The view of the Sibillini Mountains, Le Marche, Italy from our garden

Holiday apartments near the Sibillini Mountains in Le Marche, Italy

There are, of course, a wide range of routes on the mountains themselves, from the relatively flat in the piano grande around Casteluccio to the very steep and only for the very fit. A route around the entire range of the mountains, called the Grand Anello is also possible. It is 120km long and altitudes range from 560m to 1790. It is non-technical and does not require extreme fitness. A description of suggested hikes as well as the Grand Anello itself is available online.
Guided walks in the Sibillini Mountains are also available. Both the Sibillini National Park and the Club Alpino Italiano offer guided walks of varying levels of difficulty. The Club Alpino Italiano publish a list of their walks each year. This list is available locally. The walks are graded and a contact person is assigned to each walk. In the Sibillini National Park are a number of Case del Parco. These are tourist information centres for the park. You can buy all the publications produced by the Sibillini National Park and also get information and help regarding any activities you may wish to participate in.

The woodland area around Casa Carotondo is ideal for short walks of 1-2 hours. The town of Sarnano has identified nine routes starting in the town, which can be used for walking or mountain biking. These routes have been graded according to difficulty. They are described online under the heading excursioni and are a good way of getting to know the area around Sarnano.The valley of Fiastra is a pleasant area on the edge of the mountains, offering walks of a less demanding nature than the mountains themselves.
A map is essential when walking in the mountains. A 1:25000 map of walks can be purchased locally or online. The national park offer a 1:50000 map, which can also be bought online as can the guide book for the Grand Anello which is available in English. Kompass do a map of the Sibillini mountains at the 1:50000 scale. This includes hiking and mountain biking routes. The Sibillini National Park sell a guide book with route descriptions in either English or Italian. This does not seem to be available online currently but can be purchased locally in newsagents or at the Case del Parco. The Cicerone series of walking guide books includes an edition on the Sibillini Mountains from 2009. When using Italian guide books, check the walk description carefully before embarking on it. The term dislivello is often used and means the difference between ascent and descent and not the actual total ascent or descent, which in the Sibillini can be quite a lot.
Winter walking in the Sibillini Mountains is also possible for the experienced. Routes are described in the National Park guide book, which also points out hazardous areas largely due to avalanche risk. The scenery in the mountains in winter can be quite spectacular, especially if the skies are blue and the sun is shining - look at our picture gallery to see some views.