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The best city breaks in Europe this autumn – and where to stay
From mini-breaks to Edinburgh to longer jaunts to Reykjavik, here are 20 top getaways with characterful hotels
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Autumn is, for many, the ideal season to travel – especially throughout Europe. Being technically a shoulder season, it’s often cheaper than summer and doesn’t have that season’s sometimes overbearing temperatures, meaning it’s possible to hike, bike, kayak and climb without already sweating profusely by 9am.
The backdrop of warm autumn colours – those lush and often highly saturated browns, golds, yellows and reds – makes the scenery much more attractive too, and fewer crowds mean queues for attractions become smaller, plus less hustle and bustle on the streets and around viewpoints in general. True, the days get shorter, but the evenings become gradually cosier, with blankets and heatlamps appearing in beer gardens and candlelit interiors slowly replacing outdoor terraces.
And autumn is great for foodies, too: not only are reservations less mandatory, but seasonal cuisine – everything from wine harvests to apples and pears, pumpkins and sweet potatoes – start to appear at local farmers’ market stalls and on plates at regionally inspired restaurants. Museums and galleries tend to put on top-notch shows and exhibitions during these later months also, providing ideal escapes from any inclement weather. Below are some of the finest cities within easy reach for an autumn break, all of which are especially charming throughout September, October and November.
How we review
Every hotel in this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis. They stay for a minimum of one night, test at least one meal and trial other experiences that the hotel might have to offer.
Amsterdam
Forget spring flowers and songs about tulips: autumn is the time to visit Amsterdam. The city is at its best as the summer gently fades, as leaves on the trees along the canals turn shades of brown and drop to reveal even better views of historic gables, and people slowly withdraw from terraces into the softly lit warmth of wood-panelled cafés. Why not head to The Van Gogh Museum to get a less-crowded view of the famous paintings? Then stroll back towards the centre through the Spiegekwartier arts and antiques district to enjoy one of Amsterdam’s greatest delights, a walk through the Grachtengordel district.
By Rodney Bolt
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Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Amsterdam
Barcelona
Autumn is when Barcelona really comes alive, with a full programme of events and exhibitions. A day spent admiring them can be topped off with dinner at any number of Michelin-starred gastronomic temples or humble, family-run tapas bars. This is a city with a proud sense of identity and its language, culture and traditional festivals are fiercely guarded. Human pyramids, fire-breathing dragons and fibre-glass giants are just a few of the elements of Barcelona’s autumn festivals. In the run up to Christmas, don’t miss the fairytale market huddled around the Cathedral (November 25th to December 23rd).
By Sally Davies
![Barcelona Spain best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2023/september/barcelona-getty-city-breaks-autumn.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Barcelona
Berlin
Berlin is at its most charming during this season, thanks mainly to the city’s abundant parks (around 2,500), public gardens and tree-lined streets, which transform into a blaze of reds, oranges and yellows. If you're pushed for time but keen to explore Berlin’s Cold War history, skip the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which is often busy, and instead visit the neighbouring BlackBox Cold War Museum, the Asisi Panorama and the (free) nearby outdoor photo exhibition. It’s a busy time for events in the city, too. During November (2nd - 5th) you can visit the annual Jazzfest.
By Paul Sullivan
![Berlin Germany best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2023/september/berlin-city-breaks-autumn-getty.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Berlin
Bruges
The crowds have thinned, the low, golden sun catches the spires and gables, fallen leaves skitter over the cobbles, and restaurants and hotels light their log fires – this is a lovely time to visit Bruges. The Winter Glow festival runs this year from November 24th to January 7th 2024. At the heart is the atmospheric Christmas market in the historic city centre, selling crafts and seasonal drinks and snacks, but this now extends outwards with illuminated walks, and an artificial ice rink on the Minnewater lake. The best way to appreciate all this is to stay a few days, luxuriating in the dreamily romantic boutique hotels, and visiting the rewarding museums and churches at your leisure.
