Urban autumn in Europe – cities to visit

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Autumn in Paris

Autumn can be chilly, rainy, windy and altogether unpleasant if you are still yearning for the heat of the summer months, but there are a lot of positive sides to this season, which we can’t ignore. The weather is cool enough to spend time wandering around in a pleasant urban landscape, you don’t have to worry about dehydration or unforeseen summer storms, heat strokes and sunburns.

If you want to visit a few European cities and to get the best out of your trip, autumn is the perfect time to schedule your visit. Also, if the cities which were abandoned by the locals in favour of summer resorts are full of life again, and it’s always more exciting to see a bustling city than a deserted place. And on another note, you can take full advantage of the customary autumn travel deals as well. So here are the most beautiful European cities that you can visit this autumn.

Paris

Bois de Vincennes

As any Parisian can tell you, Paris becomes a bit of a ghost town during summer, especially in August when most of the locals go off on holidays. It is also a university centre, so in September and October the lively student crowds invade the city at the beginning of the new academic year.

The Eiffel Tower looks fetching in the autumn light, and you can enjoy a nice cup of cafe au lait at a street cafe. Don’t forget to take a walk in one of the city’s many parks, which will be blooming with red and gold leaves.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of those destinations which are popular all year round, but which can get a bit too crowded in summer.

If you don’t feel like sharing the narrow streets and charming cafes with too many other visitors, you can satisfy your selfishness in autumn. The autumn foliage in Amsterdam can’t compete with the woods of New England in October, but the discreet beauty of the city is hard not to notice.

Galway

Summer in Ireland is in general a quiet affair, with no sensational summer heatwaves and crazyness, but autumn is a great time to visit Dublin, if not for the weather (rather damp), then for the atmosphere. There are several autumn festivals taking place around Galway, and if you want to have a bit of genuine Irish fun (not on St Patrick’s day, for a change), Galway will do the trick for you. In addition to the famous Galway Races, there’s the Clarenbridge Oyster Festival, the Clifden Arts Week and the Dunmore Festival of Song.

Prague

Prague is a beautiful city with great architecture, great atmosphere and a great nightlife, and in autumn the enthusiasm of the people living in this wonderful city is anything but drenched. Autumn in Prague tends to be clouded in mist in the morning and brilliantly sunlit in the afternoon – a perfect backdrop for a city walk.

Istanbul

Most of the best places to see in Istanbul are outdoors, so if you don’t want to be bothered with the scorching heat of the summer, not the impossibly large crowds of fellow visitors, switch your visit to autumn.

You’ll be able to walk around the city at leisure (for example in the historical districts of Kad?köy and Üsküdar), and then grab a plate of Hamsi, a typical autumnal fish dish.

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