Foliage in Italy: visit the most beautiful places of the autumn season

There are many places where you can visit this magical natural phenomenon. You just need to choose the most suitable place to visit, arm yourself with binoculars, camera and be enchanted by the nature.

The most beautiful moment of the day is sunset, where you can admire the vivid color of the woods, thanks to the soft light of the sun plays with the fine dust and the steam. It’s a show that satisfies the soul and the body that allow us to connect with nature. Do not miss the opportunity to visit these wonderful places.

From north to south, from east to west we recommend the best places where you can walk with the family or go hiking; you can walk paths that provide fairy-tale and heavenly landscapes, thanks to the fantastic scenery that our peninsula offers, especially for Foliage lovers in Italy.

Let’s give you a preview of this beautiful phenomenon, through photos and your little imagination, some of the most interesting places where you can visit this wonderful natural phenomenon.

We at Visit Italy propose you 20 places where you can admire the Foliage in Italy:

It is a journey in the heart of the island of Sardinia, made of nuraghe and menhir, woods and vineyards, from hard work in the countryside and in the mines.

The Barbagia Express Green Train allows you to immerse yourself in this reality, crossing some of the most interesting historical places in the center of the island to enjoy the fantastic world of Foliage in Italy.

Not far from the railway line, there are important tourist attractions, such as the nuraghic palace of Barumini, UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Giara of Gesturi, with its wild horses, the last of our continent.

Do not miss the opportunity to observe these places during the magic of this season that from a naturalistic point of view has nothing to envy to the coast, but has much more to offer in archaeology, folklore and food and wine.

Discover the true heart of this land climbing aboard the Barbagia Express green train!

Don't forget to also visit Sardinia in miniature, book tickets and find out more about this fascinating island of Foliage in Italy.

At this time of year, in our beloved island of Sicily, especially from the Nebrodi Mountains, on the Sicilian Apennines, you can admire the transformation of the changing trees, the Foliage in Italy.

It is, in fact, the color variation of the leaves tending to become yellow, or of different red gradations, typical of the autumn season. In recent years this natural phenomenon tends to attract many hikers especially in this place, where the range of colors from yellow to red is strongly accentuated thanks to the varied vegetation. That’s why the place we recommend to admire this spectacular natural transformation is definitely the Nebrodi Mount.

While you're here, discover the beautiful Baroque centres of Sicily with an expert.

Autumn, in Calabria, is a magical season; it takes us from hot summer days to cold winter ones and in this transitional period its colors become a touch for the soul. Leaves change their color and, when they fall, creating a soft carpet that covers the ground. An unmissable show, a magic that every year is cyclically repeated, is the life that changes, through the passing of the seasons. That’s exactly the Foliage in Italy.

One of the most representative places is the Sila Plateau, considered one of the destinations not to be missed for autumn lovers. Here, you can enjoy a unique show, a real joy for the eyes of the observer.

The Sila Giant Reserve, the only FAI asset in this region, offers a fantastic scenery, thanks to its beautiful larch pines. During the autumn, you can walk among these giants, surrounded by the typical colors of this season, in a fairy-tale atmosphere. Remember to bring your camera to immortalize the beauty of this wonderful place.

Sasso di Castalda is located in Basilicata, specifically in the Lucano Appennine Val d’Agri Lagonegrese National Park. In Costara wood, a forest located nearby, nature changing slowly like a dance of colored butterflies.

Walking among trees, inebriated by the iridescent colors that flash in the sunlight, it easily happens to come across deer and fawns creating the illusion to be in a fairy tale; all this thanks to the Foliage in Italy.

A cascade of painted leaves covers the paths of the wood like a colored carpet to prepare us for the sight of the San Michele tree. It is a centuries-old beech; its age is around 300 to 400 years old and is a "parent tree" of this region. Seeing its aging beauty is a privilege, especially for its spectacular colors.

