From December to May, dramatically suspended between sea and sky, rising up above the Mediterranean, the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps are a veritable kingdom in white and blue. Snowshoeing hikes provide an ideal way to immerse yourself in this unspoilt world where stunning scenery and Alpine forests meet, rather like the hunters of times past. To really get a flavour of the winter magic, you can start towards the end of the afternoon on a nocturnal tour, culminating in a mountain dinner in a traditional chalet.