The perfect places for taking close-up photos of apple blossom

From early April to early May, the whole of Val di Non is ablaze with the spectacle of apple blossom in bloom. Apple orchards in bloom are everywhere, but few are the perfect places to see, smell and photograph the blossom up close.

We have selected four must-visit places for you to photograph the apple blossom in bloom. They are in four locations in Val di Non, all at different altitudes to allow you to make the most of the really short-lived spectacle of apple blossom!

The footpath leading to Belasi Castle

The first apple trees to bloom around 10 April are those at lower altitudes and thus in the southernmost part of Val di Non.
We are about 450 metres above sea level in a part of Val di Non with a historical wealth of castles, which include Castel Belasi.

The castle is in the municipality of Campodenno and clearly signposted from the state road.

To fully enjoy the spectacle of blossom in bloom, we recommend you leave your car in the square in the small hamlet of Segonzone and continue on foot to the castle.

The path is short and goes downhill through carefully farmed countryside.
In spring, this short walk becomes a veritable sea of colours and scents and you cannot help but notice the perfection of nature in the delicate shape of the flowers and the incredible frenzy of bees at work.

When you get to the castle, we recommend you go up and visit it: from up there you will enjoy a whole new perspective of the apple trees in blossom!

Here you will find opening times for the castle and all the info you need for visiting it.

The panoramic terrace of Doss de Pez, in Cles

Cles is located in the central part of Val di Non and overlooks the large lake of Santa Giustina.
Compared to Castel Belasi, here the apple trees blossom about 10 days later and so around 20 April.

Not far from the centre is the large panoramic terrace of Doss de Pez, particularly appreciated for its views out over the entire valley.

Thanks to its particular location, built jutting out over the apple orchards, in spring it becomes the perfect viewpoint for admiring the trees in bloom.

This terrace can be easily reached on foot from the old town centre of Cles, up the steps behind the church of Santa Maria Assunta.

At this link you will find an interactive map for this walk.

The bench at Castel Nanno

Back to castles. After all, castles are a symbol of the Val di Non landscape and in spring, surrounded by apple blossom, they become even more photogenic!

Here, we are near pretty little Nanno Castle. It is just above the village of Nanno at an altitude of around 570 metres.
It is only a few kilometres from Cles, in the central part of the valley, and so here too the apple blossom begins to bloom around 20 April.

To reach it, simply follow signs for Nanno and just before the old town centre turn right (a yellow arrow indicates the castle at the crossroads).
The road continues uphill and at the second hairpin bend you take the small access road to the castle.

The castle, and also the little access road, are completely surrounded by rows and rows of apple trees. And this little paved road leading to the castle entrance is where you will find this bench, the perfect place to stop and admire the spectacle of the blossom, enjoy the spring sunshine and take some truly spectacular photos.

Castel Nanno can be visited at weekends and we organise activities that combine culture and taste.

On this page you will find all the castle experiences!

The little church of San Bartolomeo in Romeno

We are in the highest part of Val di Non, in Romeno to be exact. We are at an altitude of nearly 1,000 metres, the limit for apple farming.

This is the last corner of the valley to bloom, and the apple blossom period begins roughly at the end of April and continues for the first 10 days of May.

From Romeno, we recommend you follow signs for the little church of San Bartolomeo. From the town centre, a paved road takes you down towards the vast meadows planted with apple trees and comes to a large historic building that once served as a medieval hospice and is now a modern, welcoming holiday farmhouse.

Not far from this farmhouse, completely surrounded by apple orchards, is the little church of San Bartolomeo. It is really small: just 9 metres by 9 and its history goes way back, to Roman times when Val di Non was an important passageway to Via Claudia Augusta.

If you fancy a bit of exercise, we recommend the beautiful cycle path in the upper Val di Non: a 20-kilometre tarmacked route connecting Romeno to five other small villages, from one apple orchard to another.

Click here to see the cycle path and follow the interactive map!

These suggestions of ours will help you find your way around the vast area that is Val di Non and make sure you definitely see the most beautiful places when the apple blossom is in full bloom.
We would like to remind you that this phenomenon depends very much on climate and weather conditions and therefore the dates we give here are not guaranteed and vary from year to year.

Read our article to understand when the apple blossom is in bloom and all the factors that affect it!

Finally, to stay up-to-date on the progress of the flowering, we recommend you keep an eye on our social media channels for real-time info!