Foliage: autumn destinations for a (cheap) weekend of pure beauty

Leggi in Italiano

We have kissed summer goodbye by now and this is a fact we are trying to come to terms with.
Yet, we all know that the best way to say farewell without regrets to the season of excursions, vacation, seaside and exotic adventures, is to properly and peacefully plan the next trips, starting with the upcoming weeks.

As a matter of fact, my dear friends, autumn is a fantastic season to travel both for economic reasons (airline companies apply lower fares between two peak seasons, like summer and Christmas) and aesthetical reasons, since capitals and minor cities are covered in foliage and display beautiful bright colours.

Autumn foliage is currently one of the things many aesthete travellers look for, because the sound of dry leaves crackling beneath your steps is good for the health of the mind and the bright autumn colours are a godsend for your Instagram gallery.

Here’s some advice then for your cheap but amazing weekend getaways, or else short trips to particularly nice cities in the autumn.

Edinburgh

If you look at the column on your right, you’ll see a short video preview of 6 curious facts about Edinburgh (you can watch it all without leaving this post ;-). The first aspect I’ve pointed out is that this city hosts 112 parks.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE! Do I need to delve into why this amazing capital, full of mystery and magic, and where life is on a human scale, proves perfect for a weekend of bright fall colours?

Besides, if you plan a trip for Halloween, you should know that Edinburgh is as much welcoming as it is creepy, mysterious and obscure (yes, all these three features combined).

Sofia

Let’s move on to the cities that could really surprise you: have you ever thought of the Bulgarian capital as a destination? Considering the frequency of extremely low-cost flights to this destination in the past two years, I’d say it is highly probable.
If you’ve never been there or if you’ve visited Sofia at any other time of the year, it is really worth a visit in autumn.

Some of its parks are really big, such as Borisova Gradinia, and host thousand leaves that seem to dance on the trees, gently falling and resting on the ground in your wake.
Having a stroll through this city, whose urban green spaces can make the most famous European capitals feel envious, is a must-have “travel experience”.
Trust me, choose Sofia and I’m sure you’ll agree with me.

Note: until the end of November, temperatures are on the whole mild, unlike other eastern areas.

Note 2: always looking on the right, under the video about Edinburgh, there’s another video that shows Sofia in the autumn. Don’t say I didn’t give you clear and detailed advice.

Belgrade 

Unfortunately, Belgrade is not connected to Italy as extensively as Sofia. If you leave from Milan and Rome though, you can find very cheap flights to this destination where, besides a really pretty historic centre, there’s also the main urban park, Kalemegdan, right downtown.

Unlike many other parks around Europe, this park is a social life centre, as if it was a big square.

Elderly gentlemen stop here to play cards or chess while being carefully observed by young people, whereas others walk hand in hand or admire the amazing landscape while sitting on a bench under a hill.

Bucharest

Bucharest, Herastrau park

Talking about destinations that can be reached in a very short time and without spending a fortune, there has also been a remarkable increase in the number of flights to Bucharest over the past years.

The Romanian capital has a lot of parks and urban green spaces. The Herastrau park, in particular, swarms with deciduous trees that offer an explosion of colours in the autumn.

London 

1. alexandru stavrica – unsplash

I say all the time that it’s always the right moment to go to London.
Probably because when I went to London for the first time it was actually in autumn, or because it’s one of the cities in Europe and the whole world that is really able to pull you into its rhythms and biorhytms, the point is that London in autumn is a destination I recommend everyone.

I recommend that those who have already been there, even more than once, have another trip to London, this time without the natural and initial urgency to see as many things as possible and thereby devoting more time to the foliageexperience.

Paris 

Paris, ph. anthony delanoix, unsplash

The same applies to Paris, where the tree-lined boulevards and the crisp air in October and November are the perfect match to enjoy your walks in amazingly colourful settings, where you can to take wonderful pictures or get lost contemplating something truly beautiful, like the passing of time and the renewal of life.

Budapest

Budapest, ph. daniel olah – unsplash

I have already given you enough reasons to visit Budapest in autumn and, of course, the green spaces turning reddish at this time of the year are among them.
What’s more, the lights on the Danube combined with the colours of the tree-lined avenues definitely enhance the emotions that the autumn foliage can make you feel.
If you can’t stand the cold, I suggest visiting Budapest within the first half of October, because temperatures start getting really freezing as winter approaches.

Have you ever taken a trip in autumn looking for deciduous trees? Where else would you recommend going and why?