By Antony Mason
![Bruges Belgium best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2021/September/bruges-autumn-city-breaks-getty-p.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Bruges
Budapest
Budapest is lovely at this time of year, when the sun mellows and the parks turn honey-coloured. Visit during the CAFe Contemporary Arts Festival (October 2nd - 18th), when performances of music, dance and theatre are staged in 40 venues around the city. Come winter and there’s romance in the air, with al fresco skating on the lake in City Park, and Christmas markets selling traditional wooden toys and steaming cups of mulled wine. For dates, see: budapest.com.
By Adrian Phillips
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Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Budapest
Copenhagen
Crisp autumn days are the perfect time to explore Copenhagen’s many lovely parks – they’re ablaze with colourful foliage at this time of year and there’s every chance of spotting red squirrels foraging among the fallen conkers. Cafés and cocktail bars hit peak hygge, all cosy and candlelit, and Hallowe’en season at Tivoli sees the gardens decked out with suitably spooky decorations and countless pumpkins. From mid-November the city goes into full-on festive mode, with fairy lights everywhere and gløgg-scented Christmas markets selling handicrafts, decorations and seasonal foods.
By Suzanne King
![best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022 Copenhagen Denmark](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2021/September/copenhagen-autumn-city-breaks-getty-p.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Copenhagen
Dubrovnik
Blue sky and mellow sunshine, but without the summer crowds, make Dubrovnik a joy to visit in autumn. Call at the morning market, displaying mandarins, pomegranates and dried figs, walk a full circuit of the magnificent medieval city walls, then stop for a homemade cake at Gianni. For an out-of-town trip, go wine-tasting on Pelješac peninsula, where the grape harvest is in full swing. In town, the Good Food Festival (until October 9th - 22nd) brings cookery workshops, special menus and culinary walks to the city.
By Jane Foster
![Dubrovnik Croatia best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2021/September/dubrovnik-autumn-city-breaks-getty-p.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Dubrovnik
Edinburgh
Edinburgh's New Town takes on a golden glow in the soft autumn light and the Old Town becomes moodily atmospheric as the evenings draw in. As the days shorten it lights up for Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations, but with festivals – from film to jazz to food and beyond – happening every month of the year, there’s no off season in Edinburgh. And of course, from mid-November Edinburgh lights up for Christmas with markets, rides, shows and events.
By Linda Macdonald
![Edinburgh Scotland best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/February/royal-mile-edinburgh.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Edinburgh
Florence
This is a great time to visit Florence; temperatures can be mild until well into November, and around mid-October, the keen tourists begin to disperse, museum queues dwindle and hotel prices come down. But, there is more to handsome Florence than just museums and monuments. It is bursting with quirky shops and quality crafts; a living city with an eclectic cultural life that embraces opera, classical music and contemporary art. The restaurant and nightlife scene is also very much thriving. Better still, Florence's diminutive size means everything is very accessible, with most of the main sights lying within walking distance of one another. At the end of the day, treat yourself to a glass of fizz and an autumnal truffle cream sandwich at historic Procacci 1885.
By Nicky Swallow
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Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Florence
Lisbon
Ah, autumn in Lisbon, when the crowds of tourists thin out and the smell of chestnuts roasting on street corners carries on the smoke that curls up into the blue skies. There is authentic, genuine and welcoming hospitality; and a wave of affordable hotels along cobbled streets and flanking bougainvillea-clad squares, all of which brim with a sense of place. The most charming way to tick off a few sights is by riding the number 28 yellow tram as it rumbles through Lisbon's prettiest and most historic streets.
