Hidden Italy

Australian Italophile, Simon Tancred has been escorting small groups to Italy in conjunction with Mary Rossi Travel since 1993. Follow along ancient rural paths and medieval alleys to discover the heart of Tuscany, Umbria and, more recently, Sicily. For the independent traveller, there is also a selection of self-guided walks that can be arranged at any time of year. 

Service is personalised and you have the chance to get to know your travel companions

Simon established these group tours after six years living and working in Milan. The tours provided the perfect way of combining his twin passions for walking and all things Italian, particularly language and literature. Simon was for many years a language teacher and is now a program director at the University of NSW. He returned here recently after establishing the Monash University Language Centre in Prato (Florence) where he lived for two years with his growing family.

Hidden Italy specialises in “slow tourism”: well-rounded and flexible tours that give you the time to relax, unpack and really get to know the places you visit. Each escorted itinerary concentrates on a single area and moves at a relaxed pace. The escorted groups are restricted to 7-12 participants which means that you can move discreetly; service is personalised; and you have the chance to get to know your travel companions.

The aim of the walks is to give you an enjoyable, hassle-free travel experience in comfortable, conveniently-located, family-run hotels

Independent walks

Self-guided walking itineraries give the independent traveller the chance to experience a side of Italy that others only read about. Several varied Italian itineraries include walks through the spectacular coastal paths of the Cinque Terre; the art and history of southern Umbria (Assisi to Spoleto); the lyrical rolling hills of southern Tuscany (Montalcino to Montepulciano); the volcanic lakes and Rensaissance treasures of southern Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria (Pitigliano to Orvieto); the breathtaking beauty of Positano and the Amalfi Coast.
More recently,  Simon has devised a walk in southern France. From the walled city of Avignon through villages and vineyards that circle the Dentelle Mountains, this walk takes the independent traveller far from the busy coast. It is designed to make the most of the natural beauty and least visited parts of Provence.

Simon has introduced a  7-day self-guided walk around Monte Amiata in southern Tuscany... "a beautiful forested volcanic mountain ringed by medieval/fortress villages and topped by a magnificent 6th century Lombard abbey (with three lonely monks staving off the inevitable). It has a rich history, wonderful mountain cuisine, great beauty and doesn't get much foreign tourism. It's my current favourite place!" Simon admits.

Program for 2007/2008

Guided Walks

Get Lost in Sicily 
14 days – 16 – 29 May 2008   -   AUD 4980 per person

Starting in fascinating Palermo, finishing in glamorous Taormina and exploring some of the least-visited parts of Sicily along the way, including the Madonie National Park and the volcanic Aeolian islands, this small group walking tour will introduce you to a side of the extraordinary island that others only read about.

Get Lost in Venice and the Italian Lakes
12 September to 23 September 2007  

24 September to 06 October 2008  -  AUD 5400 per person

Lead by Simon Tancred, this 12 day walking tour takes us to the two most beautiful and interesting Italian lakes, Como and Maggiore, both forming part of the border between Italy and Switzerland, visiting the smaller lakes of Lugano and Orta along the way.  The tour starts on the canals of Venice and finishes in the elegant arcades of Turin.  In between, we spend four nights based in a 17^th century villa on the shores of Lake Como, before crossing the Swiss border into the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, and spending four nights in a marvellous hotel in the lush, green valleys above the northern reaches of Lake Maggiore.  The seven guided walks follow stone paths that were used for centuries by travellers, traders and armies to link northern Europe with the colour and wealth of the Mediterranean.

Independent Walks

AMALFI COAST WALK
6 days   -  AUD 2170 per person

This magnificent walk takes you the length of the Amalfi Coast, starting at the romantic town of Ravello, perched high above the town of Amalfi, and finishing at the spectacular seaside town of Positano.

CINQUE TERRE WALK
6 days   -   AUD 1800 per person, Single supplement AUD250

The Cinque Terre National Park embraces a stretch of Italy's most spectacular coast, where sheer cliffs of the Appenine Mountains meet the waters of the Mediterranean. The dramatic coastline is scattered with small towns and fishing villages which are dug into cliffs and gullies, suspended high above tiny harbours packed with colourful fishing boats.

TUSCANY  Walk 1 -  Montalcino to Montepulciano
6 days   -  AUD 1700 per person, Single supplement AUD250

A six day walk through southern Tuscany, starting in the charming hilltop town of Montalcino.This is an area rich in history and art, and famous for its rolling hills, wheat fields, stands of deep green cypress pines and endless views.

TUSCANY  Walk 2 - Mount Amiata: San Quirico d'Orcia to Abaddia San Salvadore
8 days  - AUD 2050 per person, Single supplement AUD250

To visit Mount Amaita is to discover some of Tuscany's minor masterpieces. Completely covered in oak, chestnut, beech and pine forests, Mount Amiata is one of central Italy's great natural resources. The small settlements that grew around the castles ringing the mountain to protect the 8th century abbey, today have become picturesque villages. The paths that linked them provide you with a unique opportunity to explore one of Tuscany's hidden treasures.

TUSCANY  Walk 3 - San Gimignano to Siena
5 days   -    AUD 1700 per person, Single supplement AUD250

This walk passes through the heart of medieval Tuscany, starting in the marvellous towered town of San Gimignano. The walk follows medieval paths across rolling hills and through forests to Siena, dining in fine restaurants and drinking famous local wines such as Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Chianti.

TUSCANY/UMBRIA - Pitigliano to Orvieto
7 days   -   AUD 1900 per person, Single supplement AUD250

A Hidden Italy special, this walk takes you through some of the most fascinating and less well-known areas of central Italy, starting on an Etruscan road that was carved out of living rock 3000 years ago.

UMBRIA - Assisi to Spoleto
7 days      -      AUD 2170 per person, Single supplement AUD250

A seven day independent walking tour, rambling through the green heart of Italy, exploring the rich artistic, religious and spiritual heritage of charming towns as Assisi, Spello and Bevagna, sampling along the way fine regional cooking and celebrated wines.

PROVENCE – Avignon and the Dentelles Mountains
7 days      -     AUD 2170 per person, Single supplement AUD250

Starting in the charming walled city of Avignon, famous for its vibrant lifestyle and its Papal Palace, you will be taken forty kilometres north to one of the less visited parts of Provence. The walk itself starts and finishes in Vaison-La-Romaine, walking from village to village through the vineyards and forests that circle the Dentelle de Montmirail mountains. At the end of the walk you’ll be driven back to Avignon.

For more information and bookings for Hidden Italy please call Mary Rossi Travel in Sydney on (02) 9957-4511, email us or see the Hidden Italy website at: www.hiddenitaly.com.au