The crowds are gone. But the weather’s still pretty good. Fall is a fabulous time of year to explore European cities and villages. Here are some of my favorite places to check out in Europe in autumn, including Portugal, Italy, France and Austria.
WESTERN ALGARVE, PORTUGAL
Burgau, Portugal. Nathalie Ehrnleitner – Unsplash Photo
We stayed in the village of Burgau, Portugal a few years ago with friends, and absolutely loved it. It’s a small, huggable little town with several nice restaurants, but it’s not as well-known as other villages on the Algarve and never seemed crowded with visitors. You’ll find fabulous hiking along the cliffs in both directions, leading you to other, pretty village and revealing remarkable sea views. The Burgau Beach Bar offers fabulous ocean views and good food, as well as fine Sangria, and that alone is a great reason to visit Portugal in the fall. Miam Burgau is a wonderful seafood place within spitting distance of the Mediterranean, with a fine patio out front. If you want a little more action, you’re only a short drive or bus ride away from the touristy city of Lagos, where you’ll find fine architecture, bustling shopping streets and some great sea kayaking spots.
BORDEAUX
Rue Notre Dame in Bordeaux, France. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Bordeaux, a city now reachable by high-speed train from Paris in a little more than two hours, is another European city that’s been given a glamorous makeover. There are lovely fountains along the waterfront and fine shopping areas to explore. I particularly loved Rue Notre Dame, a curving street that takes you past lovely apartments and the sort of cafes you’d expect to see on a French travel poster. Not far from Bordeaux is the gorgoues town of St. Emilion, one of the world’s finest wine-growing areas and also a lovely village with homes carved out of the living rock. Take time to explore the amazing, underground “monolithic church.” If it’s open, climb the bell tower at the monolithic church and enjoy tremendous views of the village and surrounding vineyards. Top wineries in the region include Chateau Leoville Poyferre and the regal Chateau Margaux.
PONZA, ITALY
Chiaia di Luna on Ponza, Italy. Ferhat Deniz Fors – Unsplash Photo
This is an island that’s very popular with Romans. You can get here via a boat ride from Anzio, which is an easy train ride from Rome. You’ll find those typical, ochre-orange and red-painted waterfront buildings lining the harbor, which is a deep blue affair filled with working-class fishing boats. I’m sure there are some yachts that pull in and now then, but this isn’t the kind of showy spot that you’ll find along the Amalfi Coast. There’s a two-level terrace right outside the port. The lower version was selling trashy t-shirts and floppy lavender hats when we visited, but the upstairs area had shops featuring designer purses and fine wines. If the weather cooperates, a boat ride to the Blue Grotto is highly recommended. The Chiaia di Luna is a stunning, imposing bay with a beach that’s backed by sharp, sandy cliffs that rise several hundred feet in the air. Simply stupdendous. The island also has small, pretty churches and great swimming and diving. I wasn’t super impressed with the Grand Hotel Chiaia di Luna when we visited, but perhaps things have improved.
VIENNA
Hundertwasser House in Vienna, Austria. JIM BYERS PHOTO
This rich and gorgeous city is known for prancing stallions, high-brow music and fancy coffee shops. But there’s also a rich, vibrant modern side to this city, with rooftop bars that blast pulsating dance tunes and wildly inventive architecture. One area I loved exploring is around Praterstrasse, which leads to the city’s giant Prater park. Check out Café Ansari, a gleaming place that my tour says was opened by a refugee from Georgia. Next door to Ansari is a Japanese izakaya restaurant called Mochi, and just down from there is a fashionable women’s clothing spot called Song. Just around the corner is a sparkling hotel called the SO/Vienna, which has brightly-coloured glass and wild, overhead murals that wouldn’t be out of place in a New York City art gallery. The hotel has a rooftop bar called DAS LOFT, which has fine views out over the Danube Canal and the historic first district. Over in the third district is Hundertwasser House, which might be the most Instagrammable building erected before Instagram was invented. The project was designed by eclectic architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an inveterate traveller and artist who came up with a wavy, organic, wildly inventive building that features trees growing out of balconies and groovy colours. Cafe Landtmann celebrated its 150th birthday last year. They make around 25 types of coffee, and it was a frequent haunt of none other than Sigmund Freud. The ferris wheel in Prater Park is a rickety but fun ride that dates back to the 1890’s.
MANCHESTER
Manchester is a great city to explore in England, with glorious architecture and cool neighborhoods. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The city has gone through a remarkable transformation, with funky neighborhoods filled with boutique shops, wonderful art galleries and lovely restaurants. There’s also solid, handsome architecture from a time when developers paid attention to such things. The John Rylands Library has one of the most stunning interiors of any public space in Europe; just astonishing. I loved my visit to the Northern Quarter a few years ago, including a fine meal at Evelyn’s Café and Bar. The Britons Protection is a fabulous pub on Great Bridgewater Street. I had a terrific music tour when I visited, seeing places where top bands like Oasis, The Smiths, New Order and The Hollies played as they made their way to the top. The Midland Hotel feels like the British equivalent of Toronto’s Royal York, with great history and loads of style.
