Walking routes around Lake Orta

over 500 miles of trails between the lake and the mountains

The routes at the foot of Lake Orta, in Piedmont, offer a perfect blend of nature, history and spirituality. Among the most striking, there is the ascent to the Sacred Mount of Orta, a UNESCO heritage site, with its frescoed chapels. Along the shores of the lake, winding paths, quiet, ideal for scenic walks, while the surrounding forests offer most challenging treks with breathtaking views. Each path is an opportunity to discover the quiet charm and authentic feel of this corner of Italy.

Walking routes around Lake Orta

Hiking and Trekking around the Lake Orta

Lake Orta, located in the Piedmont, it is one of the most fascinating destinations for lovers of trekking and hiking. With its beautiful landscapes, well-marked trails and a peaceful atmosphere, this area offers courses to suit everyone, from relaxing walks along the banks to the most challenging treks in the surrounding hills. In this article, we will explore some of the most fascinating around Lake Orta, optimized for those seeking experiences of trekking and excursions in nature.

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Every walk is a sort of pilgrimage

This phrase by Henry David Thoreau, taken from his essay Walking, encapsulates the essence of walking. It is not merely physical exercise, but a genuine journey—both inner and outer. Lake Orta, with its trails winding through ancient villages, chestnut woods, and breathtaking views of the Island of San Giulio, lends itself perfectly to this philosophy.

Thoreau wrote: «I can easily walk ten, fifteen, twenty—any number of kilometers—starting from my doorstep without encountering another dwelling, without crossing any road other than the paths beaten by the fox and the mink». At Lake Orta, this sense of immersion in nature is still possible. The Grand Tour trails, the hillside loops, and the walks along the reed beds of Gozzano all offer an authentic walking experience.

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, an avid walker, confessed: «Above all, do not lose the desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked my way to my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it». This is the true value of walking: not a sporting performance, but a practice of renewal.

Lake Orta, with its paths winding between water and mountains, invites us to do exactly this: to walk not to reach a destination, but to be present. As Rousseau wrote: «I can only meditate when I am walking: the moment I stop, I cease to think; my mind only works when my legs are in motion». Every lakeside path offers a chance to rediscover this lost rhythm, to let one’s thoughts unfurl with every step.

And so, as Thoreau concludes, “let us wander toward the Holy Land, until one day the sun shines brighter than it ever has, illuminating our minds and hearts.” Lake Orta, with its walking trails, is perhaps our own little everyday Holy Land: a place where walking means, quite simply, returning to oneself.

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Walking routes around Lake Orta