Hiking the Chestnut Trail in Südtirol, Italy: The Ultimate Italian Self-Guided Walking Holiday!

Is an Italian walking holiday on your bucket list, but you don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place!

Last month I had the opportunity to hike the Sentiero del Castagno (or Chestnut Trail in English), in Sud Tirol, Italy. It’s a beautiful mountain trail, which will take you to explore authentic corners of Italy, away from the big tourist crowds.

We hiked the Chestnut Trail with SloWays, an Italian tour operator that specialises in walking holidays. It was great to have them look after all the logistics like accommodation and luggage transfer, so we could focus on hiking.

In this article I have outlined everything you need to know about going on a multi-day hike on the Chestnut Trail, including the best time to visit, what to pack and detailed descriptions of the places you’ll see on the trail.

So what are you waiting for? Read on, and start planning your epic Italian walking holiday on the Chestnut Trail!

What is the Chestnut Trail?

The Chestnut Trail, or Sentiero del Castagno in Italian, is a scenic 90 km hiking route that goes from Bressanone to Bolzano. The exact route depends on the variation you do, but it usually takes around a week to hike.

It’s a very popular route, famous for winding its way through medieval castles and churches, picturesque towns, lush vineyards and dense chestnut groves, all with sweeping views of the mountains all around.

The Chestnut Trail is also located along the ancient Romea Germanica, an ancient pilgrimage route that goes from Stad, in Germany, all the way to Rome.

How to hike the Chestnut Trail

The Chestnut Trail is a relatively easy hike in terms of logistics.

You’ll start every day in a new town, and walk onwards to the next town for the night. Along the route you’ll often walk past other towns, mountain restaurants and water fountains.

I found this great for various reasons. Mainly, because you don’t need to camp. At the end of each day you arrive at a comfortable hotel, where you can have a hot shower, unwind and sleep in a real bed.

I also loved the fact that you’re in a different town every evening, so that you can head out to explore, see the vibe of each town, and pick a different restaurant for dinner every night.

Having places to buy snacks and water along the way is also very helpful, so you don’t have to carry around too much stuff every day.

And to avoid having to carry all your stuff (clothes, toiletries etc), make sure to book your walking holiday to SloWays, so that they can transfer your luggage to your next hotel.

The SloWays service

SloWays is an Italian tour operator which specialises in self-guided walking holidays. They are the Italian Slow Travel Specialist, with over 20 years of experience in active trips and walking holidays.

When you book a SloWays self-guided walking tour, they provide all the necessary services like accommodation, luggage transfer, transport and a detailed walking itinerary, so that all you have to worry about is walking. 

Members of their team personally test every hotel, route and service, so you know that you’ll receive excellent service and seamless logistics everywhere.

Luggage transfer

This is possibly the single most convenient service that SloWays organises. 

Every morning you leave your luggage with the orange SloWays tag in the designated luggage spot at the hotel reception, and the SloWays team will deliver it to your next hotel.

By the time you complete the days hike and arrive at the next hotel, your luggage will be there waiting for you.

That way you don’t have to limit yourself in your packing, and you don’t have to hike all day carrying loads of stuff that you don’t actually need for the day.

Self-guided hiking app

Since it’s a self-guided walking tour, you might be wondering how to know where the trail is and where to hike. Before you set off on your trip, SloWays will provide you with an app with detailed instructions of the walking route. 

It’s divided day by day, with a detailed step by step description of the route and a GPS map to follow, which also highlights interesting and useful spots along the trail, like photo spots, water fountains and historical sights.

Also, the route is marked, with “Sentiero del Castagno” signs at regular intervals throughout the trail, so it’s very difficult to get lost.

Useful tips for hiking the Chestnut Trail

Best time to hike the Chestnut Trail

The best time to hike the Chestnut Trail is from late September to early November. During this time of the year you will get beautiful fall foliage, the weather is cooler, and the chestnut trees will be full of chestnuts that you can collect!

You’ll also find seasonal chestnut dishes at more restaurants along the route, as well as stalls selling roasted chestnuts, which are one of my favourite snacks!

