A place is made up of many things, and truly travelling means trying to experience as many of them as possible. It means connecting with what really shapes its identity.
Landscape is the first thing we notice, but it is far from the only one. There is the local language, the rhythm of everyday life, the people we meet, the scents that fill the streets and, of course, the food.
Discovering a region's traditional products is one of the best ways to understand it more deeply. Every ingredient tells a story shaped by climate, history, craftsmanship and traditions passed down through generations. Tasting a cheese, a wine or an olive oil exactly where it is produced is another way of reading the landscape—not only with your eyes, but also with your palate.
And then there are the memories.
Very often, flavours and aromas stay with us even longer than landscapes or photographs. We remember the smell of freshly baked bread while collecting our packed lunch before setting off for the day, the cheese tasted straight from the producer, the first sip of wine after a long walk, the rich, peppery flavour of a local olive oil. Years later, finding those same aromas again can instantly transport us back to that trail, that village, that journey. For a brief moment, we feel at home once more.
PDO and PGI products, Slow Food Presidia, seasonal ingredients and small local producers are much more than delicious things to eat. They tell the story of the people who live there. They are the result of history, climate, landscape, daily work and traditions carefully preserved over time.
That is why, during a walking holiday, we always encourage travellers to slow down. Step inside a small local shop, chat with the people who make the wine, cheese or olive oil, choose family-run restaurants that cook with seasonal ingredients and taste what the region naturally offers at that time of year. It is one of the simplest—and most authentic—ways to support a destination while getting to know it.
We have selected five of our favourite walking holidays to introduce you to some of the flavours that make them so special. From northern Italy to Sicily, from vineyards to mountain pastures, every destination has its own distinctive taste. And chances are, long after the journey is over, those flavours will be among the memories that stay with you the longest.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your next Camino, or want help choosing the itinerary that best matches your needs,
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The Langhe is one of those rare places where landscape and gastronomy seem to have grown together. Its UNESCO-listed vineyards tell centuries of patient work and an extraordinary wine culture. Walking through villages such as Barolo, La Morra and Barbaresco means discovering wineries where every producer interprets the same landscape in a slightly different way.
Barolo DOCG is naturally the star of the region, alongside Barbaresco, but the Langhe is also home to the world-famous White Truffle of Alba, the Piemonte PGI hazelnut and tajarin, the delicate egg pasta traditionally served with butter, truffle or rich meat sauces.
Don't miss: a wine tasting at one of the local wineries, where every glass tells the story of the landscape better than any guidebook.
The white gravel roads of the Val d'Orcia have become an icon of Tuscany, but they also cross one of Italy's richest culinary landscapes.
Between rows of cypress trees and beautiful villages such as Pienza, Montepulciano and San Quirico d'Orcia, every stage is accompanied by some of the country's finest local products. Pecorino di Pienza changes character according to its ageing process and the pastures where the sheep graze; locally produced extra virgin olive oil reflects the region's unique terroir, while Orcia DOC and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano perfectly complete the experience.
Don't miss: visiting a local dairy to discover how the famous Pecorino di Pienza is still produced today.
The Via Spluga connects Switzerland with Italy, following the ancient trading routes that merchants and travellers crossed for centuries.
Its cuisine reflects its mountain heritage: simple, hearty and deeply connected to the seasons.
Here you'll find Bitto PDO, one of Italy's finest alpine cheeses, Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, the famous pizzoccheri buckwheat pasta and sciatt, crispy buckwheat fritters filled with melted cheese.
Don't miss: stopping at one of Chiavenna's traditional crotti, natural stone cellars where a cool airflow called sorel has preserved wines, cheeses and cured meats for centuries.
Umbria is a region that reveals itself slowly—and so does its cuisine.
Walking through olive groves, forests and peaceful villages, you'll come across olive mills, family farms and traditional trattorias that preserve some of central Italy's most celebrated products. Umbrian PDO extra virgin olive oil accompanies almost every meal, while Prosciutto di Norcia PGI reflects centuries of curing traditions. Black truffle frequently appears on local menus, accompanied by a glass of Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG, one of Italy's most distinctive red wines.
Don't miss: an olive oil tasting at a local mill, especially during the autumn harvest.
The Madonie Mountains reveal a completely different side of Sicily.
Here, forests, mountain villages and extraordinary biodiversity replace the coastal scenery most visitors imagine, creating the perfect setting for one of the island's most remarkable food traditions.
The area's most unique product is manna, a naturally sweet sap extracted from ash trees using a centuries-old technique still practised by only a handful of families. Delicate and subtly sweet, it is used in traditional pastries and remains one of Sicily's rarest culinary treasures.
Alongside manna, visitors can enjoy Provola delle Madonie, Sicilian Caciocavallo cheese and many traditional local desserts.
Don't miss: visiting one of the local manna producers to discover a craft that survives almost exclusively in this corner of Sicily.
A walking holiday allows you to discover a place slowly.
And that same slowness teaches you how to taste it, too.
Every local product tells part of the story of the landscape you've crossed: its climate, its land, the people who cultivate it and the traditions they continue to preserve.
That is why stopping to chat with a producer, buying cheese from a village shop or enjoying a meal prepared with seasonal local ingredients is much more than simply taking a break.
It is another way of discovering a place.
And perhaps one of the most rewarding.
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