Catskills New York, US

 

In the United States they are serious about their Autumn leaves, so much so, that there is a website to check that will provide national forest visitors weekly updates on fall foliage colour changes throughout the nation. The Catskills and Hudson Valley region is an ideal destination for New York City-area “leaf-peepers.” The region is relatively compact and within a two-hour drive of much of the New York area. One of the advantages of this region is that the peak leaf-peeping season lasts for about six weeks, from the middle of September through the end of October.

Maine (Acadia National Park), US

 

Every Autumn, thousands of people come to Acadia National Park to see the explosion of colour in the park's forests. Once covered primarily in spruce-fir forests, more than 17,000 acres of Mount Desert Island burned in the fire of 1947. This fire made room for pockets of deciduous trees, which change to rich shades of red, orange, and yellow in Autumn.

Vienna Woods (Austria)

 

The mountain ranges of the Vienna Woods are the transition between the Eastern Alps and the Carpathian, separated by the Danube and some tectonic lines near to Vienna. Beeches, oaks and hornbeams are erected throughout the north of the Wienerwald forest, whereas in the south conifers, pines and firs add to the botanical mix. 

The Wiener Wald (Vienna Woods) is beautiful in any season but in the Autumn it’s even more magical as it’s the perfect place to check out the autumn leaves.

Engadine, Switzerland

 

New England may be famous for its Autumn foliage, but you don’t have to cross the Atlantic to enjoy this phenomenon. 

Head to the Upper Engadine Valley in South-East Switzerland. The Engadine, protected by high Alpine mountains on all sides, is famous for its sunny climate and beautiful landscapes (Engadine in local Romantsch dialect means The Garden of the Inn River, as the valley is a veritable treasure trove of greenery), making it the perfect European destination to witness Autumn colours set against clear blue skies.

Tuscany, Italy

 

Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history and artistic legacy. It is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and is history of art and science is hardly comparable to any other place outside Italy. But Tuscany has so much more: it also has beautiful hills and vegetation, with over 120 protected nature reserves. Can you imagine how much leaves in autumn? No? Well, go see for yourself…

Written by: Elisa della Barba