With a Gentle Step: A Small Guide for Mindful Walking

If you leave the path, walk like a squirrel

Sometimes your feet wander from the trail. If this happens, move lightly, without trampling flowers, without disturbing. Enter the forest on tiptoe, as a small woodland creature would.

Leave no trace

Take all your waste with you. Leave the trail as you would like to find it.

Respect the quiet

Here, silence speaks. Listen to it. Loud voices, artificial music, intrusive noises cover the sounds of Nature.

Observe without disturbing

If you encounter wild animals, do not approach. Stand still, in silence. Watch without wanting to possess. The wonder is greater when it does not interrupt.

Gather carefully, and give thanks

If you wish to pick a herb or a flower, do so with respect: never take all from the same plant, never uproot. And remember to say thank you.

Warning: never pick protected flowers, such as the martagon lily or wild orchids. If you come across them, smell them, observe them, photograph them… and then leave them where they belong.

All necessary information can be found in the regional regulations for the protection of flora

As for ancient objects, do not take them. They are part of the memory of this place.

Honor sacred sites and villages

Chapels, ruins, fountains, kilns… they are stories in stone. Pass by as if in an inhabited place. Greet them. Listen.

If you meet a wild animal, stop

Do not shout, do not run, do not turn your back. Stay calm, give space. Remember that you are the guest.

Dress with care and common sense

Hiking boots, jacket, light and warm layers, water in your backpack, and a small emergency kit. The mountain loves those who are prepared.

Follow the seasons and the sky

The trail changes with snow, rain, and sun. Check conditions before you leave. Respect its rhythms.

Walk with gratitude

This trail is made of lives, choices, silences, and hands. It does not belong to you, but it welcomes you. Walk with an open heart. When you enter, do so with the intention not to harm, and when you leave, thank the place.