By Mary Lussiana
![Lisbon Portugal best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/europe/portugal/lisbon/alfama-district-lisbon.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best Lisbon hotels
London
London has had something of a rebirth in this season with summer’s slightly manic energy giving way to crisper air, a calmer atmosphere and a welcome return to classic London pursuits. Look out for new programming at the big galleries including ‘lates’ events, which are fun when the dark evenings draw in. Fashion Week, BFI London Film Festival and Frieze Art Fair are all in town for culture lovers and give the city extra buzz. A stroll in one of the many parks and green spaces is a must before decamping to a cosy pub for a pint (Hampstead Heath followed by a roast in the historic Spaniards Inn, for instance). Wander the Southbank, which has a romantic feel this time of year,and enjoy seasonal culinary delights at Borough Market.
By Alison Taylor
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Where to stay
• More of the best city breaks in the UK
Madrid
Head to Madrid this time of year for a buzzing cultural scene and days warm enough for outdoor drinks on café terraces. Wherever you stay, you can usually walk to the major museums, such as the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia, which all have astounding collections – but what will really make you smile after you’ve left are the little things you discover along the way as you stroll through the different neighbourhoods. The Palacio de Liria, home of the Duke of Alba, is now open to the public and has one of the best art collections in Spain.
By Annie Bennett
![Madrid Teatro Real spain best greatest cities breaks europe autumn hotels 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/articles/autumn-city-breaks/madrid-retiro-autumn-city-breaks.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Madrid
Marrakech
Marrakech is fantastic in autumn. The Musée des Confluences (Dar el Bacha, Rte Sidi Abdelaziz) is worth the price of entry just to gawp at the stunning architecture and gardens before perusing the archaeological collection of American Patty Birch. It is housed in Dar el Bacha, the decadent palace of Pasha Thami el Glaoui, which is now furnished with the most beautiful café in Marrakech, Bacha Coffee. Likewise, the curious de Chirico-esque paintings of Jacques Azéma at the Musée Yves St Laurent and the stunning graphic work of Mohamed Meledi’s displayed at MACAAL are not to be missed. Foodwise, look out for Michelin-trained chef Carlo Simons' restaurant, Dar Simons, which brings fine dining to the Medina.
By Paula Hardy
![Marrakech YSL Museum Morocco best greatest cities breaks europe autumn hotels 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/articles/autumn-city-breaks/musee-ysl-marrakech-autumn-city-breaks.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Marrakech
Paris
Paris thrums with new life for the autumn “Rentrée”. The café terrasses fill once more and cultural events abound. Those looking to explore the city’s rich heritage can spend long afternoons getting lost in the Louvre or exploring the Musée d'Orsay, or ducking in and out of Paris’s countless historical churches (many of which were reinvented as Republican temples after the Revolution). For more contemporary tastes, there’s plenty of exploring to be done in the less tourist-trodden outer arrondissements – from arts venues on the sloping streets of Belleville to the boutique hotels and reinvented dive bars of Pigalle.
By Hannah Meltzer
![Paris France best greatest cities breaks europe autumn hotels 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/europe/france/paris/paris-cityscape-overview-guide.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Paris
Prague
Now is the time to visit the Czech capital. Not only are its handsome Baroque and Neo-Renaissance façades bathed in the season’s soft light, but local wine tastings are ubiquitous, and classical music fans can enjoy seasonal festivals like Prague Sounds music festival (October/November). Look out too for the annual Signal Festival in October, which spans creative and digital culture. Indeed, as you browse the wealth of its impressive architecture it’s difficult not to be equally bewitched by the trendy boutiques, swish hotels, and chic cocktail bars and microbreweries that pepper most downtown streets these days.
By Paul Sullivan
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Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Prague
Reykjavik
There are many great reasons to visit Reykjavik in autumn. For one thing, the crowds are thinner, but it’s also the season where prices for hotels and car hire fall, the cosiness of the city’s cafés and bars begins to emerge, and there’s more chance of seeing the Northern Lights. If the Aurora Borealis don’t emerge, then you can at least see Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower installation, which sends its optimistic beam of light skywards from Videy Island annually from October 9th to December 8th. Film buffs won't want to miss the Reykjavík International Film Festival with panels, workshops, concerts and exhibitions to get stuck into (September 28th to October 8th) while music fans can catch the annual Airwaves music festival in November (2nd - 4th).
