Italy (Aosta region): Alta Via 1 - The Giants Trail
Italy: Trail of the Giants - Hiking the Sunny Side of the Alps in Spring
On the southern side of the Alps, in the province of Aosta, one of the best long distance trekking routes of Italy offers splendid views of the Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa : the Alta Via dei Giganti. In july it's still spring there. Nowhere else in the higher Alps you can experience such a proliferation of alpine flowers, while around the passes snow still rules. You can hike the trail from hut to hut, but a small tent in your backpack comes handy.