Italy's Most Beautiful National Parks That Will Take Your Breath Away

If you’re searching what are the most beautiful national parks in Italy, it would be challenging to rank. However, Gran Paradiso, Cinque Terre, Stelvio, Dolomiti Bellunesi, Gargano, Abruzzo Lazio e Molise, and Vesuvius are considered by many to offer the most stunning landscapes.

I’ve wandered through most of Italy’s national parks—each one a jaw-dropper. Beauty’s personal, so here are the seven that left me in awe, their highlights, and a few tips to help you decide which parks deserve a spot on your Italian travel itinerary.

Gran Paradiso National Park

Gran Paradiso National Park is Italy’s oldest national park — and one of it's most majestic. Located in the northwestern Alps, it’s a dream of soaring peaks, high alpine meadows, and glacier-fed lakes. The park’s namesake, Gran Paradiso (4,061m), is the only mountain entirely within Italian borders that rises above 4,000 meters.

This park is pure Alpine beauty, with ibex grazing beneath snow-dusted cliffs and quiet trails winding past mountain huts and waterfalls.

Highlights

• Gran Paradiso Peak and rifugi (mountain huts)
• Alpine lakes like Lago di Ceresole
• Ibex and marmot sightings
• Wildflowers in June and July

Activities & Tips

• Best hiking months: late June to September
• Base yourself in Cogne, Valsavarenche, or Rhêmes
• Multi-day hut-to-hut trekking routes are incredible

Cinque Terre National Park

Cinque Terre National Park is world-famous for a reason. It’s not just about the pastel cliffside villages — it’s about the rugged coastal trails that connect them, the vineyards that hug impossible slopes, and the crashing Ligurian Sea just below.

Many are unaware that it's even a national park —the smallest national park in Italy—but every corner of it is packed with scenery, culture, and some of the most photogenic landscapes in Italy, and quite possibly the world.

Highlights

• The Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail)
• Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia, Riomaggiore
• Sunset boat rides and cliffside aperitivo
• Vineyards, lemon groves, and ocean views everywhere

Activities & Tips

• Hike early or off-season to avoid crowds
• Stay in Levanto or La Spezia for budget-friendly options
• Don’t skip the lesser-used trails higher up the cliffs

Stelvio National Park

Stelvio National Park is high, wild, and expansive — the kind of place where you’re more likely to see a glacier than a café. This massive park hugs the border with Switzerland and is home to dramatic passes like Passo dello Stelvio, vast meadows, and ancient larch forests.

Its trails lead you past waterfalls, along scenic ridgelines, and deep into valleys that feel untouched by time.

Highlights

• Stelvio Pass and Ortles-Cevedale glaciers
• Hidden alpine lakes like Lago di Cancano
• Old military roads turned into epic cycling routes
• Chamois and eagles overhead

Activities & Tips

• Rent a bike and ride the switchbacks of Stelvio Pass
• Summer is best for hiking and wildflowers
• Winter offers cross-country skiing and snowshoeing

Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park

Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park is lesser known than the flashy Dolomites around Cortina, but don’t let that fool you. This park is rugged, remote, and filled with sharp peaks that glow pink at sunrise. You’ll find wild trails, deep gorges, hidden waterfalls, and barely a tourist in sight — even in high season.

It’s a place to get lost in silence and scenery, with just the mountains and the sound of your own footsteps.

Highlights

• Vette Feltrine ridgeline
• Val di Canzoi and its crystal lakes
• Historic shepherd trails and wild orchids
• Panoramas with no crowds

Activities & Tips

• Base in Feltre or Belluno for local charm
• Great park for backpacking and solitude
• Hike early morning or sunset for best lighting on peaks

Gargano National Park

Gargano National Park is southern Italy’s best-kept natural secret. It’s a headland that juts into the Adriatic, covered in dense forest, sea cliffs, and olive groves. Nicknamed the “Spur of Italy,” the park includes the Umbra Forest, the Tremiti Islands, and ancient seaside villages.

It’s coastal Italy at its most raw — wilder and greener than the Amalfi Coast, and just as dramatic.

Highlights

• Umbra Forest — ancient beech woods and shaded trails
• Tremiti Islands — crystal-clear snorkeling and sea caves
• White cliff beaches and grottos
• Vieste and Monte Sant’Angelo towns

Activities & Tips

• Visit in May or late September to beat the summer heat
• Rent a car — public transport is minimal
• Great for coastal road trips and sea kayaking

Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise National Park

Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise National Park is one of the most biodiverse places in Europe. Located in central Italy, this park is a haven for wolves, brown bears, lynx, and golden eagles — not to mention medieval villages, forested mountains, and quiet alpine lakes.

The trails here feel timeless — often following old mule tracks — and the towns nearby are as authentic as Italy gets.

Highlights

• Monte Marsicano and Lake Barrea
• Ancient beech forests (UNESCO-listed)
• Wildlife: Marsican bears, wolves, wildcats
• Medieval towns like Scanno and Opi

Activities & Tips

• Ideal for wildlife lovers and quiet hikers
• Go in autumn for foliage and fewer people
• Great base towns: Pescasseroli, Villetta Barrea

Vesuvius National Park

Vesuvius National Park is built around one of the most iconic volcanoes in the world. Located just outside Naples, this park is all about craters, lava flows, sweeping bay views, and history layered into every hillside. Hike to the rim and peer into the steaming crater, then look out toward the ruins of Pompeii.

It’s one of the few places in the world where nature and history collide so dramatically — and it’s easily accessible, even for a day trip.

Highlights

• Summit hike to the crater edge
• Views of Naples, Capri, and Pompeii from above
• Old lava fields and Mediterranean flora
• Guided geological tours and volcano centers

Activities & Tips

• Go early in the morning to avoid both crowds and heat
• Wear proper shoes — the path is steep and dusty
• Combine with a Pompeii visit for a full-day experience

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