In Puglia, especially in the heart of the ‘Gargano’, the Umbra Forest is a protected natural area, a Nature Reserve characterized by over two thousand species of plants. It’s considered a World Heritage Site and an ideal destination for those who love walking and trekking. It’s the best for people who want to enjoy beautiful colored trees and for Foliage lovers in Italy.

It's called Foresta Umbra because is very shady, that limit the passage of the sunlight, in fact it takes its name from the Latin "umbrus", which translates into dark, shady, in other words Foresta Umbra. During the autumn season, this forest turns yellow and red, giving the viewer an unmissable show.

Among forests, hills, olive groves, oaks, maples and beech trees, there are prehistoric testimonies, sea cliffs and popular traditions.

Inside the clearing, there are lots of itineraries to follow, in order to admire the colors of this season. You can find dangerous paths, perfect for true sporty people, but also paths for beginner ones. In fact, there are also many restaurants and picnic areas where you can stop.

One of the most famous places in Campania, is the Amalfi Coast, very crowded and frequented by tourists in summer.

This place is magical during the period of the Foliage in Italy, autumn, but you can also admire this fabulous phenomenon in spring.

If you are wondering where to see this spectacular event on the Amalfi Coast, I can recommend you to reach the Valle delle Ferriere of Amalfi Nature Reserve.

You will see the typical Mediterranean plants with its warm shades, typical of this season, but you can also admire rare plants, such as the carnivorous plant “Pinguicola Hirtiflora” and the giant fern “Woodwardia Radicans”.

You cannot miss to visit the Ferriere Valley, and then enjoy a quiet trip to some villages of the Coastline.

Although Molise is a very small strip of land, its views are breathtaking. Have you ever heard of the Apennine Flora Garden in Capracotta?

One of the highest natural botanical gardens (1525 m), where you can admire all the magic of the Foliage in Italy. In this place, native plant species are preserved and protected.

Due to its morphology, it hosts many natural environments, typical of the mountain, such as fir, beech, rock, cliff, swamp and pond. There are also thematic areas managed for educational purposes, such as terraces dedicated to medicinal plants and native horticultural varieties. These particular thematic corners, such as the Sensory Path, the Pond,Cobblestone path, the Butterfly Corner, the Officinal Plants and the walk through the Berries, lets the visitor to live an extraordinary sensory experience. Unfortunately, we advise you that pets are not allowed in the garden, except for guide dogs.

Where to do Urban Foliage in Italy, in the Lazio region and more precisely in the Capitoline city?

You can also admire beautiful scenery in the city, when nature tinged with yellow, red, orange and brown colors; it manifests itself in parks, along the tree-lined avenues or along big rivers. For those who want to take a trip out of town, a walk to Villa Borghese is a must in this particular time of year.

Villa Borghese is one of the largest parks in Europe and it allows, thanks to its trees and avenues, to admire various chrome-plated vivid colors, especially in these months of the year.

The shades of typical colors of these months are mixed with history, art and ponds. Whether you are walking alone or with your family, by bicycle or by a rental rickshaw, Villa Borghese is a must-see experience to live in autumn.

The inhabitants of the Eternal City know this well, in fact, to recover from the chaotic life of the Capital nothing is better than a walk in Villa Borghese. Located in the city center, this park offers relaxing moments and, with the complicity of the warm colors of nature, it offers a panoramic view that guarantees a dreamlike atmosphere.

Once you are here, visit the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and much more with one easy pass.

In Abruzzo region there is a fantastic place, where autumn makes the atmosphere unforgettable, called Ofrento Valley or also named “The Enchanted Valley”. Between the months of October and November, you can admire mother nature paints poplars and maples with yellow and red shades.

The crystal-clear river rushes between stones and trees and the wind blows down the leaves like golden snowflakes. It’s a pleasure walking in the deep gully intoxicating of the intense smell of undergrowth and listening to the gurgling of the river.

A slow journey in the heart of our continent along plateaus, valleys, small villages where time seems to have stopped and nature is unspoiled, following a winding path that crosses mountains, gorges and national parks, giving the traveler a unique spectacle, through the wonders of the Foliage in Italy.

