Paris in springtime is lovely, but autumn shines brightly throughout Europe, when oppressively hot temperatures in the Mediterranean have all but disappeared and crisp nights greet the northern and alpine regions. Unlike those April showers, fall is often quite dry, perfect for one more bike ride through a series of Belgian villages, paddling across a lake beneath the Alps or joining a fall wine crush in the south of Spain. However you intend to spend your autumn holiday abroad, these European destinations will add plenty of color to your experience.
Prague, Czech Republic
Don’t listen when people tell you that Prague was “so last decade”; the heart of Bohemia continues to churn out galleries showing modern artists while remaining loyal to a less frenetic aesthetic during the annual Prague Autumn International Music Festival, a three-week exhibit of the world’s finest orchestras, opera, choruses and even some contemporary compositions. Prague operates on its own time, perhaps following Orioj, the 600-year old astronomical clock.
Tongue, Scotland
Traveling through Scotland’s highlands in autumn can prove an exhilarating experience, as a calm morning shifts suddenly to fierce wind with the severity of a Norse god. The cultural winds blow through every fall when the Wild North Festival travels to each Highlands region. Located at the base of Kyle of Tongue, visitors here spend hours walking among the crags, traveling the beautiful rim roads and exploring unusual landmarks such as Smoo Cave, a limestone cave that conceals a fantastic 75-foot waterfall. A snapshot of geology’s awesome march, observing the changes in the landscape, be it the tiny golden flowers, fading grasses or major rock formations upon Ben Loyal (pictured) and Ben Hope mountains, alters our perspective of time.
Andalusia, Spain
There may be no better time to immerse oneself in local European culture than at the village fair, when communities spill onto the street to celebrate their food, art and other customs. From Tarifa to San Pedro, Andalusia’s villages celebrate the harvest throughout September. Flamenco dancers and other customs fill Ubeda’s Plaza de Vázquez de Molina during their late September fair. An architect’s fantasy, most towns blend French-inspired Castillian and Moorish designs to fascinating effect. Of course, Costas de la Luz, del Sol, Tropical and Almeria present one of the best stretches of beaches in the world.
Lucerne, Switzerland
The sky turns golden each fall in Lucerne, matching the deciduous trees that border pastures of horses and cattle before an alpine panorama. Set upon the spectacular Lake Lucerne, the town reflects several aesthetic styles such as the medieval Chapel Bridge and the baroque Jesuit church. Lucerne refuses to get steeped in history, however, adding innovative architectural projects such as the Culture and Convention Centre to the townscape. Outside of Lucerne, cable cars ascend past the changing seasons toward Rigi, Stanserhorn and Pilatus peaks, the latter site of the world’s steepest cogwheel railway. Traditionally visited by mild temperatures in early fall, Lucerne provides an ideal landing pad after a day spent soaring to new heights.
Lake District National Park, U.K.
The footpaths of Cumbria demand to be trodden, a tangle of lanes revealing villages, lakes and more than a few pubs. Perching upon Crag’s Helm and peering out at the oaken mosaic that frames Lake Windermere brings the musings of resident William Wordsworth to mind, where they linger like the spicy flavor of the Grasmere Gingerbread that is baked within 30 feet of the poet’s final resting place is St. Oswald Cemetery. This is a land of literary fantasy, a Tolkien landscape far from Middle Earth, where we expect to see Beatrix Potter’s Jeremy Fisher as we cast our own rods (and subsequent tales) upon the very same Estwaite Water where the waistcoated frog issues his fly.
Cordes sur Ciel, France
It may not be black-truffle season, but the Cordes sur Ciel region in southwestern France casts culinary lures every autumn with its cabécou cheeses, fresh duck and les croquantes, the local pastry, each a perfect match with the appellation’s Gaillac wines. Acquaint yourself with these and other delicacies while strolling the Saturday Market on the Place de la Bouteillerie or check the midweek market schedules in neighboring towns. Trails fan out from Cordes in every direction: Traipse along the white cliffs of Causses, see Penne and its castle high on a rocky outcrop or step, tinkerlike, into the medieval villages of the Cérou Valley. Seen from afar, the dramatic fall temperature changes produce a vapor collar that suggests the walled Cordes sur Ciel floats upon a cloud toward the stars from which, legend holds, it originated.
Cinque Terre, Italy
The Ligurian Sea may prove too nippy for a dip now, but exploring Cinque Terre’s coastal villages after the tourists have departed remains mighty refreshing. A World Heritage site, the coastal path, bracketed by ancient walls, follows the cliffs from Riomaggiore to Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and ultimately Monterosso al Mare. Stepping into each of these madly constructed peninsular villages, especially Manarola, one can’t help but marvel at the architect’s vision and builder’s courage to erect dwellings absolutely flush against the precipice. Settling into a Portofino terrasse above the azure harbor will also conjure up myriad musings of dizzying heights.
Pula, Croatia
If Prague fever swept tourists in the '90s, all guidebooks of late have pointed to Croatia, with its incredible, affordable beachfront destinations that feel like those of its more expensive Adriatic neighbors, complete with Roman ruins, Venetian accents and silky white sands. The Arena, built in the first century A.D., draws the most visitors and, having once seated 23,000 spectators, remains the world’s sixth-largest amphitheater still standing. Unlike Rome’s Colosseum, the Arena still hosts concerts and other events throughout the year. Not all is aesthete ancien within the Gate of Hercules, constructed in the first century B.C.; Pula hosts two electronic music festivals in late summer. In addition to Pula’s human millennial footprint, the region is home to several of Croatia’s largest national parks and its most beautiful beaches.
Vallées des Eaux Vives, Belgium
With apologies to Robert Frost, the woods are lovely dark and deep in Des Vallées des Eaux Vives. “The Valley of Babbling Streams” also contains a fabric of forests, hills and valleys that provide visitors with more than 600 miles of trails for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. Home to the most animal and plant species in Belgium, the valleys remain a fascinating study for ecologists due to their rapid geological succession from fens to limestone soils. While trolls, elves and nymphs are said to reside within every wood here, source of some of Europe’s most treasured folklore, picturesque Fafnolle, Vierves-sur-Viroin and Soulme villages engender their own feudal legends.
Budapest, Hungaria
Is there a better way to warm up a chilly Hungarian night than tasting wines in the capital? Budapest saves its best savory festivals for the fall, beginning with the Budapest International Wine Festival, which opens with a Wine University and includes the annual Harvest Parade. Nights remain toasty during October’s Pálinka and Sausage Festival inside the stunning Buda Castle. This year’s festival will offer more than signature brandies, however, as guest country Mexico will spice up evenings with a wide array of native tequilas. Budapest is built upon hot springs; it’s hard to match a cool Danube cruise followed by snacks in the Great Market Hall and an evening’s restitution in the city's famous steam baths.
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