Hello Local Guides!
In the long night between 2024 and 2025, when someone has already celebrated the new year, someone is celebrating right now and someone will do it in a few hours, I thought I’d tell you about a particular episode of "1000 shades of …" - The Cansiglio National Forest.
Today we talk about “1000 shades of White”, in an area that in winter becomes a sort of Enchanted Forest.
The phenomenon of Temperature Inversion (Inversion (meteorology) - Wikipedia in fact brings this area, which is located at only 1000 meters above sea level, to reach temperatures that are characteristic of much higher altitudes, or of areas much further north of Italy.
Night temperatures of -15 and sometimes even -20 °C are quite normal here, while during the day the temperature rarely exceeds 0 °C. This means that in winter the snow remains for a long time, creating an enchanted world.
However, we must remember that this is a plateau, an almost flat area, where there are no ski lifts, no cable cars, and no ski slopes. So what do visitors do here, and why should they visit this area?
Well, the simplest answer is that, although downhill skiing is a beautiful sport, it is also the one that least allows you to enjoy nature.
The paths that cross the forest are perfectly maintained, and allow for long walks to enjoy the silence. If you like fresh snow, snowshoeing is possible everywhere. Cross-country skiing lovers will find dozens of kilometers of trails prepared especially for them, and for children, but also for adults who want to feel like children for a few hours, the gentle slopes are often equipped for sledding.
If someone wants to try something more “Nordic”, how about a dog sled ride?
Not equipped? No problem, you can rent all the equipment you need (except clothes, of course).
And if you want to take a break, the Cansiglio area is full of typical restaurants, located in the small villages of the forest, but also of course bars where you can taste the typical products of the area, especially the cheeses.
Just to name a few:
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Casera le Rotte, from where you dominate the valley and you can also stay.
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Tambre Spert Cansiglio Dairy and Agritourism Centre - Bar Bianco, where you will find only cheeses produced by them
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Malga Valmenera, Restaurant and bar with an adjoining Dairy for the production of cheeses
There are many Shades of White that you can discover in the Cansiglio Forest and its surroundings.
A walk on the fresh snow could lead you to discover the Church of Sant’Anna, right on the edge of the forest.
Or it could take you to Pian Rosada, where at sunset you can admire the Dolomites standing out behind the snow-covered forest.
And if you really want to see something special, in a few minutes you can reach Spert, to admire the Nativity scene exhibition that winds through the alleys of the village: 1000 shades of Nativity Scenes - Spert, the village of Nativity Scenes
While walking in the snowy forest, don’t forget to look at the snow near you. You might discover the real enchanted forest, even in miniature.
It is a particular phenomenon, caused by the sublimation of the snow that transforms directly into vapor, and by the sudden cooling at night that freezes the humidity of the air. What remains is ice transformed into perfect crystalline structures. At sunset, with the sun grazing the snow, the phenomenon allows you to observe this masterpiece of nature in detail. They look like feathers, miniature trees, small forests of ice flakes with perfect geometries. In partially sunny areas the crystals cover everything, from the meadows to the branches of the trees. A miniature world that will leave you speechless.
What about you?
Have you visited/explored any snowy forests or do you live near them?
Why don’t you tell us about it here in Connect? Remember to always add a link in Google Maps to the place of your story, in order to allow others to visit it “virtually” via Google Maps.
Meanwhile, as I write, the minutes pass, and new countries enter 2025.
I wish everyone, and I mean everyone, a wonderful 2025.
Happy New Year to everyone
What a fun informative read! 
