Beach season is coming to an end and Autumn will soon be here, making now the perfect time to get planning an escape to one of the best national parks in Italy. There are 25 Italian national parks registered on the Official List of Protected Natural Areas (EUAP) in Italy, and together cover an area of over 16,000km2, meaning there's lots of exploring to be done.
Italy's national parks are firm proof that there is life after summer, and it is from right now and into the autumn months when you will be able to experience nature at its finest. Enjoy the most beautiful and varied colours, with the trees changing and delighting onlookers, as well as fresh and sparkling air complete with its aromas and scents, from mushrooms to musk.
The best way to get the most out of this unique atmosphere is to immerse yourself in nature, and there's no better place to do so, than the Italian countryside. For this reason, it's time to take a tour through the best national parks in Italy, so that you can already start planning your trip. You can visit them easily in a weekend, while taking advantage of Rentalia.com where you can conveniently find your holiday rental for short stays close by.
Stelvio National Park
The most part of Stelvio National Park is found in the province of Trento in the Trentino-South Tyrol region and is one of the most beautiful national parks in Italy to visit especially in the autumn, as well as being one of the oldest. If you plan your trip for October, you'll experience bright and intense colours, with the red tones of the changing leaves and the blue of the many charming streams that cross the park all contributing to truly breathtaking landscape.
This Italian national park is also great to visit as a family, and if you are also looking for interesting activities and things to do with children, the park has a programme of activities, many of which are dedicated to the deer that populate the area. After years of being affected by the pandemic, the vast majority of activities in this Italian national park are back to normal. For more about what the park has to offer, check out the website.
Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park
To visit the Cilento and Vallo del Diano National Park, which is a Biosphere Reserve and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991, you need to travel to the province of Salerno. The trip to this Italian park is definitely worth it for nature lovers, since here you can admire the foliage of no less than 1,800 types of native plants; all of this while you relive centuries of history by visiting the beaches where Aeneas was left, as well as the remains of Paestum, the Greek colony of Elea and the Padula Charterhouse. A visit here, to one of the most beautiful national parks in Italy, provides visitors with the perfect combination of history, legend and colourful landscapes!
- Find your holiday rental near the Cilento and Vallo del Diano National Park
- Find properties for sale in Salerno
Gran Paradiso National Park
Nature is definitely at its best in autumn in the Gran Paradiso National Park, which is great for those who enjoy hiking and love animals. Entering this Italian national park, you will almost feel like you are entering a painting, as the extensive fir woods, the alpine meadows and pastures are a real work of art, as well as the stunning rocks and glaciers of this pearl in Val d'Aosta.
When it comes to the Gran Paradiso National Park animals, wild goats such as ibexes and chamois, as well as hares and eagle owls are just some of the many animals you will encounter during a visit to the park.
Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park
Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park is home to a great variety of flora and fauna and stunning mountain landscapes and is one of the most popular national parks in Italy. In this recognised sustainable tourism destination, you can enjoy the large coniferous and deciduous forests, and stroll through vast meadows over an area that covers over 15,000 hectares.
The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park also hosts great biodiversity, and you can easily see different animals, from marmots to deer, as well as woodpeckers, golden eagles, alpine newts and horned vipers. Autumn, with its beautiful colours and pleasant temperatures, is the perfect time to appreciate this enchanting spectacle of nature.
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