BUCKET LIST: Hiking Italy’s Old Salt Road across the Apennine Mountains

BUCKET LIST: Hiking Italy’s Old Salt Road across the Apennine Mountains

March 26, 2026 · 14 min · Season 4 · Episode 3

About this episode

Aaron Millar shares his experience hiking Italy’s Old Salt Road across the Apennine Mountains.

Sometimes the wrong path is the best path. I was stumbling down the side of a steep mountain slope, pushing through thorny bushes, scratched, thirsty and utterly confused. But I was smiling. While on a week-long hike across the Ligurian hills in northwest Italy – I had become hopelessly lost. But then something magical happened: I rounded a corner into a mountain meadow filled with dozens of wild horses - muscled stallions with jet black manes, gold skinned mares and tiny foals. Startled at first, they soon found themselves more curious than afraid and gradually came to graze by my side. It took me half a day to find my way back again, but it was worth every cut and bruise. The best adventures always happen when you least expect it. Aaron Millar In today’s episode, host Aaron Millar shares the story of one of his favorite long-distance hikes of all time. The Old Salt Road is part of a network of ancient trading paths that crisscross northwest Italy. For over a thousand years mule herders, laden with precious salt from the ports of Liguria, would use this trail to trade with the rich plains of Lombardy, returning with goatskins of wine, salami and cheese. The hike begins in the…

People in this episode

Host: Aaron Millar

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Italy, Ligurian hills, Apennine Mountains, Oltrepo Pavese, Genoa, Camogli, Lombardy, Liguria

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