Authentic experiences of the real Italy
From mid-September the countryside begins to slowly change colour as the weather becomes cooler. Your tours will visit mountain lakes, like Lago Santo, and it is possible to also enjoying walks visiting small towns and villages. This is the time for celebration of the chestnut harvest and there are many local festivals celebrating the once staple food of the local diet.
As the days get shorter and colder, enjoy sitting by the fire having some roasted chestnuts and drinking a vinbrulè, or going to various Christmas markets. Should there be snow, we can arrange for you to go shoe walking and skiing, in the event of good snow cover. The cities will be less crowded, and it is a great opportunity to visit museums and galleries without the crowds, and of course for tasting the delicious seasonal dishes such as stinco, zampone and cotechino.
Please see details of our organised 6-night/7-day tours. Alternatively, we would be pleased to assist to create your own private tours for a shorter or longer period and to provide an obligation free quote.
*****All tours start and finish in Bologna. On arrival you will be taken for a tour and lunch in Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna.*****.
Please Note:
** As many events are of a very local basis and often not publicised beforehand, We reserve the right to possibly change some aspects of the tours, should we consider that a more interesting opportunity has presented itself.
** Should you not wish to participate in the cooking class, please advise us when booking and we can offer an alternative excursion and have you meet back at the venue with the others to enjoy the lunch.
By now the weather will be getting cooler and the trees will commence to show their brilliant autumn colours. Driving into the mountains to the small hamlet of Roccapelago you will learn about the siege which took place here in 1393, and the resulting find 4 years ago of 281 naturally mummified remains. This fascinating discovery was made by a couple of local volunteers, one of whom will tell you the story.
We will also visit the town of Montefiorino, with its castle overlooking the large valley and learn the history of the local resistance in the area during WW2, and see the poignant sculptures in Parco Santa Giulia, dedicated to those who gave their lives.
At the Carpegiani Gelato museum have an opportunity to make gelato as well as visiting a Balsemaria, where the famous balsamic vinegar of Modena is aged in oak casks for years, the taste test will help you understand about the finer points of this famous product.
October is chestnut season and for centuries, along with parmesan cheese, chestnuts have been the staple of the mountain dweller’s diet. We will be visiting the delightful town of Montecreto to join in their annual Festa di Castagna. While there we taste a variety of chestnut dishes and see demonstrations of different skills from the past.
The cooler weather means time for trying a hot chocolate, strong enough to stand your spoon in at a rifugo by Lago Santo, and we will also have a degustation lunch at the restaurant Ca’ Cerfogli, famous in the area for its porcini mushroom dishes. Keeping with the food theme we will have the opportunity to taste freshly made ricotta when seeing how Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made.
A walk through the woods to Ponte Ercole, a monolithic bridge scoured out of the rocky terrain will leave you wondering about the people who made their way here as far back as in the third century BC.
Tour packages include:
Tours DO NOT include: