Easy hikes for families

Reading the grades with children

The abbreviations on our pages follow the CAI scale, and if you are walking with children the difference between T and E matters. T, turistico, means lanes, mule tracks or wide, obvious paths that ask for little more than being used to walking; E, escursionistico, means proper footpaths that call for a sense of direction, some fitness and suitable footwear. The grade refers to the hardest point of the route rather than the average, so an E walk can be easy almost everywhere and need care for only a few metres. In Switzerland the same logic appears on the signposts: yellow hiking trails are suitable for everyone, while white-red-white markings indicate mountain paths, with sections that may be steep, narrow or exposed.

With children it makes sense to think in hours rather than kilometres, remembering that the times on our pages are an adult's, without breaks, and should be stretched generously with a small child. Lakes, streams and old military ruins make intermediate goals that motivate more than any summit, and let you shorten the outing without it feeling like giving up. At altitude the sun burns even when the air is cool, so hats and sun cream matter as much as a windproof jacket, and extra water and snacks are never wasted.