Growing up, our family holidays always revolved around the beach. Summer meant long days splashing in the sea or, as I got older, stretched out on the sand, soaking up a little too much sun. I assumed that was my travel personality – a certified beach bum. It wasn’t until I started travelling for work in my 20s that I experienced summer from a totally different perspective, swapping flip-flops and swimsuits for hiking boots and a backpack.
My Alpine obsession began in Italy’s Dolomites. I still remember arriving at Alpe di Siusi one spring and feeling as though I’d wandered onto the set of The Sound of Music. At that moment, I understood why Maria ran to the meadows whenever she needed to clear her head. I’ve been escaping to the mountains for exactly the same reason ever since.
Over the years, I’ve explored the Austrian, Bavarian, Swiss, French, and Italian Alps, and I’m not alone. Around 120 million people visit the Alps each year, and while winter has historically been the region’s busiest season, travel habits have shifted. Summer is now every bit as popular and, in some destinations, has surpassed the ski season. In 2024, Chamonix’s summer visitor numbers exceeded winter for the first time with almost 4.5 million overnight stays. Google Trends data tells a similar story, with UK searches for ‘alpine summer’ up 82 per cent year on year.
So why are so many of us trading beach towels for hiking boots?
