What to do about the March & April blues? Quite simply: run away! Out of the no man’s land at home between rain and mud and into the early ripe summer — to Italy. We have four destinations that have one thing in common: They miraculously transform spring tiredness into spring fever.
When your nose drips like an old tap. When body and mind are idling. When the atmosphere competes with the mud on the road. Then it’s here, the spring fatigue. Only three specific measures can help against this: Sun, sun and sun! So off to the south! Ideally towards Italy. Because south of the Alps, Mother Nature is precocious. And when the proverbial April weather (which usually starts in March) dampens the mood here in the north, the purest explosion of color and fragrance is already on the horizon in the south. So if you want to swap your spring fatigue for spring fever, treat yourself to a week in Italy, hiking from Lake Garda to Venice or along the Riviera di Levante through the Cinque Terre. Or hop on a bike and pedal through Tuscany or over the most beautiful heel of the boot in the world — Apulia. The equation for all these tours is the same: (nature + culture) x dolce vita = spring fever.
Spring awakening, the first: On foot from Lake Garda to Venice
Bella Italia! If you cross the Brenner Pass — and sip your first espresso immediately after the former customs house — you will not only leave Germany and Austria behind you in an instant, but also the northern Alpine mentality. Even in Bolzano, but by Lake Garda at the very latest, even the most German of Germans almost feels like a true southerner. The aperitif is ready for a (late) breakfast on the sun terrace. Life doesn’t take place behind dusty curtains, but in the middle of the street. There is a lot of laughter. And enjoyed life. Just “La Dolce Vita”.
If you want to discover the “Italianità”, this typical Italian way of life, then it’s best to set off straight away. In the truest sense of the word. Because the best way to get to know the country south of the Brenner Pass is on foot. Like on a hike from one Italian icon to another: from Lake Garda to Venice. In typical southern fashion, you take your time — and drift from one highlight to the next: On pilgrimage routes from the edge of the lagoon to Trento, continuing along the 2000-year-old Via Claudia through Valsugana and through the almost unknown Vicentine Alps to the southernmost mountain bastion in the Alps, Monte Grappa. After a week of wanderlust, it shimmers like an auspicious mirage in the crystal-clear spring air: La Serenissima. Venice. Nature and culture at their best. And the epitome of Italy.
Spring awakening, the second: La Dolce Vita in the Cinque Terre
Tired of winter? Fancy mountains and the sea? Vino e Cappuccino? Hike and wonder? Then off to Liguria, at the back of Italy’s boot, so to speak. “Cinque Terre” — what an auspicious name! The five fishing villages are probably the most photographed in Italy. If not worldwide. But the vast majority of Insta snaps come in summer, of course. Now, in spring, it is therefore much more pleasant to stroll along the Riviera di Levante and through the narrow streets of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
With Feuer und Eis Touristik, you hike individually, without a tour group, at your own pace. Evening wear is transported from hotel to hotel. This is good for your back. And directions are available in analog form as a map package or digitally on your cell phone. You’re guaranteed never to be standing in the forest. But the best thing is that this six-stage hiking tour takes you off the beaten (coastal) path and, among other things, to a herb trail and a young, innovative winegrower. The port of Portovenere looks like something out of an Italian picture book. The eight-day hiking tour ends here with a furious culinary finale. By the way: The Cinque Terre starts at the end of February!
Spring awakening, the third: experiencing Tuscany in the saddle
If you close your eyes and think of Tuscany, iconic images come to mind: rolling hills with cypress avenues leading to stately, centuries-old stone palaces. For many Germans, Tuscany symbolizes a longing for the south. After the scent of Italy. For joie de vivre. After “Dolce far niente”. And after eternal spring. And that is precisely the keyword. In spring, Tuscany doesn’t exactly wake up from hibernation, but from its winter rest. Nature explodes in a sea of colors and scents, the birds whistle the winter away and the locals are almost bursting with joie de vivre.
The most impressive way to experience the Tuscan charm offensive is in spring. And secondly, from the bicycle saddle. Because as a cyclist you have the perfect pace. Fast enough to easily cover 50 kilometers a day. But also slow enough to activate all the senses. Cyclists can see, smell, hear, taste and feel the landscape between Florence, Siena and Pisa like no one else. Get to know Leonardo, Goethe and Puccini (almost) personally. And fulfill your own personal Mediterranean spring dream during this cycling week. But beware: Tuscany is quite (and) hilly!
Spring awakening, the fourth: cycling through Puglia
Every child knows that Italy looks like a boot when viewed from above. But not everyone knows what the boot heel is called. Exactly: Apulia! Early in April, the Solento peninsula shines in a sea of flowers. And these fragrances! Now is exactly the right time to say “Arrivederci!” to the German April weather and shout a spring-fresh “Ciao, Bella!” to the ancient cultural landscape between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. From the saddle of a bicycle.
The impressions along the way are sensational: vineyards, olive groves and orchards line the way. You cycle along quiet cycle paths past the heritage of the Romans, Greeks and Bourbons. You will be amazed by the conical buildings in Alberobello and the show cave called “Grotta Zinzulusa”. Jump into the sea at one of the many hidden bays. And far to the west, you can watch Mount Etna on Sicily steaming away. Conclusion: This paragraph is truly the most beautiful in the world! Even better: you don’t have to worry about anything. Book a hotel? Makes Feuer und Eis. Find the best route? Makes Feuer und Eis. Sending your luggage from hotel to hotel? Makes Feuer und Eis. You just have to cycle yourself — whether it’s a 300-kilometer tour or a star bike tour from Alberobello.
Our top tours in Italy:
- From Lake Garda to Venice
- Stage hike in Cinque Terre
- Round trip in Tuscany
By bike to Apulia