In the Carnic pre-Alps area, straddling the provinces of Belluno, Treviso and Pordenone, the Cansiglio Forest is a plateau of stunning beauty in all seasons.
Spring and summer are perfect for taking walks and riding a bicycle as you marvel at the green expanse of meadows and forests. Autumn is magic: the foliage turns the landscape into a multicoloured palette, and leaves rustle and crunch underfoot. During winter, the soft white snow muffle footsteps and creates an enchanting scenery.
Protected since the time of the Serenissima Republic, as it is where wood for making oars was obtained, the Cansiglio Forest contains a wide variety of plant species and provides shelter for numerous animals. Especially at dusk it will not be hard to spot deer and roe deer.
In this fascinating natural setting, made even more unique by the phenomenon of thermal inversion, which causes temperatures to drop as you proceed from the highlands to lower areas, many experiences await you.
From various outdoor activities, to discovering the culture of the Cimbri people at the Museum of Mankind in Cansiglio or in ancient villages. From a visit to the Lorenzoni Botanical Garden to the fascinating experience of listening to the bellowing of amorous deer.
Curiosities
- Due to the phenomenon of thermal inversion, temperature extremes here range between +30 °C and -30 °C, albeit under exceptional conditions.
- During the ice ages, the Cansiglio Cavallo group remained free from ice, thus becoming a refuge for flora, and favouring the survival of various endemic species. One among them is the silver-leaf geranium.
- The Cimbri are an ancient mountain people who started to settle in Cansiglio Forest from the Middle Ages. The main occupation of the Cimbri people was woodworking; they made everyday objects from beech wood. You can learn about the history of the Cimbri at the Cimbrian Ethnographic and Cultural Centre in Pian Osteria. There are still 6 villages of this community in the forest, some of them in ruins and others, such as Campon and Piano Osteria, are still inhabited. A very nice trail is the Cimbrian Village Trail, which connects the Museum of Mankind in Cansiglio to the 6 villages that still exist, although partly in ruins, starting from Pian Osteria heading in the direction of Campon, where there are still Cimbri people.
- If you want, you can drive the whole ring of the Cansiglio Forest between the woods and parts of dirt and paved road for about 14 kilometres. All routes are very easy and have little elevation gain, from 4 kilometres to 13 kilometres.
- From mid-September to mid-October, the Cansiglio Forest plunges into silence. Only in this way is it possible to listen to the bellowing of amorous deer that between sounds and antlers perform in a struggle. There are organized excursions to go and listen to them.
