Magical autumn in Europe

Why visit Europe in the fall

The fall in Europe begins in September and last until November, right before the cities get wrapped in snow and begin celebrating Christmas traditions.

But what makes this season so special? The high summer season finishes and crowd begin to get sparser, letting you to get most out of your experience and avoiding the long queues. You can finally visit the picturesque locations with lesser tourist crowds.  The tourist sites that remain open after the summer are just waiting to be explored at your leisure. After the busy summer, the travel rates drop and makes the travel more afordable.

The weather is very pleasant and although the temperatures drop, you can still get lots of sunny days. Autumn colors the nature and makes it even more scenic. Enjoy the outdoor activities with beautiful fall foliage as the background. Europe in fall this way becomes a real live fairy tale.

At this time of the year you will find many of the best autumn festivals and celebrations dedicated to beer, gastronomy and wine harvests.

In this season you are also able to experience the real spirit of each destination. As the peak season is over, the locals settle back into their daily routines.

Some of the best destinations to visit in the fall

Ljubljana. During the autumn months, the city is revivid in the autumn colors and lively festivals.

Especially famous is the the Wine festival, held in november, which brings together the Slovenian (and foreign) winegrowers and winemakers for a wine tasting accompanied by a cultural program. Ljubljana Wine Route takes place in the historical centre of Slovenian capital Ljubljana and offers wines from different regions and a selection of local products. On 11th of November the whole country celebrates St Martin’s Day. The holiday originates in a Celtic tradition and celebrates the must turning into real wine. Apart from the wine as a protagonit of the festivity, the holiday is also includes a feast with traditional dishes such as roast goose or duck, mlinci (cooked dried flatbread ) and stewed red cabbage. During the festive season you will find this dishes on many restaurants´ menu.

Lake Bled in autumn is one of the most spectacular exhibition of fall foliage you can see. The surroudings of the lake are perfect for some sports activities like cycling and hiking which makes it even more special with a picturesque background.

Cycling in Bled and its surroundings in the autumn atmosphere and pleasant temperatures can be quite a unique experience. Hike along the numerous hiking trails around Bled,  such hills Ojstrica, and Mala and Velika Osojnica which offer a magnificent view of the lake.

Fall is also tge time when natures gives us many products that you can try at Bled´s restaurants. A special event, Taste Bled, takes place in november when you can taste local and seasonal delicacies on restaurants´ menus. Other events that take place in Bled at this time are Triathlon Bled (in september), Oktober je fest na Bled (cultural event in october), St. Martin´s day celebration at Bled castle (in november).

Plitvice Lakes. Fall is the best time to visit the Plitvice Lakes national park. It is when the autumn colors intensify the beauty of this natural wonder. In autumn there are several paths open for visitors and they maximise your visit and give you an opportunity to see the lakes and the surrounding nature from a different perspective.

The park can get very busy during the summer months so in autumn you can enjoy your visit with lesser crowds and really have time to appreciate the nature and take some amazing photos. You can visit the entire park in september and october but as from the 1st of november, only lower lakes are open for visitors. The entrance fee is reduced in the fall.

If visiting Croatia in autumn, make sure to visit Istria. This season is the opportunity to taste the jewel of the region´s gastronomy: truffles. The black truffle grows through the whole year but you can only get hold of the finest type of truffle in this season: tuber magnatum pico, a varity of white truffle. This gourmet delicacy grows underground and they have specially trained dogs to find them.

The season begins in late september and last until november. In the middle of october you can also attend the Truffle festival in Livade (near Motovun) with a rich program and a fair which not only offers many truffle products but also some other Istrian local product like prosciutto, cheese, olive oil, etc. You can also taste some culinary specialities prepared by well-known chefs.

From the end of august until the end of november, lower Austria celebrates a season known as Weinherbst – Wine Autumn where the wine is the center of interest. The festivities celebrate the year´s harvest along the 830-kilometre Wine Road spread through Lower Austria. The tasting takes place directly on Austria´s lanes and wine cellars. The season has a special charm with autumnal colors of vieyards and smell of freshly pressed grapes.

During the season you will find many wine festivals and vineyard tours. In wine taverns you can also sample some local products.

In autumn you will get some of the most amazing views over the city of Budapest from the Fisherman´s Bastion. This time of the year is also great to visit if you enjoy gourmet festivals. In september you can attend the Budapest International Wine Festival and taste the award-winning Hungarian wines. In the month of november you can visit  New Wine and Cheese Festival to taste some of the best artisanal cheeses and wine of winemakers from all over Hungary.

If nothing of the above suits you, you can simply relax in Budapest’s medicinal thermal spas. You can choose between 118 thermal springs around the town and enjoy one of the Hungary’s most civilised ritual traditions.

To experience the true beauty of the picture-postcard Cesky Krumlov, you should definetly visit in autumn. With peak season ended and large crowds that enguld the small town gone, you can get most of the exploring the charming medieval jewel. The fall´s colors add to the mystique beauty of an already picturesque location. The mild  and pleasant weather allows you to contemplate the town going for a walk or you ca neven go hiking or biking on the nearby hills.

You can also get a chance to visit some of Cesky Krumlov´s festivals like the Festival of Baroque arts, the international Environmental and natural and cultural heritage film festival, Wine Festival celebrating St. Martin, etc.