Even today, when we are bound to short distances due to the ongoing health emergency, we cannot give up on one of the most evocative natural spectacles in the world. Here are our "close" itineraries for an autumn full of colors!
When you think about the foliage, that is to say, that autumn show that fills trees and leaves with warm colors and shades of red, yellow and orange, generally the endless forests of the United States and Canada, i frescoed landscapes of the East or i dense and mysterious woods of Northern Europe. Yet, we assure you, there are colorful autumn landscapes here too, so beautiful that they have little or nothing to envy to the most iconic and noble landscapes mentioned above. Let us console ourselves: even today, when we are bound to short distances due to the ongoing health emergency, we can not give up one of the most evocative natural spectacles in the world. Here are our ideas for an autumn multicolor.
Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Aosta Valley
Valleys and woods are softly tinged with red, yellow and brown shades, creating a mysterious and fairytale atmosphere, which truly regenerates body and mind. As in one chromotherapy outdoors, in fact, walking immersed in the colors (and scents) of autumn nature favors the removal of tensions and lifts the mood. To fully enjoy these still sunny and very colorful days, Courmayeur offers numerous activities outdoor designed for both sportsmen and families. Fans of walking and trekking they can enter the paths – from the easiest to the most demanding – on the slopes of Mont Blanc or among the paths of the Val Ferret, or experience the thrill of climbing among the glaciers at an altitude of 3,466 meters … with the SkyWay Mont Blanc (don't worry!). On the weekend of 24-25 October, then, on the program there are some outings in collaboration with MTB instructors and environmental-hiking guides, or yoga classes free (10.30-12.00 and 15.00-16.30) al Courmayeur Sport Center. If you are social, remember to post the best photos of your autumn in Courmayeur with the hashtag #Autumnatitspeak. The best ones will be published on the website www.courmayeurmontblanc.it/autumnatitspeak.
Langhe, Piedmont
Here the period is favorable not only for harvest, truffles and good wine (which would already be enough), but also to admire the foliage between the hills and the rows. Asti, Alba, Bra, Cherasco, Nizza Monferrato and Canelli are some of the places that deserve a stay especially in autumn (Cherasco and Bra also for the Piedmontese baroque, as well as for the renowned sausage). The more daring will be able to juggle the tourist harvest , the lazy limit yourself to (de) enjoy excellent wines in the cellar, perhaps taking advantage of the free booking service Piedmont On Wine. To get to know (and taste) the gastronomic excellences of Langhe Monferrato and Roero up close, instead, Piedmont On Food offers visits to the laboratories of Fr.local roductors: honey, cheeses, hazelnuts, but also beer, chocolate, saffron. For a truly local experience multisensory.
Valtellina, Lombardy
In Valtellina, the colors of autumn are not only admired in the mountains (albeit beautiful), but also at the table, with numerous events and restaurants offering rich seasonal menus linked to the territory. The ideal place to admire the foliage and the Val di Mello, Among the most evocative and loved in the whole region, which with its sharp rocks and lakes with crystalline waters – such as the famous Bidet of the Countess – offers truly spectacular colors and landscapes. Even a walk in the Forest of Bagni di Masino, So magical and suspended in time, it is strongly recommended in autumn, thanks to the presence of imposing ancient trees. In Alta Valtellina, but still within everyone's reach (even with children and strollers in tow) the Val Viola awaits you with its flat valleys, surrounded by peaks that exceed 3000 meters, and bright colors. An ideal place also for MTB tours.
