Autumn: a perfect time to get caught up in seasonal sadness or, more scientifically, SAD (seasonal affective disorder)... It's a real disorder that affects 1 in 6 people at the beginning of the autumn season and then disappears at the first signs of spring. Everyone treats it a bit as they can, there are those who are champion nappers, there are those who eat lots of sweets and those who pack their bags.
So here you go:
Where to go in autumn? 5 weekend destinations (long or short, it's up to you)
5 spectacular destinations to see in autumn during the long weekend or even just for a couple of days.
Grape Harvest in Tuscany
Let's start from here, because we are true parochialists. Tuscany is beautiful, and we love our Arezzo, but there is certainly no shortage of destinations in the region. And if you find yourself here in autumn you should know that Autumn = Grape Harvest (and also Olive Harvest) so why not take a trip to Val d'Orcia? A spectacular land of colors and contrasts. If you like trekking it is the perfect place for you: hilly vineyards and woodland paths will open up at your feet for a wonderful story made of nature, food, wine and happiness. During grape harvest time some companies give the opportunity to participate in the grape harvest, now due to Covid this possibility has faded but there is always 2021. If you are an Instagram addict in Val D'Orcia there is no shortage of Instagram Opportunities:
- Cipressi di San Quirico : Do you know the standard postcard of Tuscany with circular cypresses? You can find it after San Quirico d'Orcia in the direction of Torrenieri.
- Chapel of the Madonna di Vitaleta : it is a small church on a hill isolated from everything and everyone, along the road between Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia, at sunset it is truly spectacular.
- Bagno Vignoni : double pleasure, spas and a characteristic village. Relaxation and walks guaranteed.
- Pienza : Via del bacio, well the word says it. If you are a couple you can force your better half to take a puppy selfie.
credit: wikipedia
Sirmione
An enchanting village in the heart of Lake Garda: full of narrow streets between the stone walls of the fortified citadel (which can also be visited inside!). In addition to the citadel, there is also the possibility of visiting the Grotte di Catullo , an archaeological complex that bears witness to the Roman period in the Lake Garda area. October is the perfect month for a relaxing trip to Sirmione. Let yourself be fascinated by the Roman baths and take advantage of it to recover from the winter blue: don't forget to combine the excellent Lombard cuisine with a good glass of wine. Here your mood is expressed 110%.
credit: Municipality of Sirmione
Spello
Umbria mia fatti cabina! Spello is a charming town in the heart of the green lung of Italy. Perched on a spur of Mount Subasio, it is famous for its flower festival: every year for Corpus Domini, its streets are filled with flower carpets. Apart from food and wine tourism, which we know is top-notch in Umbria, you can also find valuable works by Pinturicchio and Perugino , a city wall dating back to Roman times, among the most beautiful in Italy (it was once known as Splendidissima Colonia Julia - Caesar knew how to name it) with three monumental gates from which you once entered the city, and the Villa dei Mosaici , an imperial-era residence in which mosaic floors, frescoes and stuccos with unique decorations are preserved. If you can stay more than a couple of days, you can extend your visit to Assisi, which is not far away (and needs no introduction). Or at the Fonti del Clitunno , in the province of Perugia, between Spoleto and Foligno. These sources are a true open-air wonder that have inspired many artists and writers from Virgil to George Byron.
credit: Municipality of Spello
Gressoney-Saint-Jean
A name with a French sound for one of the most delightful towns at the foot of Monte Rosa. An Orange Flag for some years now (the Orange Flag is a recognition of tourist-environmental quality awarded by the Italian Touring Club to small towns in the Italian hinterland that stand out for their excellent offerings and quality hospitality), it is located at 1385 meters above sea level, from here you can admire the Lyskamm glacier and the imposing Monte Rosa massif. The history of Gressoney is closely linked to the Walser community , a population of Germanic origin who arrived in this area more than eight centuries ago, through the Colle del Teodulo. What to see?
- Castel Savoia : Queen Margherita, a lover of the mountains, designated it as her summer residence. A fairytale castle, in short, with a beautiful botanical garden.
- The Walser village of Alpenzu : whose peculiarity is the stadel, rural buildings that rest on mushroom-shaped columns (you see, it's not our fault if they always push us to eat!)
- And to stay on topic, we recommend you try the Toma di Gressoney , a raw milk cheese aged for at least 90 days, and the Violino di capra which vaguely resembles a ham, but is not.
Verona
If you don't love nature and trekking is like throwing down a spoonful of cinnamon powder for you, you always have the opportunity to enjoy the cities of art. Italy is full of them but in this period a marvel is Verona, a city tailored for tourists, pleasant and intense. Obviously a classic stop is Juliet's House , if you go we ask you not to deface the walls of this splendid courtyard, instead take a nice photo and try to understand how Romeo could even think of climbing onto that balcony. The Verona Arena is also very famous, the third most important Roman amphitheater after the Colosseum and the Structure of Capua. It is in the very center of Verona and is built with a typical stone from Valpolicella (I won't tell you what we like about Valpolicella. You understand, right?). It is currently the largest open-air opera house in the world and can also be visited inside. Then there are the bridges that connect the two parts of the city cut by the Adige river. The Ponte di Pietra is the oldest while the Scaligero is the most famous, also thanks to its structures with turrets that look like a sort of fortification. Er, the Sarde in Saor are as good as Christmas morning .
credit: wikipedia