Italy is best known for its picture-perfect cities, stunning lakes, incredible mountains and beautiful coastline. But its fairy tale-like forests are just as spellbinding- as these jaw-dropping images show. They were all snapped in enchanting woodland areas across Italy throughout the seasons and entered into the 2019 Experience Forests photo contest run by the Italian branch of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

More than 350 photos were entered into the competition, which aimed to show the diversity of Italian woodlands, with the winners being chosen by a jury of foresters, photographers and an Instagram vote. The overall winner was Sonia Fantini for her autumnal image of Bordaglia Lake at Forni Avoltri close to the Austrian border.