Classic Rocky Mountains

Denver stretches out at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, exactly one mile above sea level, hence its famous nickname of the "Mile High City". Capital of Colorado, it is a dynamic, open-air metropolis, the ideal gateway to the great wild expanses of the American West, where urban energy meets a passion for nature and mountain sports. Its historic core is LoDo (Lower Downtown), a district of nineteenth-century red-brick warehouses skilfully restored and now alive with craft breweries, galleries and venues. Here stands the splendid Union Station, an elegant railway terminal transformed into a lively gathering place of cafés, restaurants and shops. Nearby, the pedestrian 16th Street Mall cuts through the commercial and financial centre, while the Colorado State Capitol, with its gold-leafed dome, dominates the Civic Center. The city boasts a notable arts scene, with the boldly designed Denver Art Museum and the creative RiNo (River North) district, a realm of street art and breweries, for Denver is considered one of America's craft-beer capitals. Culture lovers will find nearby the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a natural amphitheatre set among towering red rock formations, among the most spectacular concert arenas in the world. Its privileged location makes Denver the perfect base from which to explore Rocky Mountain National Park, the ski resorts of Aspen and Vail, and Colorado's endless alpine landscapes. The local table reflects the frontier spirit, with grilled meats, Tex-Mex cuisine and local produce, to be paired with one of the city's countless beers. Between gleaming skyscrapers, mountain trails and more than three hundred days of sunshine a year, Denver invites you to fully embrace the adventure of the West, with one foot in the city and your gaze turned toward the peaks.

when crossing the border between Colorado and Wyoming, a stop is recommended at the Rocky Mountains National Park, the largest mountain complex in Colorado, with over 100 peaks exceeding 3,000 m. It offers an impressive variety of landscapes: conifer forests, meadows carpeted with wild flowers, tundra, lakes and waterfalls, narrow gorges, broad valleys and wildlife such as squirrels, marmots, elk and deer. Cross the park along the Trail Ridge Road, the highest tarmac road in America. Peaks reaching heights of 4,000 m a.s.l and higher can be admired from the road's scenic viewpoint. Cheyenne guards the authentic soul of the American Wild West in the southeastern corner of Wyoming, of which it is the capital. Grown as a hub of the transcontinental railroad, the city retains elegant Victorian buildings and the imposing gold-domed State Capitol, but it is cowboy culture above all that defines its identity. Every summer it hosts Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world's largest outdoor rodeo, a genuine celebration of horses, lassos and frontier traditions that draws visitors from far and wide. The Wyoming State Museum and the Cowgirls of the West Museum tell the story of the prairies and of those who tamed them, while the Big Boy, one of the largest steam locomotives ever built, recalls the epic age of the rails. Amid boundless prairie, vast skies and the plainspoken hospitality of the West, Cheyenne is the gateway to the natural wonders of the Rocky Mountains.

Hot Springs is a historic spa town in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, known for its natural hot springs and for the elegant pink-sandstone buildings that characterise its historic centre. Here lies the Mammoth Site, an extraordinary paleontological deposit where dozens of mammoth skeletons trapped in an ancient sinkhole have been found. The nearby Wind Cave National Park holds one of the most complex caves in the world. Between thermal waters, fossils and caves, Hot Springs is a surprising destination in the Black Hills. Custer is a historic town in South Dakota's Black Hills, the oldest settled by European pioneers in the region after the 1874 gold rush. It is an ideal base for visiting nearby Custer State Park, famed for its free-roaming bison herds and the scenic Needles Highway, as well as the monumental Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial a short distance away. Between ponderosa pine forests, granite pinnacles and wildlife, Custer offers the authentic experience of the West. An unmissable stop between nature and American legend.

Badlands National Park occupies a stretch of southwestern South Dakota, where the Great Plains break into a maze of eroded buttes, spires and gullies. Banded layers of sediment in ochre, rose and grey record millions of years of deposition and erosion, and fossils of Oligocene mammals are still found here. The Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240) links overlooks along the Badlands Wall, while short trails such as Door, Window and Notch lead onto the formations. Beyond the rock, mixed-grass prairie shelters bison, bighorn sheep and prairie dogs. At dusk, the ridges glow red under an enormous sky.

