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Tuscany landscape and hill towns mid November

I have been to several beautiful tuscan towns in September but was wondering will the towns such as Pienza
and Radda be almost closed to tourists mid November? Also, I'm trying to picture the wonderful scenic drives and wondering how the foliage will be different from September....trying to decide Tuscany countryside or Sorrento after Florence

Posted by
5953 posts

do a Google image search for “Tuscany fall foliage”
Looks gorgeous but don’t know how late into November planned trip is

Posted by
2922 posts

Rome’s latitude is slightly north than Chicago so don’t expect to see the fall foliage while in Tuscany.

Posted by
15041 posts

I’ve never been in Chicago in November and have no idea if Chicago has foliage in November, or even standing trees, since I hear Chicago is a “Windy City” (I’ll let our Chicago contributors chime in on that topic).

However I have lived (and visited) in Tuscany dozens of Novembers and I can assure you that there will still be a lot of foliage on the trees. The green leaves will be turning yellow and other beautiful autumn colors, but you won’t see bare trees before late December (if that).

And I have plenty of photos to prove it.

Posted by
2922 posts

I have been to Tuscany in late Nov and it was beautiful but I don’t remember fall foliage. What I loved was the landscape of rolling hills along the Sienese Crests and its many landscapes. I have also been to Piedmonte in late Sep and did see the leaves bright colors.

Posted by
27 posts

Ciao! I've been to the Pienza/Montepulciano area quite a few times in my many years of travelling. By my estimates, the foliage is turning now in that area and by mid-November/beginning of December, it may be past it's prime. However, while that time of year is a bit slower, the shops and restaurants are still very vibrant. Although I am not sure of your exact dates to visit, Montepulciano has a beautiful Christmas Market from November 20 through January 6 this year. I have been seeing many recent posts about it. I have visited the Christmas Market a few times and it is simply magical. If you need any recommendations on accommodations or restaurants, feel free to let me know!

Posted by
285 posts

Montepulciano has a beautiful Christmas Market from November 20
through January 6 this year. I have been seeing many recent posts
about it.

I'd love to know where I might find more information about this and other "events" happening in the region. We leave the 20th but will be in Tuscany/Umbria regions the week leading up to that day.

Posted by
2097 posts

We went mid-December a few years ago and it was lovely. There was still Fall foliage.

When we visited, we had Radda all to ourselves. There were no lines to the Uffizi and we walked right in to Siena's Cathedral. We loved how quiet and tourist free the off season was. There were plenty of Christmas markets to explore and it was a treat to buy roasted chestnuts from street vendors.

We'd like to return in the Fall for harvest and also the Spring as the region wakes up, but we found Tuscany charming this time of year.

Posted by
27 posts

Hello! Responding to dantbarnes question about the Christmas Market and calendar of events, here are a few resources:

Christmas Market:
The Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nataleamontepulciano.it
The Official website: http://www.nataleamontepulciano.it/

For other events in and near Montepulciano, here is a link to a calendar maintained by a B&B I stay at when I visit:
https://www.fontemartino.com/montepulciano-experiences/events-festival-calendar-in-montepulciano/

Hope this helps! - Norman

Posted by
52 posts

If you get the opportunity, a real highlight of our time in Tuscany (still here but moving around) was dinner last week in a fabulous restaurant in the town of Figline at a restaurant located one street from the central square named L’ AmiciMia, The whole experience was a true Tuscan treat that I’d highly recommend and Bob, the friendly owner, will make your visit memorable! It’s a small place, so reservations recommended to ensure yourself a spot.