You can also hike it in spring, from April to June, when the weather is still cool and the vegetation is blooming. However, you won’t find any chestnuts along the trail. We hiked the Chestnut Trail right at the end of May, and it was lovely.

Lots of people also hike it in summer, and that’s the best time for long days and dry and sunny weather, although at times it can get really hot.

What to pack for the Chestnut Trail

Your Chestnut Trail packing list will obviously vary depending on the time of year that you do the hike.

Obviously if you’re hiking in summer, you won’t need as many layers or warm clothes, if you’re doing the hike in early spring or late autumn, you’ll need more layers.

Some hiking clothes are always handy, regardless of the season include:

• A light waterproof jacket
• A warm middle layer (eg. Fleece)
• Breathable thermal base layers
• Hiking trousers (water proof and quick-drying)
• Comfortable hiking shoes

And some useful things to pack in your day backpack include:

• Waterproof backpack cover
• Thermal water bottle
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Hiking poles

And since your main suitcase will be transferred directly to the next hotel, you can also pack however many extra outfits for the evenings.

Choose the right trail for you

SloWays offer two options for hiking the Chestnut Trail. A longer 88km version, and a slightly easier 62km version, where some sections are done by public transport, as opposed to hiking it all in its entirety.

Both tours visit the same towns, so you’re not missing out by picking one over the other. The main deciding factor will be your fitness level, and how much you want to walk each day.

There are also other sections of the Romea Germanica that you can hike, which are obviously a bit different from the Chestnut Trail, but which will give you a similar experience slow travelling and hiking through Italy.

Click here to find out more about the Romea Germanica self-guided walking tours offered by SloWays!

Is there phone connection?

Yes, there is phone connection throughout most of the hike, and once in the towns you can usually find Wi-Fi at most hotels and restaurants.

Food & drinks along the Chestnut Trail

Given that you’ll be hiking from town to town, there are plenty of food and drinks choices all along the Chestnut Trail.

The SloWays self-guided tours always include accommodation with breakfast, leaving you the freedom of having lunch and dinner wherever you want.

While you may find restaurants or cabin huts along the trail, it’s better to bring a packed lunch with you to enjoy during the hike.

That’s what we did during our hike, we bought sandwiches from a local bakery in Bressanone, and enjoyed them at picnic tables in the Monastero di Sabiona.

For dinners, since you’ll usually be in a town in the evening, you can head out to explore and have dinner at a local restaurant.

Sometimes hotels will offer dinner, like when we stayed at Hotel Gruner in Bressanone, which is also a great option, as it saves you having to venture out after a long day of hiking.

In terms of drinks, you’ll find lots of water fountains all along the trail, so just remember to pack your own water bottle, and you can refill as you hike!

Our experience hiking the Chestnut Trail

Start in Bressanone

Bressanone is the starting point of the Chestnut Trail, regardless of which variation you choose. 

Due to the strong Austrian influence in Sud Tirol, you will often hear it called also Brixen. This Austrian influence is clearly visible all over the city, from the architecture to the cuisine and German signs.

It’s the oldest town in Sud Tirol, and it’s widely considered to be also the most colourful.

As you walk around the pastel coloured streets, it’s easy to see why! I loved exploring the town centre of Bressanone, especially the main square and area around the Cathedral, as it was super picturesque.

Visit the Abbazia di Novacella 

The Abbazia di Novacella is located just outside Bressanone, around 9km out of town. It dates back to 1142, and it’s one of the biggest and most beautiful abbeys in Sud Tirol.

The grounds are massive, and span various buildings that you can visit. We started with the interior of the church, which presents a couple of interesting and unique sights, like 3D affrescos and a structure made entirely of wood, but painted to look like marble!

We also visited the gardens, library and cloisters. The abbey also has a long wine-making history, and is in fact one of the oldest continuously active vineyards in the world.

After visiting the Abbazia and its surrounding vineyards, you can even do a wine tasting! They produce primarily white wines, and they have pretty unique flavours.

Visit the Monastero di Sabiona

The Monastero di Sabiona is one of the most distinctive sights that you’ll see along the Chestnut Trail. With its unique position, perched at the top of a hill, it’s actually visible for miles as you hike towards it through fields and vineyards.

