Those already looking for their autumn escape should look no further than Emilia Romagna. From picturesque valleys and little-known towns to truffle and wine festivals, the northern Italian region offers a delightful blend of outdoor adventures, ‘castle hopping’ and mouthwatering events for the ultimate autumn break.

Top 3 Off-the-beaten-track Places to Visit in Autumn

Pianello Val Tidone (Piacenza) – great for food and wine

Nestled between Emilia Romagna and the neighbouring region of Lombardy, Pianello Val Tidone beckons with its rolling hills, castles, historic treasures, and vineyards. Its wine production, particularly during autumn, is one of its major calling cards.

The cool climate of the season makes it an ideal time to explore vineyards and taste local wines. These can be enjoyed together with the typical Piacenza cuisine, including picùla ad caval (minced horse meat cooked with vegetables) and cotechino (cooked salami).

Beyond food, visitors can explore the Tidone Footpath, a scenic 69km trail along Tidone Brook, where rows of vineyards yield tasty wines like Gutturnio, Ortugo and Malvasia. Pianello Val Tidone is 30km away from the city of Piacenza.

Casentinesi Forests National Park (Romagna) – great for hiking

Visitors can breathe deeply the air of autumn when walking along the paths of this captivating national park. Casentinesi Forests National Park pans about 142 square miles and straddles the Apennine watershed between Emilia Romagna and Tuscany.

Within this vast protected area, visitors can encounter age-old forests, mystical sanctuaries, waterfalls, and a great number of trails. The best time to visit the national park is between the end of October and the beginning of November when thousands of yellow, red, orange, and golden tones will colour the landscape. Casentinesi Forests National Park is 70km away from the city of Ravenna.

Land of Castles – great for castle hopping

Located between Bologna and Modena, the Terra dei Castelli (“Land of Castles”) is a captivating union of charming small towns nestled amid scenic countryside. It comprises eight ‘communes’ or municipalities (including Vignola, Spilamberto and Montalbano) – each of them with its own unique character, architecture and cuisine but with a common denominator: castles.

From Castelvetro di Modena to Zocca, these ancient fortifications are worth a visit. They tell tales of bygone eras, and their beauty comes even more alive with the autumnal red and orange tones. The well-known Lambrusco Grasparossa wine is produced in this region.

Top Festivals in Autumn

Valtidone Wine Fest – Val Tidone, 1-22 September 2024

The Valtidone Wine Fest is an annual celebration of wine held in the Val Tidone hills, nestled between Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont. The festival highlights local gastronomic traditions and features wine-tasting sessions paired with traditional gastronomic delights from the region. The 2024 edition of the festival will focus on the towns of Borgonovo, Ziano, Alta Val Tidone and Pianello.

In Borgonovo, for example, visitors can try the ‘Ortrugo&Chisola’ sparkling white wine with focaccia coi piccolo (focaccia-style flatbread studded with crunchy pork cracklings). Pianello will be presenting sparkling products from 25 wineries—wines for all tastes.

Verdi Festival – Parma, 21 September – 21 October 2024

The Verdi Festival celebrates all things Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most brilliant operatic composers of the nineteenth century. The festival will take place in Parma and Busseto (where Verdi was born) and will feature a wide number of operas, concerts, installations, and performances.

This year’s edition, under the theme “Power and Politics,” will see Macbeth (in French) played at the iconic Regio Theatre of Parma. The Verdi Festival will kick off with the Verdi Street Parade on 21 September, which will bring the joyous and cheerful spirit of Verdi to the streets of Parma—a key date not to be missed for all opera enthusiasts.

Eel Festival – Comacchio (Ferrara), 28-29 September, 5-6 & 12-13 October 2024

The Sagra dell’Anguilla (Eel Festival) is an annual celebration dedicated to eels and their culinary versatility. The festival spans three weekends in autumn, and visitors can enjoy a rich variety of dishes featuring eels and other seafood.

From traditional recipes passed down through generations to modern interpretations, the festival adds to the charm of the town of Comacchio, known as the “little Venice” due to its vast network of canals. Programme highlights include tastings of eel-based and seafish dishes, wine pairings, show cooking and masterclasses from skilled chefs and sommeliers, markets, and guided tours.

Truffle Fair – Casumaro (Ferrara), 1-3 & 8-10 November 2024

This centenarian festival takes place every November in Casumaro, a charming village near Cento (Ferrara) – and spans six days dedicated to the sought-after truffle. The fair offers a delightful blend of gastronomy and tradition, where authentic truffle experts prepare a wide variety of dishes featuring real truffles, including tagliolini with truffle, sliced beef with porcini mushrooms and truffle, and many other truffle-infused dishes.

Alongside the Tartufo (truffle in Italian), visitors will find other local delights from Ferrara, like saffron, as well as music, exhibitions and gatherings.

For further information on Emilia Romagna and all of the above, please visit www.emiliaromagnaturismo.it/en.