Cover image: Monte Pietravecchia tappa 5(photo courtesy of Paolo Bolla)

The Alta Via dei Monti Liguri (the “High Trail” of the Ligurian Mountains) is one of the most charming ways to admire the beauties of Liguria. It is a very long showcase of more than 400 kilometers, facing on one side the sea and on the other side the Alpine chain. This long green path stands from the French border to the Tuscan one. Each leg along the way is a guarantee for unforgettable landscapes to anyone. Along the green paths, sea views appear on the coastal side, and you can admire Corsica in the distance, or even see Monviso and Monte Rosa on the opposite side.

The itinerary offers different opportunities not only for its main points of interest, but also for the features and the difficulties of the route, with trails suitable for families with children and elderly people and demanding trails for well-trained hikers. A very useful aid to help you along the way are the trail markers, coloured in red-white-red and marked AV, which are been located along the tracks.

Tappa7 S. Bernardo di Mendatica-Colle di Nava (photo courtesy of Paolo Bolla)

Each stage of the path may be a good occasion to visit villages, castles, museums, but as well in participating in one of the traditional feasts and celebrations of the Ligurian territory. You may choose this area to practice outdoor activities and freely experience the beauty of unspoilt nature. In addition to hiking, horseback and bicycle, you can also practice many other outdoor sports, like: paragliding, skiing, climbing.

Tappa5 Sella d’Agnaira-Sella della valletta (photo courtesy of Paolo Bolla)

For those who decide to be more in contact with nature, they can sojourn here. In fact, there are accommodations like refuges trails, hotels, bed & breakfast, farmhouses, where you can also taste typical products and dishes of the Ligurian territory. But today, I want to tell you more about this extraordinary environment through the images of a great photographer of nature, which I had the honor to meet and interview recently, Paolo Bolla.

Tappa5 Sella d’Agnaira-Sella della valletta-Lago di Tenarda ( photo courtesy of Paolo Bolla)

Paolo Bolla was born in Savona and he started photographing in the late ’90s. His passion for photography combined with the one for nature allowed him to discover what the world of the nature is able to offer, giving us through its shots, unique feelings and emotions. His pictures are made in natural conditions, so they are not retouched.

Paolo participated together with 5 other photographers, to the realization of a photographic book dedicated to the, “Alta Via dei Monti Liguri” the most important Long Green Way in Liguria (editor “Il Piviere”). The book, titled “One year on the Alta Via”, is a collection of images on the long hiking trail that crosses Liguria from east to west. I assure you that paging through the book and seeing those images, makes you want to discover personally these beautiful landscapes.

Book cover of, “One year on the Alta Via”

Continues…

Next: Alta Via dei Monti Liguri – meeting with the photographer Paolo Bolla (part II)