You can experience all of this, traveling on the Italian Trans-Siberian.

Get on that historical train for a breathtaking adventure; we at Visit Italy advise you not to miss this wonderful opportunity to take a trip on the Trans-Siberian Foliage in Italy.

Don't miss out on a Tour of Abruzzo's historic wine cellars and wine tasting.

The Canfaito beechwood, situated in the Marche region, is one of the most beautiful sites where to observe the Foliage in Italy. It’s characterized by centuries-old trees and fairy-tale atmosphere that makes it a magical place.

The beechwood is located on a plateau, in the province of Macerata, and is part of the Mount San Vicino and Mount Canfaito Regional Nature Reserve.

In Canfaito wood is located the oldest beech of this region, included in the list of Italy's 300 monumental trees. In the period from October to November this place is tinged with wonderful colors, a thousand shades of orange, red, copper, gold that mix with the colors of the sky in a blend of absolute wonder. With the fog, the beech wood becomes even more beautiful, because everything becomes almost surreal. As if by magic, time seems to stop and the energy of the environment overwhelms you, immediately recharges.

Clitunno Springs is a natural park that can be reached along the ancient Via Flaminia to reach the town of Campello sul Clitunno, in Umbria. Its waters are famous for the shades of its colors that ranging from emerald green to turquoise, from yellow to blue, characterized by the presence of many animal species, such as ducks, swans and other aquatic animals.

The Clitunno Springs are perfectly inserted in a habitat made of small waterfalls, streams of water, well-marked paths and bridges. The environment is completed by a rich vegetation, made of cypress poplars, which often reflect in the waters the characteristic colors of the Foliage period in Italy, accentuating their beauty. It’s certainly a place that will stimulate the relaxation and well-being of the soul, as well as a coveted destination and a sacred place of the Ancient Romans.

It’s the most famous place in Tuscany, where you can immerse yourself in a truly unforgettable emotional experience. The wide assortment of trees in the Park of the Foreste Casentinesi, hornbeams and beeches, gives you a unique and indescribable shades. An enchantment of reddish and golden colors extend themselves from the thick foliage and the falling leaves gently rest on the earth, presenting themselves as an impressionistic picture. The maximum intensity of the colors, in Casentino, occurs in the first two weeks of November.

These forests are very extensive and it is not possible to visit them in a weekend, but for some time now there has been a wagon of the LFI train that runs through the Casentino valley reaching Arezzo city. The view you will admire from this train will make you enjoy this phenomenon known as Foliage in Italy.

Don't miss the opportunity and book a visit to Arezzo Cathedral and Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art.

Monte Penna is the viewpoint to admire the Foliage in Italy, phenomenon that occur on the underlying Lama Forest and on most of the valleys that descend towards Emilia Romagna. The show, from the top of the mountain, is one of the most evocative of all the Apennines. You can enjoy a breathtaking view as far as the eye can see and delight yourself with the centuries-old forests that at the end of October come alive with the most varied colors that recall the great diversity and richness of the Casentino Forests. To complete this idyllic panorama, on clear days, you can reach with your gaze the Adriatic coast and the hills of Romagna.

To reach this unique destination namely the Lama Forest, you need to make a little effort, because it’s forbidden to pass through by car and motorbike, so you can only reach this destination by bike, following a long forest track or a path on foot. On the edge of the mountain, located in the middle of a beautiful and varied forest, there is a forest station around which you can also admire exotic plants with exceptional size, including a strange hawthorn of about 300 years.

To discover the Lama Forest is also active a shuttle of 16 places, the Wild Bus, which runs in July and August, but also in September and October, when you can get off to admire the colors of the forest in Autumn. The Wild Bus also has an environmental guide who goes up with you and take you to discover the Lama by telling its secrets.

If you talk about places where you can enjoy Foliage in Italy and we are in Liguria, I can only tell you about the Aveto Regional Natural Park, which extends itself in one of the most naturalistically relevant areas of the entire Ligurian Apennines.

