillini in June will be rewarded with a carpet of colour as the flax, lentils and poppies burst into bloom. In the distance is our objective, the village of Castelluccio.

Easier Walk: 7 miles with 525 feet of ascent and 650 feet of descent

Harder Walk: 10 miles with 1,180 feet of ascent and 1,950 feet of descent

Day 4: Forca Canapine

Today both walks take a bus to Forca Canapine at the southern end of Piano Grande. In the winter this is a small ski centre and there are a handful of tows and chairlifts on the slopes to the north. Our walks head south of Norcia or in the case of the easier walk to a village on the edge of the Gran Sasso National Park

Easier Walk: 7 miles with 360 feet  of ascent and 2,690 feet of descent

Harder Walk: 9 miles with 890 feet of ascent and 2,660 feet of descent

Day 5: Free Day

Each week there is a free day where no guided walks are offered. This is an ideal opportunity to relax around the hotel, walk independently, or visit local places of interest.

 Some options for your free day include:

• Norcia: Norcia is an interesting town in its own right that warrants further exploration. It is possible to discover many hidden corners on a wander through the narrow backstreets, or watch the world go by from one of the pavement cafés in the central square. HF Holidays’ guests also have full use the swimming pool ( bathing caps required ) or tennis courts that can be found at the Hotel Salicone, on the outside of the village. 
• Activities: For the more active, horse riding, rafting, mountain biking and paragliding are all available locally. These can all be booked at the ‘Norcia Slow Village’ shop on the main street, which is also owned by the Bianconi family. A popular option is to have a cookery lesson, where you can learn to cook some traditional Umbrian dishes, or an Italian language lesson.
• Assisi: If there are sufficient guests interested then your leaders will arrange a mini-bus or coach for an excursion to Assisi. This beautiful city, dominated by its Basilica is famous as the birthplace of St Francis. The Basilica consists of the upper church which is the setting of the world famous Giotto cycle of frescoes on the life of Francis, the lower church with its frescoes by Lorenzetti, and below that the crypt containing the tomb of St Francis.
• Spoleto: Lesser known, but perhaps even more enchanting than Assisi, is the beautiful walled town of Spoleto. A visit here could either be combined with a coach excursion to Assisi or reached by public bus from Norcia.

Day 6: Return to Piano Grande

We return to the Sibillini to explore the hills on the western side of the Piano Grande. Both groups will follow a high level footpath affording views to both east and west. The harder group will be offered the opportunity to climb to the summit of Monte Patino (6,176 feet). This mountain which dominates the Norcia Valley will, on a clear day, give us splendid views of the whole area.

Easier Walk: 6 miles with 1,080 feet of ascent and 1,230 feet of descent

Harder Walk: 9½ miles with 1,700 feet of ascent and 1,840 feet of descent

Day 7: Villages of the Castoriana Valley

Both groups start the day by taking the bus to Forca d’Ancarano to the north of Norcia. From here we join a footpath which leads us from attractive  village to hill- top village. There will be time to linger en route especially in the remarkable village of Campi Vecchio. The undulating path winds through hills and past wayside churches until it finally descends to the abbey of S. Eutizio and to Piedivalle where a bar, cafe and toilets await us. The longer walk will continue beyond the abbey and take us on to the spectacular community of Preci.

Easier Walk: 6 miles with 800 feet of ascent and 1,850 feet of descent

Harder Walk: 8½ miles with 1,430 feet of ascent and 2,740 feet of descent

Mountain Walking

Special departure Sat 9 June and 15 September

Day 1: Arrival day

For those arriving on the Rome flights, the onward journey to Norcia is by coach. You should arrive at the hotel with time to settle into your room, and perhaps explore some of the town. On the first evening your leaders will explain more about the walks and there will be time to meet with your fellow guests.

Day 2: Above the Santa Scholastica Valley

The harder option starts with a stroll through the streets of Norcia and out through the town wall into the Santa Scholastica valley. We head south west to the hills and after a sharp and steep ascent level out on a forest track which runs parallel to the valley, affording views of the valley and the Sibillini until lunch-time. After lunch we cross the ridge and head northwards towards the village of Ospedaletto, enjoying views now to the west and north. From Ospedaletto a long shady path descends back to the valley and brings us to Norcia’s famous water meadows (le marcite) where cool underground springs replenish the watercourses and maintain an area of green fertility. The North gate (Porta Romana) brings us back into town with time to explore and enjoy a drink before dinner.

8½ miles with 1,850 feet of ascent and descent

Day 3: Monte Lieto

Those opting for the mountain walk will travel a little further to the village of Castelluccio, high in the Sibillini National Park. From the village we head into the peaceful Canatra Valley whose northern slopes stretch to the summit of Monte Lieto. At the head of the valley the route steepens to reach the south-west ridge which is followed to the summit of Monte Lieto (1,944 metres). Having admired the views down over Piano Grande we descend via the north-west ridge to the road at Forca di Gualdo. The final stretch back to Castelluccio takes us through the high mountain plain of Piano Perduto.

9½ miles with 2,200 feet of ascent and descent 

Day 4: Mounts Signori, Utero, Macchia del Vitello and Moraie

Today’s walk takes us to the southeastern fringe of Sibillini National Park. The Forca Canapine Pass affords us views to the east of the Sibillini. From here we walk to the Pantani Lakes and climb to the summit of Monte Signori. This mountain affords us 360 degree views of the whole region. These vistas continue as we walk the undulating ridges of Monte Utero, Monte Macchia del Vitello and Monte Moraie before descending to the villages of the Santa Scholastica valley to meet our transport in San Pelligrino.

11 miles with 1,770 feet of ascent and 3,500 feet of descent

Day 6: Monte Vettore

 At some 2,476 metres (8,121 feet) Monte Vettore is the highest point in the Sibillini Mountains. Even in high summer there can be snow at this altitude, and if conditions are poor then another high-level walk will be substituted. We start at the Forca di Presta col and follow a steep but well-defined path to the unmanned Ziloli refuge high on the summit ridge. With the summit now in sight we ascend up the rough path to the top to enjoy the views over the mountain’s rugged ridges. We retrace our steps all the way back to our starting point at the Forca di Presta and then have a much gentler walk through the Piano Grande to end at Castelluccio.

10½ miles with 3,120 feet of ascent and 3,920 feet of descent

Day 7: Monte Patino

 We start at the Forca d’Ancarano, a pass in the hills carrying the road from Norcia to Preci. From here the towering summit of Monte Patino is only a mile away as the crow flies, but to reach it we take a longer route which initially ascends around its base. The ascent then gets steeper as we head towards the col at Forca di Giuda. With most of the climb now complete, another 30 minutes of walking will take us to the summit itself. This is a superb viewpoint which overlooks Norcia and the valleys beyond. We return to the col and for the rest of the walk follow a high-level ridge over the lower summit of Monte Vetica. Throughout this section there are views down the steep slopes west towards Norcia. Eventually we descend

10 miles with 3,460 feet of ascent and 1,840 feet of descent 

Local transport

On some days the walks start and finish at the hotel. On other days we’ll use the hired transport to explore the surrounding area. The cost of transport to and from the walk is payable locally.