If there is one month when the Alpe Cimbra shows off, it is October. The forest reaches full colour, Lake Lavarone stays motionless for hours, and in the villages the chestnut fires go on.
Foliage, which here is not a slogan
Between evergreen spruce, beech and larch, October is when all three colours coexist. Around the lake the contrast is sharp and the low light makes the most of it: this is when the photographers come up, and for once they are right. The best window shifts by a fortnight either way depending on how the summer went.
Chestnuts and village festivals
October is village festival season: chestnuts, new wine, autumn produce. These are small events, usually run by the local communities, and they are the best way to see how people live here outside the busy months. What to expect on the table is in autumn flavours in Trentino.
The Vaia Dragon in the autumn woods
Going to see the wooden dragon at Magre when the forest around it is yellow and copper is a different proposition from doing it in summer. The story of the work, burnt in 2023 and reborn in 2024 with the remains of the first inside it, is in the Alpe Cimbra in autumn.
The woods, before the cold
It is also the last comfortable month for long walks: the days shorten but the weather holds and the paths are dry. From November everything changes. The walks from the lake are in what to do at Lake Lavarone.
Keeping up to date
The official Alpe Cimbra calendar covers the summer to 30 September; the autumn programme comes out later and village festivals are often fixed at short notice. We update this page as dates are published. The one fixture already certain at the end of the season is La Grande Sfilata della Brava Part, on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September at Folgaria: the moment the plateau says goodbye to summer.
Eating here. The Bazzario bistro cooks what this place actually grows: mountain dairies on the Alpe Cimbra, kitchen gardens nearby, very little road between the field and the plate. You eat looking at the lake, which helps.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for autumn colour on the Alpe Cimbra?
October. The optimal window can shift by about two weeks depending on the season. Around Lake Lavarone the contrast between evergreen spruce, beech and larch is particularly marked.
Are there festivals on the Alpe Cimbra in October?
Yes. October is village festival season, with events around chestnuts, new wine and autumn produce run by the local communities. Dates change each year and are published in the official Alpe Cimbra events calendar.
Can you visit the Vaia Dragon in autumn?
Yes. The Vaia Dragon is at Magre di Lavarone and can be reached on foot all year: about 30 minutes from Cost. In autumn the forest around it is at full colour.
Is it cold on the Alpe Cimbra in October?
At 1,100 metres October mornings are cold and afternoons mild, with as much as ten degrees between them in the same day. Layers and closed shoes are needed.
The calendar
What happens, and when
The marked days have something on: tap one to read it.
Running throughout
- Fattoria didattica Soto al Croz · 1–30 September
- Il gioco degli scacchi · 2–30 September
What is coming up
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Fattoria didattica Soto al Croz
10:00 · Fraz. Chiesa · Lavarone
Open through September: 10am on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2.30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Animals, dirty hands, no screens.
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Il gioco degli scacchi
19:00 · Biblioteca di Lavarone · Lavarone
Afternoons and evenings to learn or play, running to the end of the month. Useful to know when it rains.
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La Grande Sfilata della Brava Part
09:00 · Folgaria
The Return of the Witch and the Magic of Alpine Traditions: two days peaking on Sunday 27 with the parade from Costa into the centre of Folgaria. It draws people from across Trentino, so set off early.
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Mercato della terra Slow Food
10:00 · Folgaria
The Slow Food farmers' market, on the same weekend as the Brava Part.
Events run by the local area, not by Bazzario: dates and times are those given by the organisers and may change.
