Thinking about setting off on a walking holiday? Why not plan your trip around a local festival? We’ll tell you exactly when to go to experience some of Italy’s most beautiful sagre at their very best.
There may be no better way to truly understand Italy than arriving in a village just as a celebration is about to begin. The lights are glowing in the square, tables are being set outdoors and the scent of something delicious drifts through the air. Local wine flows generously, music fills the evening and the whole community seems to have gathered there.
This is the spirit of the sagra.
Part village festival, part food celebration, the sagra is one of Italy’s most beloved traditions. Many were born to honour the products of the land and the work of an entire community: a cheese, a bean, a truffle, a pasta shape, a wine or an ingredient deeply tied to the identity of a place.
For travellers, sagre offer something rare: the chance to experience local culture not as spectators, but as guests.
And when you arrive on foot, the experience becomes even more meaningful.
But how do you know which festivals are truly worth experiencing? Where should you go, and when?
We’ll tell you: we’ve gathered a selection of festivals and local celebrations that take place along the landscapes featured in our walking holidays.
The Via Spluga is first and foremost a crossing between Switzerland and Italy, just a short distance from Lake Como. You begin in Switzerland and walk through dramatic gorges, ancient mule tracks and high mountain scenery before descending into Chiavenna, an elegant alpine town close to the lake.
If you travel in September, you may arrive in time for the Sagra dei Crotti, one of Lombardy’s most beloved food festivals.
The crotti are natural stone cellars crossed by a cool airflow called the sorel. Traditionally used to store wine, cheese and cured meats, during the festival they open their doors to the public and serve local specialties such as sciatt, bresaola, polenta and wines from Valtellina.
After crossing the Alps on foot, sitting down in one of these atmospheric stone spaces is the perfect way to celebrate the journey.
Our walking holidays in the Langhe lead through hills embroidered with vineyards, hazelnut groves and elegant villages such as Barolo, La Morra and Barbaresco.
From October to early December, Alba hosts the International Alba White Truffle Fair, the world’s most famous event dedicated to the prized white truffle.
Tastings, markets, cultural events and food-and-wine experiences fill the town during one of the most beautiful moments of the year, when the hills glow with autumn colours.
Walking through the Langhe in autumn and ending the day with a truffle-scented dish is an unforgettable experience.
On our walking holiday through the Chianti Hills, you walk between Greve and Siena through one of Tuscany’s most iconic landscapes: vineyards, olive groves, white roads and stone villages.
Every September, Greve in Chianti hosts the Expo del Chianti Classico, a large celebration dedicated to the region’s most famous wine. Local wineries gather in the beautiful village square to offer tastings and meet visitors.
A perfect way to complete the journey with a glass of Chianti Classico and the convivial atmosphere of a Tuscan village in celebration.
Our Via Francigena itineraries in Tuscany cross the spectacular Val d’Orcia. One of the most beloved stops along the route is Pienza, famous for its pecorino cheese.
At the beginning of September, the village hosts the Festa del Cacio, with tastings, market stalls and the traditional gioco del cacio al fuso.
It is a joyful and authentic celebration, perfect for discovering the deep connection between landscape, agriculture and Tuscan culture.
The Via Francigena from Viterbo to Rome crosses peaceful countryside, medieval villages and the shores of Lake Bolsena.
In August, the village of Gradoli celebrates the Sagra del Fagiolo Regina, dedicated to a local bean variety recognised as a Slow Food presidium.
It is a simple and genuine festival that beautifully reflects the value of rural cuisine and local biodiversity.
Our Cammino Materano itineraries lead through sunlit landscapes, olive groves and ancient villages before reaching extraordinary Matera.
On 2 July, the city comes alive for the Festa della Bruna, one of southern Italy’s most spectacular celebrations.
Processions, fireworks and the traditional “assault” on the ceremonial float turn the day into an intense and unforgettable experience.
The Cilento Coastal Walk combines sea views, villages and one of Italy’s richest food traditions.
In August, the village of Felitto hosts the Sagra del Fusillo Felittese, dedicated to traditional handmade fusilli pasta.
Long communal tables, local wine and a warm atmosphere celebrate the simple and generous cuisine of the Cilento.
Our walking holiday in the Madonie reveals a surprising side of Sicily, among forests, villages and mountain panoramas.
In late summer, Pollina celebrates the Sagra della Manna.
Manna is a sweet sap extracted from ash trees, used in pastries and desserts and found almost nowhere else in the world.
Like the Madonie themselves, it is a rare and fascinating tradition.
Our journey through Val Maira crosses one of Italy’s most authentic and peaceful alpine valleys.
At the beginning of September, the Roumiage de Sancto Lucio celebrates Occitan culture through music, dance, language and traditional food.
It is not a food festival in the strict sense, but a precious opportunity to experience a cultural identity that is still deeply alive and rooted in the mountains.
Our walking holiday through the Prosecco Hills leads across the UNESCO landscapes of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
Between March and June, Primavera del Prosecco Superiore fills the villages with tastings and events dedicated to Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
A perfect way to combine walking, beautiful scenery and conviviality.
A walking holiday allows you to discover a place slowly and deeply.
A sagra is the moment when that territory tells its story through flavours and traditions.
Together, they create the perfect combination: beautiful landscapes, genuine encounters and unforgettable food.
You arrive on foot, tired and hungry, and find yourself welcomed into a celebration repeated for generations.
These are the experiences that stay in your heart long after the journey is over.
Want to discover Italy through its festivals? Write to us — we’ll help you choose the perfect journey and the best time to experience it.
`
Nominee Best Specialist Tour Operator 2025
Touroperating
S-Cape Countryside Travels srl
Borgo Allegri 16R
50122 Firenze FI
P. IVA 05227330486