Dating back to the 10th century, the Monastero di Sabiona is a place that feels suspended in time. Here you can still admire the ancient cobbled alleys and medieval walls lined with turrets.

There are picnic tables in the courtyard, which make for an excellent place to stop for lunch. Enjoying a focaccia in a monastery that dates back to the 10th century isn’t something that happens every day.

This combination of ancient history and sweeping mountain views make it an incredibly charming and unique place to visit in Sud Tirol.

Explore Chiusa

From the Monastero di Sabiona it’s a short hike down to the village of Chiusa. It’s a lovely little town, characterised by cobbled streets and picturesque houses.

It’s also on the official list of “Borghi più Belli d’Italia”; the most beautiful villages in Italy. It’s a great place to take a break from your hike, enjoy an ice cream and soak in the unique Italian atmosphere. 

Admire the rock pyramids of the Renon plateau

But the Chestnut Trail isn’t just about pretty mountain views and picturesque towns. While enroute to Collalbo we had the pleasure of seeing the Earth Pyramids of Renon Plateau, a unique geological formation.

Created by weather erosion, these pyramids are made with glacial clay that is over 25,000 years old! They have a very unique shape, with a heavy boulder at the top acting as a protective capstone, which prevents the rain from washing away the pyramids.

They are continuously changing, since when a capstone falls, the pyramid under it erodes, forming new pyramids. It’s a pretty unique sight, and a really cool stop along the Chestnut Trail.

Take the Collalbo to Soprabolzano train

Once we reached Collalbo we then took the panoramic train to Soprabolzano. We didn’t have to pay for this, as it was covered by the free Brixen card that our hotel in Bressanone had given us.

This journey is very panoramic, with sweeping views of the valley below and the towering mountains in the distance. From Collalbo, make sure to take a seat on the side closer to the station platform, as this is the side of the view!

The train is only two wagons and is regularly used also by locals, so it can get busy, but that’s all part of the experience!

Ride the cable car to Bolzano

We then used our Brixen Card again to take the cable car from Soprabolzano down to Bolzano. The cable car is very regular, with rides every 4 to 12 minutes, and it takes around 12 minutes to reach Bolzano.

It’s a lovely way to get to Bolzano, with sweeping views of the surrounding valley and mountains. It also arrives right in the city centre, which is very convenient.

Bolzano

Bolzano is the capital of Alto Adige (or Sud Tirol), but that doesn’t mean that it’s big and chaotic city. It’s a very lively city, without being too hectic.

It’s the final destination of the Chestnut Trail, and you’ll actually be spending a couple of nights here. It’s a great place to come back to after a long day of hiking, as it’s a very lively city, with lots of restaurant and bar to explore.

Besides being a great evening spot, Bolzano is the kind of city that invites you to slow down, and explore it on foot, getting lost in the picturesque side streets.

Here you’ll find that the culture and architectural style are both very Alpine and distinctly Italian. I loved exploring the markets, which sell a huge variety of local products, especially hams and cheeses.

After a week of hiking through beautiful mountain views and picturesque towns, Bolzano is the perfect city to wind down and enjoy the Italian Dolce Vita.

Final thoughts on hiking the Sentiero del Castagno, in Italy

And that’s everything you need to know about hiking the Chestnut Trail, in Italy! Have you visited this part of Italy before? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below!

I have visited Trentino Alto Adige many times over the years, it’s a region of Italy I really love, but it was my first time hiking the Sentiero del Castagno. I found it really fun, and a great way to really immerse yourself in the local culture.

The beautiful mountain views, paired with the picturesque towns and gorgeous nature, make it a really unique hike.

It’s a beautiful way to slow travel in Italy, and to experience firsthand the unique mix of Austrian influence and Italian Dolce Vita that you get in Sudtirol.

I hope you found this article useful, and that it gave you a good idea of what it’s like to hike the Chestnut Trail on a self-guided SloWays tour. If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments below!

* This article was brought to you in partnership with SloWays. Greta’s Travels maintains all editorial control, and all thoughts and opinions are my own. *

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