Want to Hike the Dolomites but Worried About the Crowds? Consider the Alta Valsesia
Search ‘Hiking in the Italian Alps’ and the Dolomites will likely top the list. Whether it’s Trip Advisor, Travel + Leisure, or travel guru Rick Steves, everyone’s got their take on the top attractions, starting with the iconic Alpe di Suisi, with its now very familiar majestic peaks set in a high alpine meadow.
There is no question the Dolomites deserve the attention — they are beautiful, designated a UNESCO world heritage site due to the uniqueness of their landscape and geological importance. But all that interest has also led to a degree of overtourism - 34 million visitors in 2022 - forcing local officials to institute access restrictions to help protect some attractions in the region from overcrowding.
If you are wary about contributing to overtourism, or prefer to avoid the crowds, but are looking for a Dolomite-type hiking experience, we’ve put together a point-by-point comparison with another, much lesser known, but equally stunning part of the Italian Alps, the Alta Valsesia, where karibu offers a 7-day hiking tour.
UNESCO + Gobsmacking Scenery
Both the Dolomites and the Alta Valsesia have UNESCO designations. The Alta Valsesia is located at the foot of the Monte Rosa massif, the second highest peak in the Alps, offering panoramic views of glacier-fed waterfalls and alpine meadows. Known as “the greenest part of Italy,” the Alta Valsesia is part of the highest elevation UNESCO Geopark in Europe. Alagna Valsesia, the village at the foot of the park and karibu’s hiking base, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Dolomites, distributed over three regions (Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia), cover more than 140,000 hectares and offer some beautiful mountain scenery. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo — three peaks with a pristine mountain lake at the base — serve as the poster-child of the region, while the Marmolada (known as the “Queen of the Dolomites”), is the highest mountain range in the Dolomites and home to its largest glacier.
A Hiker’s Paradise
The Alta Valsesia and the Dolomites are world class hiking destinations, with mountain refuges sprinkled throughout the many valleys and passes. The Valsesia is part of the renowned “Tour de Monte Rosa” an 8-10 day hut-to-hut tour around the Monte Rosa that includes reaching the Capanna Margherita, the highest hut in the Alps — a bucket list achievement for many avid hikers.
The Tour de Monta Rosa is not for novice hikers, but there are plenty of other less strenuous hikes, many along ancient stone steps used by shepherds to bring their cows, sheeps and goats up to the high alpine meadows in summer. We’ve included some of our personal favourites in our itinerary. Still, the Valsesia is a narrow winding valley, and portions of the hikes can be steep, gaining 400 metres in elevation in half a kilometre, so there are times when you might be catching your breath.
The Dolomites also offer hiking for all levels, from hardcore mountaineering to easy strolls in alpine meadows. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike is a relatively easy walk that winds its way through the three spires that make it one of the go-to Instagram spots in the region. There is also a network of hut-to-hut treks that take a bit more time but are well worth the effort.
Highlights + Crowds
As we’ve mentioned, the most famous destination in the Dolomites is Alpe di Suisi, Europe’s largest high alpine meadow. Rick Steves calls it his “recommended one-stop look at the Dolomites” because of its postcard-like setting with the expansive meadows looking to the Sasso Lungo peak in the distance. Amongst the beauty and nature is an active tourist industry, with cable cars taking visitors to various peaks and tour buses moving people in and out. But easy access is attracting more and more people. According to a recent Telegraph article, 34 million people visited the area in 2022, which is why authorities are taking steps to limit access at Alpe di Suisi and other attractions.
There are a number of gems in the Valsesia, and most are yet to be discovered by the masses. Perhaps the most exquisite is a pristine hanging valley called Val d’Otro. Peppered with little hamlets of centuries-old shepherds’ homes, the Val d’Otro is set amongst a panoramic view of mountain peaks while cowbells gently tinkle all around you. Its unique charm was threatened by moves to build a road up to the valley, until a citizens’ revolt and the Italian Environmental Foundation stepped in to protect it. No cable cars here; Val d’Otro is accessible only by foot. It’s a steep walk straight up along a stone path, and this lack of ready access has allowed the community to preserve the valley’s unique magic, free of cars or tour buses, and keeping mass tourism at bay.
Food + Culture
In case you thought the Italian Alps are all work and no play, think again. The Dolomites are rich in northern Italian culture, where the region’s close proximity to Austria and Switzerland creates an experience all its own. For the most part, people speak both German and Italian. School is offered in both languages, and most towns and places in the region have both an Italian and Austrian name. And a small minority of people (about 30,000) speak a third language, Ladin, which dates back to Roman times.
As a sought after tourist destination, the region is also home to some of the finest dining anywhere in Europe. Cortina, one of the most well-known locations in the region (Cortina is the site of the alpine and nordic competitions for the 2026 winter Olympic games), has five Michelin restaurants including SanBrite, which received a green Michelin star for its commitment to gastronomy and sustainability. Some specialties from the region include casunziei, red moon-shaped ravioli with a beetroot filling and sprinkled with poppy seeds; and canederli (knödels in German), a large dumpling made of stale white or dark bread with flavorings often sprinkled with speck
karibu’s Valsesia adventure offers its own window into a unique part of Italy that most people rarely see. Valsesia is home to the traditional settlements of the Walser, a Germanic shepherding people who moved from Switzerland into the high alpine valleys near Monte Rosa in the 13th century. The valleys are studded with small clusters of centuries-old wood and rock buildings called “Baita”: traditional three-story dwellings that still house shepherds, livestock and hay, and are living reminders of the Walsers’ deep connection to the land.
While there are no Michelin star restaurants, the food is deliciously hearty and sourced from local shepherds. Dairy products, including artisanal butter and ricotta, are a particular specialty, along with the mouth watering Toma cheese, which comes in endless varieties depending on age and what the cows or sheep were fed. Other local favourites include miacce (a kind of crepe), polenta served with venison (the Valsesia is home to two types of wild goat; ibex and chamois) and some of the best gelato anywhere in the country..
Location + Accommodation
The Dolomites are within easy access of Venice; about a two-to-three hour drive away. The area has long been the playground of Europe’s rich and famous, with activities ranging from mountaineering and hiking, to cycling and skiing. Resort towns like Cortina offer a wide range of accommodations from high-end hotels to cozy inns.
The Valsesia is located in the northwestern-most edge of the Italian Alps in the region of Piedmont, right at the border with Switzerland and not far from the famous Matterhorn and Zermatt. The two closest villages at the end of the valley, Alagna and Riva Valdobbia, are about two hours drive northeast of Milan and two-and-a-half hours due north of Turin. They are most easily accessed by car, with public transport requiring a combination of trains and buses.
As a less traveled destination, the villages are best known for small scale, chalet-style hotels, bed and breakfasts and apartments as opposed to the high end resorts in the Dolomites. While there are a handful of multi-storey hotels (two), there are no big chains, and almost all accommodations are locally-owned, priding themselves in local hospitality and tasteful, locally-anchored decor. We stay in comfortable lodges modeled after the traditional Baita common to the region that combine traditional building aesthetics with modern finishings. Rooms are apartment-style, featuring a master bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette and living area, with couches that also pull out into comfortable beds.
The Takeaway
It’s hard to go wrong in the Italian Alps. There’s amazing hiking, great food and spectacular scenery no matter which destination you choose. But if you are looking for somewhere less traveled, offering a unique slice of Italy that still retains its authentic charm, the Alta Valsesia will not disappoint.