Where to go in the fall: 7 places where it is still warm
Russian autumn can be wonderful - With the warm days of Indian summer, golden leaves, the aroma of late apples in the garden and the strong smell of mushrooms in the forest. But sometimes it happens that the cold drizzle pours continuously, the sun does not appear because of the clouds for weeks, and it is cold so that there is no desire to go outside. It is then that the idea emerges to leave at least for a while somewhere, where autumn is pleasant and sunny, but it does not rain every day. The good news is that to fly to the tropics for this is not necessary at all - there are places like that, including in Europe. Not all of them in the Mediterranean, there are other options.
Generally speaking, a warm and dry autumn still needs to be found closer to the south. Autumn in Scandinavia is incredibly beautiful, but with the weather the situation here is the same as in Russia: how lucky it is, but more often it rains at this time, and in November the first snow may appear. European countries with a temperate climate retain heat until the end of September; further on, most of them start to rain, and usually daily. But in southern Europe and the Mediterranean, the weather is uneven: it is warm almost everywhere until November, but in many cities in any one month of autumn up to fifty percent of the annual rate of precipitation falls — however, there are exceptions to the rule.
The sunniest option. It’s not just warm here in September - it’s hot here and the beach season continues. The sun is softer at this time than in summer - it is harder to burn, and you can swim as much as you like for your pleasure. In September there are hot days and warm evenings. At the end of October, the temperature of the water and air decreases, but some people bathe until November, since October and November are usually not cold (even at the end of November it may well be comfortable in a light sweater or windbreaker).
People often go to Limassol for a beach holiday, but in the fall, when the heat subsides, they can not be limited to: at this time it is especially pleasant to wander for a long time through the old part of the city, where it is hot in summer, but you can also travel along one of the official routes for travelers. There are many of them around Limassol: there are natural through mountains and forests, there are wineries - through vineyards, there are sports, cultural and architectural routes - all are very picturesque. You can also take part in the wine festival, the largest on the island - it takes place in early September.
The Greek city of Thessaloniki in the fall is also warm, and here you can also swim until October. Sunny, but not hot weather makes it possible to properly consider the many attractions of the city, and there are really a lot of them here.
Thessaloniki was founded in the fourth century BC, so that there are monuments of all eras over the past two and a half thousand years - Roman ruins, medieval walls, palaces of nobles of later times - but early Christian and Byzantine monuments are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List . These are gates, a monastery, as well as cathedrals, basilicas and churches built between the fourth and fourteenth centuries. Many of them are amazingly preserved - right down to the frescoes - and still work. The buildings are scattered over a large area, the city is very hilly, so, perhaps, in the fall it is much more comfortable to watch it than in the summer - not so hot.
In addition, it is nice: ancient churches twined with grapes, narrow streets are covered with ripe chestnuts - the old quarters at that time are unusually good. In the fall in Thessaloniki there are many holidays associated with the harvest: at this time grapes and pomegranates ripen here, and by November olives. You can get acquainted with the seasonal local cuisine, not overpaying for it twice, as in summer, which is also nice.
Here in September, the summer hell disappears, but is hot enough, and the sea is not yet cold. You can sunbathe, swim too - the water is very pleasant. Additional joy is that you can ride in the surrounding natural parks: at this time the leaves turn yellow and the mountains covered with forest acquire particular beauty. Yes, and look at the very Barcelona "in gold" is worth - in the frame of the autumn masterpieces of Gaudi, it seems, are becoming even brighter.
There are a lot of sights in Barcelona, and in addition to the works of the most famous local architect included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: monasteries, palaces and churches, there are several excellent museums, of which the most impressive, perhaps, is the Picasso Museum. Barcelona cannot be called a cheap city, and the high season ends late here - at the end of October, but in October the city still has lower prices and fewer tourists than in summer. At this time, you can see how the locals actually live, try their leisurely rhythm of life for themselves, and it’s another story to wander the streets without a dense summer crowd.
Bulgarian Plovdiv in the fall also acquires additional expressiveness. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with remains of Roman buildings (including a theater, a forum and a stadium), medieval streets, and ancient churches. It's colder here than in the Mediterranean, but it's clear, sunny and there is a real golden autumn with piles of dazzling yellow leaves on the streets. Light coolness only adds charm and adds vitality.