Born during the gold rush of 1876 in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Deadwood is one of the most legendary towns of the Old West, today designated a National Historic Landmark. Its brick streets and restored saloons recount the deeds of mythical figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, buried in the Mount Moriah cemetery overlooking the valley. Among gaming tables, staged gunfight reenactments and frontier museums, the whole town relives the golden age of prospectors and outlaws. A short distance away rise Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Deadwood is an authentic plunge into the history of the West, between adventure and nostalgia. Spearfish rises at the northern edge of South Dakota's Black Hills, at the entrance of the spectacular Spearfish Canyon, a gorge carved in rock and covered with forests, particularly striking in autumn. The town, crossed by a stream rich in trout, retains an authentic atmosphere with its historic fish hatchery, the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery. An ideal base for hiking, fishing and scenic routes toward the canyon's waterfalls, Spearfish blends grand nature and frontier charm. Between forests, waters and badlands, it is a pleasant stop in the Black Hills. Rapid City rises at the foot of South Dakota's Black Hills and has earned its nickname as the "Gateway to Mount Rushmore," the famous memorial carved into the rock a short drive away. The town is known for its "City of Presidents," a series of life-size bronze statues of American presidents scattered across downtown street corners, and for Art Alley, a lane entirely covered in murals. From here, scenic byways lead to Custer State Park, with its free-roaming bison, the granite spires of the Needles, and the nearby Crazy Horse Memorial, dedicated to the history of the Lakota people. Further east unfold the lunar landscapes of Badlands National Park. An ideal base for exploring the wild nature of the American Midwest, Rapid City blends outdoor adventure with historical memory.

Sheridan is a historic town in northern Wyoming, set at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains and famed for preserving the spirit of the Old West intact. Its Main Street is home to the historic Sheridan Inn, once frequented by Buffalo Bill, and shops of Western craftsmanship such as saddles and boots. The town is tied to the tradition of rodeos and ranches, while nearby open valleys ideal for fishing, horseback riding and hiking. Between cowboy heritage, authentic hospitality and majestic mountains, Sheridan embodies the genuine charm of Wyoming. Founded in 1896 by the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody, this Wyoming town is the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park, reached along the spectacular Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway. Cody preserves the authentic soul of the Old West: the Buffalo Bill Center of the West brings together five museums devoted to the frontier, art, firearms and Native Americans, while every summer evening the Cody Nite Rodeo revives the adrenaline of the rodeo. All around, canyons, dams and prairies open the way to the geysers and wildlife of Yellowstone.

You travel along the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, which follows the Shoshone River through the forest and the highest mountains in Wyoming, with very diverse landscapes: expanses of wild sagebrush, fir forests, glaciers, with a wildlife including elk, deer, mountain goats, grizzly bears, and brown bears. Established in 1872 as the world's first national park, Yellowstone spreads across a volcanic plateau between Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, holding one of the most extraordinary concentrations of geothermal phenomena on the planet. Here the famous Old Faithful geyser erupts at regular intervals, while the Grand Prismatic Spring dazzles with its rings of shifting colours and the limestone terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs form surreal landscapes. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, carved by the river of the same name, plunges into spectacular waterfalls between golden walls. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park is also a wildlife sanctuary where bison, elk, grizzly bears and wolf packs can be spotted, especially in the Lamar Valley. Among forests, alpine lakes and meadows, Yellowstone offers hikes, wildlife safaris and the thrill of a primordial, powerful nature, a symbol of the American wilderness.

The landscape between Yellowstone and Jackson Hole is marked by the picturesque Teton Mountains, which rise steeply from the flat prairie between lakes, waterfalls, and forests inhabited by elk and bison. The highest peak is the Grand Teton, which exceeds 4,000 meters. The picturesque Teton mountains stand out dramatically in the flat prairie, amidst lakes, waterfalls, and forests inhabited by elks and bisons. The highest peak is the Grand Teton, which exceeds 4,000 meters. The main road runs along the eastern shore of the idyllic Jackson Lake with full view of Mount Moran and the Cathedral Group, the park's iconic peaks. In Colter Bay Village, the Indian Arts Gallery is beautiful, and there are several not-too-long trails to walk. Must-see spots include Willow Flats Overlook, another beautiful view of the Teton mountains, Cathedral Group Turnout, and Menors Ferry Historic District to see a house, a general store, and an 1800s icehouse, and the Chapel of the Transfiguration, perhaps the church with the most picturesque backdrop in the USA. Jackson Hole is a broad Wyoming valley framed by the jagged peaks of Grand Teton National Park, the southern gateway to Yellowstone and a kingdom of outdoor activities. The lively town of Jackson welcomes visitors with its famous arches made of elk antlers, art galleries, saloons and western boutiques. Don't miss a visit to the National Elk Refuge, a winter sanctuary for around 8,000 elk, and the adjacent National Museum of Wildlife Art. Along the Snake River, rafting and canoe trips run through grand landscapes, while the National Elk Refuge shelters thousands of elk in winter, viewable from horse-drawn sleighs. To the north lies Yellowstone, the world's first national park, with its steaming geysers, iridescent hot springs and extraordinary wildlife of bison, bears and wolves. An ideal destination for those seeking wild nature, hiking and skiing.