7 Dreamy Destinations in Europe to Visit This Fall

A UNESCO World Heritage City, Bruges charms visitors year-round with Old World aesthetics, excellent food, and welcoming locals. Autumn sees fewer crowds along its cobblestoned streets, just as the colors on the trees change to vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. The best way to take in the foliage is with a cruise along the winding canals, which take passengers past secret gardens and the city’s medieval buildings. Or, for a bird’s-eye view of town, climb the 366 steps to the top of the Belfort. Reward your efforts with lunch at De Halve Maan, a family-owned brewery that dates back to 1856, followed by a visit to one of the town’s many excellent chocolate shops.

Less than two hours from London, the rolling hills and honey-hued villages of the Cotswolds make for an ideal fall getaway. Plan to visit Bibury, where a stroll along the historic cottages on Arlington Row is best followed by a pint by the fire at The Swan, an 18th-century hotel on the banks of the River Coln. You can also take in the autumnal colors with a stroll along part of Cotswold Way, a 102-mile (164-kilometer) trail that takes walkers across farms, fields, and forests, then warm up with afternoon tea at the stately Slaughters Manor House in Lower Slaughter.

As autumn arrives in Italy, the flurry of summer visitors dies down and the temperatures begin to dip. But with so many indoor activities—from viewing masterworks at the Accademia Gallery to taking in architectural marvels like the Duomo—the cooler and sometimes rainy autumn weather won’t dampen your visit. Fall is also the harvest season, when celebrations abound in and around Florence. Grape and wine festivals take place throughout Tuscany in September, chestnuts and mushrooms are feted in October, while white truffles and olive oil have dedicated fairs in November.

Europe’s most Instagrammed village (probably) gets even more picturesque in the fall, when the surrounding mountains turn gold and crimson. Hiking and mountain biking trails wind through the woodland making the UNESCO spot an ideal pick for outdoor adventurers. The Brine-Pipeline Trail is one of the country’s most beautiful, leading from Lake Hallstatt along the Traun River through the mountains, past villages, and on to Lake Traunsee. Visitors can also head out onto the lake itself by boat for a full view of the 16th-century town’s storybook Alpine houses.

Few places are more peaceful than Amsterdam in the fall, when the summer crowds have gone home but it’s still warm enough to enjoy strolling or cruising along the quiet canals. Visitors can also take advantage of the city’s bike-friendly infrastructure and explore Amsterdam on two wheels—pedal to Vondelpark to take in the fall colors, then museum hop around the nearby Museum Quarter, home to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. Save time for a shopping the well-curated boutiques of De 9 Straatjes.

Budapest has a packed cultural calendar in fall, with festivals and fairs celebrating music, theater, dance, and food. The festivities begin with the Budapest International Wine Festival in early September, where hundreds of exhibitors serve their best wines against the grand backdrop of Buda Castle. The Budapest Pálinka and Sausage Festival in early October is quickly followed by one of Hungary’s most important cultural events, the CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival, which features a program that includes classical music, jazz, theatre, poetry, and fine art. And in November the New Wine and Cheese Festival comes to town, where visitors can sample the country’s best homemade cheeses and wine in the storybook setting of Vajdahunyad Castle.

A list of fall events in Europe worth traveling for wouldn’t be complete without Munich’s Oktoberfest, which turns 185 this year. Running from September 22 to October 7, visitors will find tent after tent of German food, music, and, of course, beer. Munich has other autumnal draws, too. Take in the fall colors in the gardens surrounding the baroque Nymphenburg Palace or at the city’s 900-acre English Garden, one of the largest urban parks in the world. The fairy tale-like Neuschwanstein Castle, made even more beautiful in fall when the trees of the Bavarian Alps turn scarlet, is also an easy day trip.