Winter Weekend at the Hot Springs - ADLER Thermae
03.12.2026 - 21.12.2026
| 3 nights
from 1165,- € per person
When the Renon turns golden
Why larch trees and deciduous forests change colour in autumn
It begins almost unnoticed, with the first hints of yellow. Then, week by week, the landscape around ADLER Ritten in Soprabolzano starts to change. Across the Renon high plateau in South Tyrol, larch trees turn golden among dark green conifers, beech leaves take on warm shades of orange and brown, and flashes of red appear throughout the forest. Autumn has arrived on the Renon.
But why do leaves change colour in autumn? What looks like a spectacular seasonal transformation is actually part of the trees' careful preparation for winter.
But why do leaves change colour in autumn? What looks like a spectacular seasonal transformation is actually part of the trees' careful preparation for winter.
What happens inside a leaf
Throughout spring and summer, leaves contain large amounts of chlorophyll. This green pigment allows trees to use sunlight to produce the energy they need. As autumn arrives, daylight hours decrease and temperatures begin to fall. Keeping a full canopy of leaves becomes increasingly costly.
Before letting them go, trees recover what they can. Valuable nutrients are drawn back from the leaves and stored in the branches, trunk and roots, ready to be used again in spring. At the same time, chlorophyll breaks down, revealing colours that were hidden beneath the green. Carotenoids create yellow and orange tones, while anthocyanins produce shades of red in certain species.
The result is the patchwork of autumn colours found across South Tyrol's forests: birches glow yellow, beeches shift through gold, orange and brown, while maples can develop striking shades of yellow and red.
The European larch is different. Unlike most conifers, it sheds its needles every autumn. First, the tree draws nutrients back from them; then its soft green needles turn brilliant gold before falling to the ground. Spruce, fir and pine trees remain green throughout winter. Their tougher needles have a small surface area and protective waxy coating that help reduce water loss.
Throughout spring and summer, leaves contain large amounts of chlorophyll. This green pigment allows trees to use sunlight to produce the energy they need. As autumn arrives, daylight hours decrease and temperatures begin to fall. Keeping a full canopy of leaves becomes increasingly costly.
Before letting them go, trees recover what they can. Valuable nutrients are drawn back from the leaves and stored in the branches, trunk and roots, ready to be used again in spring. At the same time, chlorophyll breaks down, revealing colours that were hidden beneath the green. Carotenoids create yellow and orange tones, while anthocyanins produce shades of red in certain species.
The result is the patchwork of autumn colours found across South Tyrol's forests: birches glow yellow, beeches shift through gold, orange and brown, while maples can develop striking shades of yellow and red.
The European larch is different. Unlike most conifers, it sheds its needles every autumn. First, the tree draws nutrients back from them; then its soft green needles turn brilliant gold before falling to the ground. Spruce, fir and pine trees remain green throughout winter. Their tougher needles have a small surface area and protective waxy coating that help reduce water loss.
From autumn to the next spring
For deciduous trees, dropping their leaves is an important survival strategy. If they kept them throughout winter, water would continue to evaporate from their surface just when frozen ground makes it difficult for the roots to replace it. Losing their leaves reduces water loss and also prevents heavy snow and ice from accumulating across a dense canopy.
And the leaves still have a purpose once they reach the forest floor. An old farming tradition considers the first snow falling onto autumn leaves a good sign for the season ahead. There is a natural reason behind the idea: fallen leaves and snow create an insulating layer that protects the soil from extreme temperature changes. The leaves gradually decompose and return nutrients to the natural cycle, while melting snow slowly releases moisture back into the ground in spring.
Walking through the golden forests around ADLER Ritten in Soprabolzano, on South Tyrol's Renon high plateau, autumn becomes more than a display of colour. While nature appears to be slowing down, it is already preparing for everything to begin again in spring.
For deciduous trees, dropping their leaves is an important survival strategy. If they kept them throughout winter, water would continue to evaporate from their surface just when frozen ground makes it difficult for the roots to replace it. Losing their leaves reduces water loss and also prevents heavy snow and ice from accumulating across a dense canopy.
And the leaves still have a purpose once they reach the forest floor. An old farming tradition considers the first snow falling onto autumn leaves a good sign for the season ahead. There is a natural reason behind the idea: fallen leaves and snow create an insulating layer that protects the soil from extreme temperature changes. The leaves gradually decompose and return nutrients to the natural cycle, while melting snow slowly releases moisture back into the ground in spring.
Walking through the golden forests around ADLER Ritten in Soprabolzano, on South Tyrol's Renon high plateau, autumn becomes more than a display of colour. While nature appears to be slowing down, it is already preparing for everything to begin again in spring.