Urban leaf peeping in Europe. Where to go?
July 14, 2017 7:54 AM

Where in Europe should I go for a city break in mid October / early November to get the best autumnal experience possible?

Since moving to Israel, I'm missing seasons and know this will hit especially hard in autumn. I want to take a long weekend sometime in October or November to have that perfect autumn experience. Warm drinks, fireplace smells, beautiful leaves, cozy scarves... you get the idea. A city with a walkable and interesting center with good restaurants, cafes, etc is ideal. Specific recommendations of things to do and places to go to maximize my autumn fun would be appreciated.
posted by youcancallmeal to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
You could go to Dublin. Phoenix Park is more or less the largest urban park in Europe and pretty stunners. It is very accessible as well on the LUAS/tram. Dublin meets all of your other criteria. London and Regents Park would fit the bill but it's about 1/4th the size and so more densely populated and less... natural.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:50 AM on July 14, 2017


I'm no expert on europe but I loved visiting Oslo in mid-October, 1989 (yeah *that* long ago). The trees were amazing with their deep fall colors. If global warming has delayed fall by a week or two you'd be set up for a real fall treat. Taking the train from Oslo to Bergen is amazing too- you could even get a taste of winter over the pass.

I found the city easy to move around in but the actual city experience has probably changed tremendously in 28 years.
posted by mrzz at 10:53 AM on July 14, 2017


Poland is famous for its Golden Autumn in early October. Either Kraków or Warsaw would fit the bill.
posted by rpfields at 11:52 AM on July 14, 2017


Munich and surrounding area have many a more beatiful autumn than summer. You may want to avoid the Oktoberfest but as this is mainly in September it would not clash with your planned dates. The Englishe Garten is lovely. And once you're done with urban walking you could catch the local train and head out to a lake and enjoy the slightly less urban autumnal prettiness as well.
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:45 PM on July 14, 2017


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