National Parks
Italy has 25 national parks, protecting about 5% of the country's area:
- Gran Paradiso (Aosta Valley/Piedmont) — Italy's oldest national park (1922). Ibex, chamois, marmots. Great high-altitude hikes.
- Cinque Terre (Liguria) — The smallest national park: coastal hiking trails, vineyard terraces, colorful villages.
- Dolomiti Bellunesi (Veneto) — Wild Dolomite landscape without the crowds of more famous areas.
- Asinara (Sardinia) — Former prison island, now a natural paradise with albino donkeys and crystal-clear sea.
- Arcipelago Toscano (Tuscany) — Elba and the surrounding islands. Hiking, snorkeling, Napoleonic heritage.
- Vesuvio (Campania) — The volcano and its surroundings, with Mediterranean scrub and surprisingly diverse flora.
- Gennargentu (Sardinia) — Sardinia's wild mountain heart with the highest peak (1,834 m). Mouflons, eagles, solitary hiking trails.