Established to protect a great variety of geological, faunal and floristic, in fact the park is rich in hazelnut and chestnut trees, but also oaks and beeches. To fully enjoy this wonderful color of the foliage of the trees, I recommend the Ring of Scoglina, which connects three Genoa valleys: Fontanabuona, Aveto and Trebbia valleys. The itinerary starts from Passo del Bocco and enters in the Monte Zatta beechwood until you reach the summit. From here you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Gulf of Tigullio.

Beautiful and rich in colors, the ring path that starting from the Scoglina pass, leads you to Mount Caucasus, an area full of beech trees. Another fascinating itinerary to admire this extraordinary event is the one that pass through Lake Lame and Ravezza waterfall.

Buy the Genoa tourist pass that allows you to discover the city like a local!

Lonely, wild and of great suggestion, Zemola Valley, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, is a beautiful real mountain surprise, an ideal place to admire the Foliage in Italy. We are very close but tremendously far from the "glossy mountains", the voice of Mauro Corona that, in his stories, resonates in every step while autumn paints unique scenography.

Our walk starts from Rifugio Mela, after having covered a partly dirt road, we dive into the golden beech forest, amazing in this period. Going deeper and deeper into the beautiful forest, we will cross "Le Grave", an expanse of gravel between which flows the stream Zemola. Here the landscape is transformed with every rain, the path becomes a bit inaccessible and uphill; From here, it is only 400 meters of altitude away to reach the Casera Galvana.

The effort will be compensated because the environment will leave you breathless: the forest is a perfect mix of larch, fir and beech, each with its own color and decisive character.

Veneto offers endless natural scenery to admire the most extraordinary show of autumn: the Foliage in Italy. That moment when the woods turn into a colorful landscape vibrant with colors. In Venetian mountains you can get lost in nature, taste chestnuts and chestnuts, drink good wine and enjoy a lot of local gastronomic specialties.

But the site that I suggest for the Foliage in Italy, where the colors are celebrated in all their splendor, is definitely the Regional Park of Lessinia. Here you can find incredible forms that the phenomenon of karst has created, as the largest natural arch in Europe, Veja Bridge and the Spluga della Preta, an abyss that sinks for about a thousand meters.

To admire this wonderful manifestation of colors that mother nature in this period offers us, one of the best places is the Valley of the Sphinxes. With its fascinating monoliths of limestone similar to Egyptian sphinxes. In order to perfect it, there are lots of beechwoods around it that seem to embrace these extraordinary works that shine with shades of copper and gold.

Enjoy a tasting of Amarone and other famous local wines in Verona.

Urban Foliage in Italy in the parks of the Madonnina. We are in Milan, a city that always knows how to amaze people.

One of the most beautiful places to admire in the capital of Lombardy in this unique season, is the Indro Montanelli Public Gardens, also called the Porta Venezia gardens, where the atmosphere is unparalleled and seems to be who knows where. But also, the Sempione Park deserves to be seen, beautiful in every season, but in autumn it always gives a hint of suggestion. Then let’s not forget the Lambro Park, located in the eastern part of the city, in this season he also has something to say about the wonder of variegated colors.

As well as the Library of Trees, a corner of the city that remember Nordic countries and that is worth not to miss.

Do you know the Milan City Pass Zani Viaggi?

Piedmont, with its beautiful vineyard-covered hills, valleys, mountains and the beautiful area between the provinces of Cuneo and Asti, displays an explosion of colors and forest scents. Here, temperatures drop and the intense flavors of the earth are rediscovered, the atmosphere becomes magical and rarefied, ideal for those who like to squeeze in between a tasting of excellent wine and Foliage in Italy.

In fact, after the summer, the Langhe are invaded by a light mist that immediately gives way to the magical colors of autumn: red, orange, yellow, purple and bronze become the undisputed stars of this season, leaving rainbow hills around the region.

Do you know that there is a train that every year in this season, runs through the most beautiful landscapes made of warm-colored forests?