In this weather, it is good to get into the most colorful part of the city - the one that within the old city walls, on the hills, it seems even more comfortable than usual this season. It is very easy to find this place - it is a confusion of ancient lanes between the ethnographic museum and the boulevard of Tsar Boris III. The streets here are filled with 18th century terraced houses, very bizarre: the buildings rise strangely shaped as steps above each other, bicentennial supporting beams come out everywhere, paintings are preserved on the walls, and the streets are generally medieval. In contrast to the fashionable Barcelona, at this time in Plovdiv prices are falling, already low, and places are added, and so are not in short supply - hotels and restaurants are half empty.
If you want to go not to the sea, but somewhere deep, you can choose Budapest. The Hungarian capital is famous for its historical monuments along the banks of the Danube, and in its center all architectural styles seem to be collected at once. It is noteworthy that this does not become a chaotic city: it easily combines both the severity of the Gothic, and the grace of the Baroque, and imperial pomp. The sweetest part is the area around Buda Castle with its crooked medieval streets and houses, which are four hundred years old, but in Budapest and besides it there is something to see. The city is colorful and original, and it is also very well (even unexpectedly well) preserved.
Budapest is distinguished by a long and dry autumn with sunny days and pleasant coolness in the evening. September here is similar to the Russian August - the soft sun and an abundance of fruit. In September, the golden autumn begins here and the high season ends. So, it will be especially pleasant to spend the day in one of the parks on the banks of the Danube, admiring the river banks painted in all shades of green, yellow and red. In the fall, many big city events take place in Budapest, and everything is as on food selection: a holiday of goose liver (yes, it is made not only in France, and here this delicacy is much cheaper), a chocolate holiday, wine and cheese festivals, but for those who want to eat -tours.
Prague is rarely chosen for autumn tourism, but in vain - this season is much drier here than in Russia. There is usually cool, but quite comfortable in a light jacket, nature pleases with a clear sky, the local cuisine is just made for a cooler weather, and you probably have heard about the abundance of attractions in this city. Founded in the 8th century, Prague is perfectly preserved: the medieval center, the famous Vyšehrad fortress, even more famous bridges - and the mass of individual buildings of all existing architectural styles or combining several styles at once (it often happens here) that make the city completely similar
Fans of medieval architecture will find a lot of interesting things, but the matter is not limited to antiquities. Sometimes Prague is called an "open-air art deco museum", and this is absolutely true: there are also a lot of buildings in the late 19th-early 20th century in the center, each one is unique, and it’s impossible to describe how it looks in combination with everything else. There are a lot of trees in the city, and October here is incredibly good: warm, clear, and at this time of the year Prague is actually golden. In addition, September and October are the season of big music festivals; prices are reduced to the beginning of October, which also pleases.
Reims is noticeably cooler, but the sky here is so blue, the leaves are so fiery, and the grapes are so amazing that others are willing to put up with the weather. The “high season” here lasts a long time - until November, as in Bordeaux: as soon as summer tourism ends, wine tourism begins, which is almost more popular. These are all the regions that produce high-class wine, there's nothing you can do.
There are not many sights in Reims, but they are all so unusual, complex and interesting that you don’t notice it - frankly, one Reims Cathedral can be looked at for a couple of days. The coronation cathedral of the French monarchs is covered with bizarre bas-reliefs, gargoyles, sculptures and carvings, and its famous Laughing Angel is decorated with a small, but completely unique sculpture on the facade, a symbol of Champagne.
There are no big festivals in the fall in Champagne (the city is busy with wine and wine trade), but there are a lot of wine events: holidays, tastings and so on. A special thing is autumn in the vineyards: there are late grape varieties (the sweetest), stunning colors, impossible smells, and autumn menus in restaurants — the local seasonal cuisine is gorgeous, and I have never seen grapes in such quantity and quality countries much more southern.
In fact, cities with a pleasant autumn are much more. Just remember the place where you have long wanted, and check what the weather is like in September - it is likely that it is much better than your windows. And you can go.
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