The Cansiglio Forest and the Cimbri Plateau
Straddling the provinces of Belluno and Treviso, the Cansiglio plateau is one of the great beech forests of northern Italy, and yet it stays off the main flows: no fashionable lifts, no postcard villages, just forest, pastures and small Cimbri communities. Few visit it, and you walk in silence.
Foto: Marco Walker (CC BY-SA 2.5) — Wikimedia Commons
The Cansiglio is one of those places that stay off the radar despite being enormous and a stone's throw from the Veneto cities. Its good fortune is also its quiet: it is a wooded plateau, without large villages or attractions built for mass tourism, and this keeps away the crowd that instead concentrates on the most photographed Dolomites. People came here to cut timber, not to be seen: the beech forest was the 'oar forest' of the Republic of Venice, which from these trunks made the oars for its galleys. That silent, productive vocation can still be felt today.
What to see
A good starting point is Pian Cansiglio, the central basin of the plateau, home to the meadows, the alpine botanical garden and the information points. From here the trails branch out into the heart of the beech forest, among tall, straight trees that in autumn blaze with yellow and orange. It is worth seeking out the traces of Cimbri culture: the Cimbri are an ancient German-speaking community settled on the plateau, and their historic cores, like the area of Pian Osteria and the small villages on the slope, tell a story of shepherds and woodcutters who came from afar. Another evocative spot is the area of the sinkholes and karst meadows, where the water disappears into the limestone ground.
The forest's wildlife
Those who love wildlife will find in the Cansiglio one of its strong points: the plateau is famous for its deer, and on autumn evenings you can witness and hear the rutting call, the deep bellow of the stags in mating season. With discretion and patience, staying on the trails and in silence, it is one of the most intense experiences the forest can offer. You also come across roe deer and a rich birdlife. You don't need spectacular destinations: a clearing, the rising mist and the forest closing behind you are enough. The Cansiglio also lends itself to slower explorations in the saddle of a bicycle along the forest roads, and in winter, when the snow falls, it becomes a silent paradise for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, always far from the crush of the great resorts.
How to get there
A car is best. You climb to the plateau by the roads that set off from the Treviso plain and from the Alpago, in the Belluno area, with hairpins that cross the forest until they emerge onto the central meadows. Once up top, you move on foot or by bicycle along the forest roads and waymarked trails. The distances between the points of interest are also walkable in a day, but the Cansiglio rewards those who stop and slow down: a stop at one of the working alpine dairies, where in summer they still make cheese, completes the visit with local cheeses and products.
When to go
The best period depends on what you are looking for. Autumn, between September and October, is probably the finest moment: the beeches change colour, the air is cool and crisp, and it coincides with the deer rutting season. Summer too, from June, is ideal for walking in the cool when the plain is muggy, and for finding the dairies at work. In every season the Cansiglio stays little crowded precisely because it does not offer the organised entertainment of the tourist hubs: those who come here seek nature and silence, not queues and full car parks. Even on fine-weather weekends the forest absorbs the visitors without ever giving you the sense of a crush.
A practical tip: dress in layers and set off early. The plateau is a basin where cold air stagnates, and even in summer the mornings are cool and often misty, while in autumn the temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Those very hours, at dawn and dusk, are the best for silence and for encounters with the animals. Bring water, shoes suited to damp trails and respect the signs on the protected areas: the Cansiglio is beautiful because it has stayed wild, and it stays that way only if you cross it on tiptoe.
Practical guides for Alba
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Cansiglio Forest and the Cimbri Plateau?
The recommended time is June, September and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Cansiglio Forest and the Cimbri Plateau?
The Cansiglio Forest and the Cimbri Plateau is located in Cansiglio plateau, Belluno-Treviso, Italy.