It's the Foliage Train in Italy, and if you are a lover of this unique event in the world, you won't want to miss the opportunity to take a ride on it with your eyes fixed out the window. It departs from Domodossola and terminates in Locarno, but you can make several stops as well as take the train at other stations. The route is 52 kilometers, about a two-hour ride, where the railway passes through the forests of the area, which at this time of year form truly unique and striking views thanks to the smells and shades of autumn.

Do you know Torino and Piemonte City Card?

What better place than the expanses of forests of Trentino Alto Adige, to observe the famous phenomenon of Foliage in Italy?

Every year, this land gives us a unique and always new show, to live surrounded by nature to admire this fascinating, romantic and evocative phenomenon.

On the side of Mount Baldo, there is the best place to get lost in the thick vegetation, namely the Brentonico Plateau. Called, thanks to the rich flora present, the "Garden of Italy." Here it is possible to walk among the paths through the chestnut groves, appreciating the magnificent hues of the leaves and feasting on chestnuts.

Artist's Masterpieces and Mother Nature come together in works of art in the Arte Sella Park in Borgo Valsugana, an authentic open-air museum covering no less than four hectares of forest land. The peculiarity of these works is that they are mostly made of natural material, which transforms with the passing of the seasons; nothing remains unchanged over time, the larch wood, at first almost yellowish, but after a year it turns gray. It is an inexorable decline, leading to the continuous renewal of park works. All around there are, larch, beech, old oaks that play with the painter's palette and in the month of October they manifest their maximum splendor.

Don't miss the opportunity to take a journey through nature, science, technology and sustainability by visiting the MUSE Science Museum!

The Val d'Ayas, a place of peace and beauty, is a small paradise in the Aosta Valley for the beauty of the breathtaking landscapes, for the endless walks surrounded by nature and for its countless historical and cultural attractions that enhance the surrounding area.

In this place to admire the Foliage in Italy, just take a simple walk around Brusson Lake, spectacular in these months, where you can be at peace with yourself and unwind from the usual city routine. Here it is as if time had stopped, colors are the protagonists of this place, and we can only stop and fill our eyes with so much beauty and peace. We hope that the photos we will take can make the idea of the wonderful world that October offers us!

Relax in luxurious thermal pools surrounded by sublime mountain views, discover the QC Terme Monte Bianco Spa Voucher!

During these magical months of the year, Mother Nature dedicates to the most romantic and melancholic, the magic of the leaves of the trees, that before falling, from the green change color to yellow, orange, red and brown, transforming the landscapes in that natural phenomenon defined "foliage".

The 20 places that we at Visit Italy recommend to live the Foliage experience in Italy are:

• Barbagia Express: the green train to discover and admire colors and autumn landscapes in the heart of our Sardinian Island

• The Foliage in Italy of the Sicilian Apennines: The Nebrodi Mountains

• The Sila Plateau and the magic of the autumn season in the Reserve of the Giants

• Costara beechwood, Sasso di Castalda and the San Michele tree

• The Gargano Park Nature Reserve: the Umbra Forest

• The Ferriere Valley of Amalfi

• Capracotta: The Garden of the Flora Apennine

• Urban Foliage in Italy: the most beautiful autumn to admire in the city

• “The enchanted valley”: a small treasure chest of beauty in the heart of the Maiella Mountain. The Foliage Trans-Siberian in Italy

• The Canfaito beechwood and the oldest beech of this region

• Clitunno Springs: the place where nature turns into Poetry and Wellness for the heart and soul

• The Casentino Forests: the most colorful of the Bel Paese and the Park Train

• Penna Mount: the ruler of the Lama Forest and the Wild Bus to discover it

• From Lake of the Blades to the Caucasus: Aveto Park and the magic of autumn foliage colors in Italy.

• Zemola Valley and the "glossy mountains" of the author’s stories

• The Valley of the Sphinxes: karst and tree chrome

• Madonnina Parks: Urban Foliage in Italy

• The Langhe, wine, the magic of nature and the Foliage Train in Italy

• The Masterpieces of Artist and Mother Nature

• The Ayas Valley, a place of peace and beauty