Quirky Things to See in Europe in October

July 20, 2016 5:48 PM

I would like to take a two week vacation to Europe this upcoming fall (most likely October) and I am currently overwhelmed with all the possible options! I'm looking at a few different places, but maybe you can recommend an interesting activity, festival, spectacle that I just have to see.

I'm a hipster-y twentysomething traveling with my girlfriend. On our last vacation we went to Rome and Copenhagen and had an absolutely wonderful time split between seeing historic sites, taking the train to Naples, and drinking lots of good wine and beer. Currently, we're a little overwhelmed with our options: Lisbon seems nice, but so does Scotland, Croatia, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Prague.

I was thinking about trying to learn more about special events that might be going on in Europe in October that would help us narrow down places to consider. I'm thinking more like Zozobra, Coney Island Mermaid Festival, or Kinetic Sculpture Race than major sporting events or a generic festival. Something unusual, on the smaller side, that you really have to be there to see and appreciate.

Otherwise, we really enjoy beer and just walking around exploring. Budget is flexible, and we enjoy both outdoorsy activities and hiking as well as going to museums and city nightlife.

posted by forkisbetter to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total)

So you'll be in Europe.
In October.
You like beer.
You want to go to a festival.

Not to state the blatantly obvious, but have you considered the Octoberfest in Munich?
It actually starts in September, but ends in October.
posted by sour cream at 11:09 PM on July 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

October is a pretty good time to visit the Netherlands because of the bock beer festivals. Some I know of are PINT Bokbierfestival in Amsterdam, Bockbierfestival Utrecht, DOKtober in Harlingen, Bonte Koe Bokbier Festival in Purmerend, Bokbierdag in Nijmegen, and Wolluks Bokbierfestival in Waalwijk. There are some Octoberfest-type parties, especially in Nijmegen, but I wouldn't go to those looking for craft beer. Events-wise, Dutch Design Week is in October, and there's Leidens Ontzet, which celebrates relief from a Spanish siege of the city in 1574 (here are photos from last year).
posted by neushoorn at 11:31 PM on July 20, 2016

Not time-specific festivals, but I would say that Berlin is the world capital of hipstery 20 somethings and hipstery 20 something attractions-- up to and including Spreepark, an abandoned amusement park you can tour, Teufelsberg, an abandoned US government spy station you can tour that is covered with graffiti and amplifies sound in an astonishing and special way, nightclubs and bars of every stripe but especially "DERELICTE" (you might like RAW or Roses or Cafe Luzia?), and as much wacky art and weird performance as a person could want to go see (in my last year as a professional theatregoer, I have been hypnotized, stayed up all night, and watched three people pee).

Also beer, obviously.
posted by athirstforsalt at 1:13 AM on July 21, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia is on the 23–24 September, but then again, I'm not sure what flavour of hipster you are.
posted by Sonny Jim at 4:07 AM on July 21, 2016