Adamello Brenta Natural Park, Trentino-Alto Adige
In the (vast) Adamello Brenta Natural Park, the turquoise colors of Lake Tovel they enhance the warm tones of the surrounding forests even more, giving an autumnal picture that is truly enchanting. Along the itinerary around the lake, from the top of the eastern shore that climbs to go around the rocky spur, remember to look at the bottom of the transparent waters to admire the traces of the ancient submerged forest. In Val Rendena from Carisolo, still within the Adamello Brenta Park, you can follow the itinerary that goes up tohermitage of San Martino, among the bright colors of larch and beech. And, on the way back, stop in little church of Santo Stefano with the frescoes by Simone Baschenis dedicated to the legendary passage of Charlemagne in Val Rendena. There rendena it is also the name of an indigenous bovine breed that for centuries has been the hub of the valley's activity, which became in 2019 Slow Food Presidium with its meat and cheeses. Of course all to try.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
In the Region on the border with Slovenia, colors are at their best between Karst, Carnia and the Friulian Dolomites, where nature is at its maximum splendor in any season, but perhaps more in autumn. In Carnia, in particular, the historical and cultural heritage is also very peculiar, as testified even today by the archaeological remains Romans, i rural villages, the small parish churches and i Celtic rites. In addition to a simple but genuine gastronomy rich in flavors (see raw hams and cheeses).
Longiano, Emilia Romagna
In Emilia-Romagna, the foliage it can be admired among the Piacenza hills but also "in the city": the village of Longiano, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, is a small medieval treasure embraced by the hills and named for this balcony of Romagna. Surrounded by orchards, it has a very characteristic historic center and several points of interest: the Rocca Malatesta of the VII-VIII century, the Tito Balestra Foundation modern art gallery (one of the most important collections in the region) and the ttheater nineteenth century Petrella.
Casentinesi Forests, Tuscany
We are located in the province of Arezzo, in what was once an ancient connecting road between Ravenna, Rome, Florence and Northern Europe and today is a National Park with 36 thousand hectares of flora and fauna and about 700 kilometers of trails, from practice on foot, by mountain bike, e-bike or on horseback. They are forests considered among the most colored of Italy, in every season, but more in autumn, because lime trees, ash trees, maples and elms light up with light and brilliant colors. The best time to admire here is the foliage are the last two weeks of October and the first of November. The most popular place is there top of Monte Penna. Curiosity: with the precious wood of the Casentino forests they are built some of the most beautiful and important buildings in Florence, such as the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, but also the Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura, in Rome, rebuilt after the serious fire of 1823: the material arrived from these lands sailing across the Arno and went up the Tiber after the Maremma coast by sea.
Sasso and Simoncello Park, Marche
In the Marche the foliage it is beautiful along the path to the Sasso Simone (1204 meters), in the northernmost area of the Tuscan-Marchigiano Apennines. And even on the top, between sheer walls and gullies, the view is nothing short of suggestive. In addition to nature, this is an area rich in history and archeology: on the two summits of the Sassi, in fact, man has lived since the Bronze Age; while, on the plain of Sasso Simone, shortly after the year 1000, a Benedictine abbey was built, theabbey of Sant’Angelo, considered the most high of Europe. But autumn, in the Marche region, also means (above all?) truffle: in Amandola, in the province of Fermo, and especially in the province of Pesaro-Urbino, between Acqualagna and Sant’Angelo in Vado, Pergola and Apecchio, October and November are the best months to savor table diamonds, thanks to the different truffle fairs organized. Without forgetting a visit to the village of Frontino, in the province of Pesaro-Urbino, with its characteristic clock tower covered with red, green and yellow leaves …
Monte Pollino, Basilicata and Calabria
To the south, the colors they burst especially in Monte Pollino National Park, on the border between Basilicata and Calabria. Among hectares and hectares of woods – this is the largest national park in Italy – the red of the maples, the yellow of the beech trees, the dark green of the pines ensure a truly unique autumn spectacle. While the search for mushrooms and the collection of chestnuts guarantee an experience to be lived and savored.
The Little Train of the Foliage
An obligatory (and beloved) appointment for all fans of foliage in Italy, from 17 October to 15 November 2020 on Foliage train returns with its autumn races, despite the limitations imposed by the ongoing health emergency. The panoramic service that connects Domodossola, in the upper Piedmont, to Locarno, on the Swiss shore of Lake Maggiore, and which was crowned by Lonely Planet among the ten most beautiful railways in the world, it follows the route of the historic Vigezzina-Centovalli line, operational since 1923. Tickets are on sale on the website www.vigezzinacentovalli.com/foliage (seat reservations are mandatory). At the moment the weekends are sold-out, but on weekdays there are still good chances to be able to admire from the window one of the most colorful shows in the world.
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