Autumn has arrived. The astronomical autumn, to be precise, began on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 2:05, with the equinox officially closing summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Outside of purely astronomical definitions, however, the new season is recognized in a much simpler way: just look at what happens around us. The days lose a few minutes of light, the mornings grow cooler. In the woods the first yellows appear and on the mountains the changes start earlier, while at lower elevations you’ll have to wait a little longer. Then come the reds, the copper tones, the almost violet shades of certain vineyards, and the leaves that pile up along the paths.
It is the start of the foliage season, which doesn’t end with the classic forest walk with a camera slung over your shoulder. In 2026 you can expect the color change while seated beside a train window, follow a guide through a beech forest, ride a bicycle among vineyards that have already been harvested. Or go in search of the perfect reflection on the waters of a lake and discover botanical gardens where autumn still coexists, for a few weeks, with the last blooms.
Here are five different ways to enjoy autumn and the foliage season with must-do experiences.
Watching the foliage from the train window
Among the now-classic appointments is the Foliage Train on the Vigezzina-Centovalli railway, which in 2026 returns from October 10 to November 15 along the 52 kilometers between Domodossola and Locarno. The route passes through the Vigezzo Valley and the Swiss Centovalli, threading through forests, small towns, bridges and valleys that, in the heart of autumn, take on an entirely different tone. The special ticket includes a round trip and also allows a mid-journey stop.
Domodossola is also the starting point for another season-appropriate journey, the Alpine Green Train, heading toward Bern along the Lötschberg line. Here the trip can be broken up: you can get off and reboard, perhaps to reach Thun, Kandersteg or Frutigen. The 2026 daily pass costs 77 euros for adults and 25 euros for youths and also includes boating on Lake Thun.
Then there’s Tuscany, with a completely different atmosphere and one of the most interesting foliage trains this autumn. The Treno Natura brings steam locomotives and vintage carriages back to the rails, accompanying autumn in the Crete Senesi and the Val d’Orcia. The calendar begins on October 10 with a trip from Siena to Abbadia San Salvatore for the Autumn Festival, followed on October 11 by a journey toward Vivo d’Orcia dedicated to the flavors and scents of the woods of Amiata.
Participating in a trip to natural parks
The autumn time change is upon us, and while some enjoy an extra hour of rest, others want to take advantage of the available daylight for a day trip. Dry leaves beneath boots, water in streams, a few branches falling. And often foliage is only part of what happens in parks during these weeks. The Casentinesi Forests, between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, have built around the season a true calendar. Autumn Slow 2026 continues from September to November with excursions, naturalist events, activities related to the deer rut, photography, Apennine products and family-oriented initiatives. Not to be missed is also the Festival of Fall Foliage which involves areas such as San Godenzo and Bagno di Romagna as well as Santa Sofia and Badia Prataglia where, right in the latter, from October 24 to 25, the traditional Chestnut Festival is expected.
A little further north, the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines also follows the seasonal change. In the 2026 program there is the hike “Foliage in Reserve” on October 11 in Corniglio, followed on October 17 by a beech forest stroll dedicated to the forest’s “autumn flowering.” On October 24 we return to the Lagdei Refuge area for an evening walk.
Another opportunity? The Boschi di Carrega in the province of Parma: with a kaleidoscope of colors that is unique and sparkling, on the clearest days they offer especially evocative views. Among leaves and hush, they provide a pleasant sense of relaxation.
The autumn forest changes again as you descend toward Abruzzo. In the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise the October calendar includes treks through autumn colors, donkey hikes, deer-focused outings and, from October 23 to 25, a photography workshop on the season. There are events in the areas of Pescasseroli, Civitella Alfedena, Villetta Barrea and Lecce nei Marsi.
Cycling among the vineyards in autumn
In Monferrato, from late September to November, the vineyard landscape becomes one of the simplest ways to see autumn without really entering a forest. The hills can be crossed on foot, by car or by bicycle, moving from one village to another. Alexala also offers for 2026 a photographic experience in UNESCO-listed Monferri, available from September 30 to November 30, with stops between villages, hills and the Sacro Monte di Crea.
For those who choose cycling, one area to keep an eye on is around Vignale Monferrato, where roads weave between rows of vines, small villages and the infernot—stone-carved underground cellars that characterize this territory. In autumn the vineyards stop being a uniform green backdrop: each plot seems to take on a different direction, from yellow to brick, from red to brown.
A great cycling itinerary is also the route through the Langhe and Roero, with splendid routes to tackle on two wheels (also e-bikes) to brush against colorful vineyards, villages and castles.
Something similar happens in the Colli Piacentini. In Vernasca, Cantina Visconti schedules for 2026 the “Saturday in the Foliage”: every Saturday in October—3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st—descents into the vineyards in the afternoon, among the colors of the Stirone Valley and the aromas of musts working in the cellar.
An unmissable route is also the Prosecco hills: tastings, villages and castles can be explored also with e-bike rental to avoid too much effort and to enjoy the splendid panorama.
Seeking the reflected colors on lakes
The foliage by the lake doubles the spectacle. Trees above, trees below. At least when the wind offers a few moments of respite. It is one of the reasons mountain lakes become especially scenic between October and November. In Abruzzo there is Lake Barrea, surrounded by the peaks of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise: from Villetta Barrea and the nearby trails you quickly move from water to forest, with the mountains forming a backdrop. This area features in numerous autumn excursions organized in the Park during October.
In the Alps the game of reflections changes again. Traveling along the route of the Trenino Verde delle Alpi, you can combine rail and water: the daily ticket includes a cruise on Lake Thun, while along the itinerary there are deviations toward alpine scenery such as Kandersteg and Lake Oeschinen.
Entering gardens where foliage meets blossoms
Not all autumn colors come from the leaves. In the grand botanical gardens September and October are strange, suspended weeks: some blooms endure, while trees and shrubs have already begun to change their attire. At the Parco Giardino Sigurtà in Valeggio sul Mincio, the Autumn Festival 2026 begins on September 23 and runs until November 15, the last day the season is open. The main attraction is the over 500 Japanese maples, along with ginkgo biloba, liquidambar, metasequoias, oaks, hornbeams and tulip trees. The result changes week by week.
In the calendar there are also events that use the garden in less traditional ways: days dedicated to artists on September 26 and October 17, children’s events, Halloween and, on October 18, an initiative that also includes a tethered hot-air balloon flight for part of the participants.
On Lake Maggiore, the Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto play two seasons simultaneously. From October the fall foliage period officially begins, with maples, chestnut trees and large oaks changing color. But at the same time the flower season is not over: the blooming of dahlias continues until the end of October and the garden hosts over 1,300 plants, belonging to around 170 cultivars.
