As the heat of summer subsides, the Tuscan countryside becomes a kaleidoscope of vivid colours, with vineyards and forests on fire with every shade of red, orange and yellow.
The region’s rolling hills are bathed in a golden afternoon light, and seasonal produce peppers the area, such as chestnuts, grapes, porcini mushrooms and truffles.
Towns and cities come alive with markets, festivals and activities, while new wine and oil are produced and offered for tasting.
This period’s slower pace and cooler temperatures make it the perfect time to explore Tuscany’s art-filled churches and museums, eat your way around charming food markets, wander the medieval cobblestone alleys of its glorious hilltop towns and explore its natural beauty.
Discover five Tuscan destinations that are awe-inspiring in autumn.
Florence
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A trip to Tuscany wouldn’t be complete without a day or two in the capital, Florence.
One of Italy’s most famous destinations, the Renaissance city is full of fantastic art, churches, museums and boutiques.
As the summer crowds start to thin out, classical music performances take over the city’s churches and historic opera houses, and the Tuscan capital celebrates its co-patron saint, Santa Reparata, with a medieval procession towards the huge cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo.
You can explore its world-famous museums, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery, and be surrounded by Renaissance royalty at the Pitti Palace.
Purchased in 1550, the palace was chosen by Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wife Eleanor of Toledo as the new Grand Ducal residence, and it soon became the symbol of the Medici family’s power over Tuscany.
Directly behind Pitti Palace are the marvellous Boboli Gardens.
The Medici family established the layout of the gardens, creating the Italian style that would become a model for many European courts.
The vast green expanse with a regular layout is a real outdoor museum, populated by ancient and Renaissance statues.
The gardens are also adorned with grottos, the most important of which is the famous grotto created by Bernardo Buontalenti, as well as large fountains, such as the Fountain of Neptune and the Fountain of the Ocean.
Another must while in Florence is crossing the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge offering beautiful views of the Arno River which is famous for the shops built along it; butchers, tanners and farmers initially occupied the shops, while the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers.
While wandering Florence’s charming streets, you mustn’t forget to rub the city’s bronze pig statue, Il Porcellino, for luck.
The complete process of ensuring good luck consists of putting a coin in the pig’s mouth after rubbing the nose – if the coin falls into the grates where the water hits it will bring you luck; if not, it won't.
After working up an appetite, savour Florence’s succulent signature steak, bistecca alla fiorentina: a large, bone-in cut of beef from Chianina cattle that is grilled from room temperature for three to five minutes on each side over scorching hot coals.
The steak is ready when it is charred on the outside and very rare on the inside.
It is sliced and served family style, sauced only by its own flavoursome juice and seasoned with a pinch of salt.
Like many Florentine icons, the thickly cut steak dates back to the Renaissance and rose to fame alongside the Medici.
While there is a world to explore in Florence, the city is also a wonderful base for visiting other destinations, like Pisa or Siena, the countryside, or the beach.
Val d’Orcia
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This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the perfect example of well-managed Renaissance agriculture and boasts some of the most picturesque views anywhere in Italy.
This verdant valley stretches between the provinces of Siena and Grosseto, in southern Tuscany.
During autumn, it transforms into a blanket of autumn colours and a foodie’s paradise.
Marvel at medieval castles, ancient villages, gorgeous farmhouses, isolated homesteads, roads lined with cypress trees, fabulous vineyards and olive groves.
The region is rich in high quality food items such as pecorino cheese from Pienza (a cheese made from the milk of the many sheep that graze the paddocks in the area around the town), genuine extra virgin olive oil, impeccable wine resulting from a long and ancient tradition, saffron, mushrooms, chestnuts, truffles, game such as wild boar, and other specialties along the wine road.
Chianti
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For nature-lovers and wine connoisseurs, Chianti is the perfect Tuscan destination.
The borders of the Chianti region are not clearly defined, but in general it extends over the provinces of Florence and Siena, covering the rolling hills and vineyards between the two cities and extending to the east toward Valdarno and to the west to Val d’Elsa.
The Chianti wine area extends further beyond the two cities, all around Florence and even toward Arezzo, Pistoia and Montepulciano.
Small stone villages in the area feature abbeys, churches, castles and villas, adding to the fairytale atmosphere.
Explore the strade del vino (wine roads), enjoying traditional Tuscan tastes.
Towns like Greve in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, and smaller borghi like San Gusmè and San Donato in Poggio, are full of history, traditions and delicious variations of their own special brand of Chianti wine.
Casentinesi Forests National Park
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The Casentinesi Forests National Park in eastern Tuscany is one of the best places in Italy to experience vibrant autumn foliage.
One of Europe’s largest and purest forests, this leafy gem is home to over 40 species of trees and no less than 650 kilometres of trails, which can be explored on foot, by bike or on horseback.
A quiet natural oasis stretching over both Tuscany, the park is home to roe deer, golden eagles, owls, wild boars and even wolves.
The area is a great natural treasure trove that is perfect to soak up nature and understand the historical relationship between human settlements and the landscape: mule tracks, bridges, villages with abbeys and monasteries will enhance your already spectacular experience.
The best time to catch this mystical place is from mid-October to mid-November, when the area’s maples, oak and beech trees blaze into countless shades of red, orange and yellow.
During this time, you can also forage for local produce, such as truffles, chestnuts and porcini mushrooms.
Saturnia
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Saturnia is a famous spa town in the southern part of Tuscany.
The natural hot springs of Saturnia have been attracting visitors from all over the world for centuries.
A chain of gentle waterfalls cascade into layers upon layers of white and blue limestone pools, all held at a pleasant 37.5˚C and filled with rich minerals.
Considered a “high-flow” spring, the waters rush up from the ground at a rate of 500 litres per second, just like a spa.
The experience is especially magical at night, when the rising steam becomes visible against the starry night sky.
The springs offer free entry so you can indulge to your heart’s content, though it is recommended not to be immersed for longer than 20 minutes at a time.