By Paul Sullivan
![Reykjavik Iceland best greatest cities breaks europe autumn hotels 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2021/September/reykjavik-autumn-city-break-getty-p.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Reykjavik
Rome
Autumn in the Eternal City is so predictably balmy that the “ottobrate romane”– October days warm enough to stroll through the cobblestone streets or linger at an outdoor café – are taken as a matter of course. These golden days are often interrupted by sudden showers, so it’s a good idea to have an indoor Plan B. Fortunately, this is peak season for exhibitions and the city has a tempting array for contemporary art aficionados, including Rome Art Week, the festival that features events at galleries and studios across the capital (October 23th - 28th). Don’t try to cram too much in, though. Rome moves at a slower pace than many northern cities, and to enjoy it you should take time out in pavement cafés as well as ticking off all the big cultural draws.
By Rebecca Winke
![Rome Italy best greatest cities breaks europe autumn hotels 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2021/September/rome-autumn-city-break-getty-p.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Rome
Seville
Seville’s cultural life kicks off in autumn against a backdrop of warm days and mild evenings. The celebrations include Icónica Sevilla Fest which brings a roster of national and international musicians (from 50 Cent, Boy George & Culture Club, Deep Purple and Patti Smith) to Plaza de España for concert-style live music performances. A short hop away, in María Luisa Park, The Village is where attendees can drink, dine, dance, socialise and see performances by emerging artists. Alternatively, follow the locals to hole-in-the-wall bars, sip cañas (small glasses) of beer, and then get lost wandering the streets.
By Fiona Flores Watson
![Seville Spain best greatest cities breaks europe autumn hotels 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2021/September/seville-autumn-city-break-getty-p.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Seville
Venice
Autumn in Venice is full of surprises, bringing days when lunch al fresco feels like summer, when the city lies wrapped in a misty shroud, or when acqua alta brings the lagoon water lapping over pavements. Autumn and winter are much quieter times to visit, but even at peak visitor periods, the worst excesses can be avoided and you're never more than a bridge away from secluded Venice with its quiet campi (squares), churches concealing luminous Madonnas, handsome Gothic palazzi – and bustling neighbourhood hangouts.
By Anne Hanley
![Venice Italy best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/articles/autumn-city-breaks/venice-autumn-city-breaks.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• More of the best hotels in Venice
Vienna
The golden days of autumn light up Vienna culturally, as the focus zooms in on the capital’s bejewelled clutch of palaces, museums and galleries (now mercifully seeing fewer crowds than in summer). This is also a cracking season for bracing walks in city parks, days spent devouring cake in palatial coffeehouses, and sturm (new wine) at heurige (taverns) on Vienna’s vine-draped fringes. For a more meaningful insight into the city beyond Strauss and strudel, check out the likes of Shades, with offbeat city tours guided by the homeless, Magdas, a retro-style budget boutique hotel near the Prater staffed by refugees, and deliciously old-school Vollpension, where a team of omas (grandmas) whip up fabulous cakes in order to boost their meagre pensions.
By Kerry Walker
![Vienna Austria best greatest cities autumn break best hotels stay visit trip 2022](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/hotels/2021/September/vienna-autumn-city-breaks-getty-p.jpg?imwidth=350)
Where to stay
• The best hotels in Vienna
Contributors: Rodney Bolt, Annie Bennett, Sally Davies, Suzanne King, Fiona Flores Watson, Jane Foster, Anne Hanley, Paula Hardy, Mary Lussiana, Linda Macdonald, Antony Mason, Hannah Meltzer, Adrian Phillips, Paul Sullivan, Nicky Swallow, Alison Taylor, Kerry Walker and Rebecca Winke
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