If you love snow and are looking for a great alternative to skiing, we suggest an increasingly popular activity: snowshoeing. It is a form of winter hiking using snowshoes, which allow you to walk safely on snowy and slippery surfaces. Snowshoeing evokes times gone by, when snowshoes were the only means available for getting around during winter.

The best area in Umbria for this experience is the Sibillini Mountains National Park, around Castelluccio di Norcia. The Castelluccio Plains, fascinating not only during the summer flowering season, are easily covered in snow: the plateau lies at around 1,350 metres above sea level, close to Mount Vettore. Winter temperatures can be extremely low, with minimum temperatures occasionally dropping to around -30 °C. These are ideal conditions for abundant snowfall, creating vast white expanses perfect for snowshoeing. Here you can choose from a variety of routes and experiences that allow you to explore different areas of the plains and circular trails around the mountains.

You can explore Pian Piccolo, with views of the small village of Castelluccio and the beautiful woods that surround it, or tackle the more demanding trails on Mount Vettore, with greater elevation gains. You can also take part in organised excursions at night or around sunset: the colours of the setting sun reflected on the snow in one of Italy’s most evocative landscapes will stay with you forever.

After your excursion, stop at one of the mountain refuges in the area to warm up with a delicious bowl of local legume soup. The Castelluccio Plains are particularly renowned for their Castelluccio di Norcia PGI lentils and other legumes.

Exploring these places on snowshoes naturally encourages you to slow down and appreciate every detail of the experience: the breathtaking views, the silence all around you and the softness of the snow beneath your feet. Together, these sensations create a truly unique and unforgettable experience.