The railway journeys capable of crossing entire continents
Situated on the Baltic coast, Gdansk numbers several standout landmarks, buildings like the 14th-century Wisloujscie fortress, seen here burnished in copper and gold as a fall sunset illuminates this historic Polish seaport.
Cut in two by the River Rhine, one half of picture-perfect Laufenburg lies in Germany, the other in Switzerland. During the fall the town appears as if brushed with honey.
Fall is a terrific time to visit the Douro Valley, in northern Portugal, when the wine harvest begins. From mid-September into early October, the neatly combed vineyards embroidered into the sloping banks of the River Douro dazzle in an apricot and burnt sienna hue. And the best way to admire this sun-scorched landscape is by boat out of Porto, the country's second biggest city.
Edinburgh's 12th-century castle is crowned by a garland of fall foliage as the surrounding woodland turns a wonderful saffron-amber hue.
A red deer stag bellows out his morning call as sunrise filters through the trees in Richmond Park. During the fall, Richmond—the largest of London's Royal Parks—is especially appealing, the woodland canopy resplendent in vibrant seasonal color.
Already hailed as one of Europe's prettiest towns, Hallstatt, on the southwestern shore of Hallstätter See, is framed in the fall by a backdrop of tangerine and terra cotta, when the steep slopes of the Dachstein massif glow in late September light.
Appearing as if sown with beads of red, yellow, and gold, the vineyards of Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic promise a late harvest surprise.
The twin turrets of the 19th-century Castell Coch, built above the village of Tongwynlais in South Wales, peep over a quilt of russet colored beech wood near the River Taff.
Set on the River Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg is the venerable university town of Heidelberg. Arrive here during the fall and admire the famous castle, enclosed by the tawny treetops of the Rhine Rift Valley.
The high mountain Maloja Pass in the canton of Graubünden, linking the Engadine with the Val Bregaglia in Switzerland and Chiavenna in Italy, is a joy to drive any time of the year. But during the fall, the scenery is a canvas of toast-brown and golden yellow.
The summer and winter sport resort town of Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Dolomite Alps is blanketed in autumn-leaf brown as the fall visits this popular northern Italian destination.
The banks of Lake Bled in Slovenia's Julian Alps appear as if singed by sunlight as fall descends on this exceptional European location. Use your imagination and Bled Island with its pilgrimage church could pass as a decorative brooch on a sea of blue velvet.
The Belgium Ardennes' most celebrated panoramic viewpoint overlooks a perfect hoop of river valley creating a forested peninsula that in the fall presents visitors with one of the most appealing of rustic landscapes found anywhere in the region.
Skiddaw Mountain provides a suitably dramatic backdrop to Thirlmere Lake, seen here from Helvellyn. The Lake District's stark beauty is accentuated during the fall by vast swathes of moorland turned toffee-colored as winter approaches.
The Transalpina and the Transfagarasan in Transylvania are the most spectacular roads in Romania, and among the most impressive in Europe. Drive along either during the fall and you'll be motoring through forests of rustic splendor. Note, however, that care is needed in motoring these highways in winter.
The chain of 16 terraced lakes joined by waterfalls that make Plitvice National Park the natural wonder it is appear equally spectacular as the seasons change and fall adds splashes of rich autumnal color to the landscape.
During the fall the terracotta skyline of this beautiful medieval town is complemented by the russet shades of its many trees and the chestnut hues of the surrounding countryside.
Tucked away in the Carpathian Mountains is Peleș Castle, near the town of Sinaia. It's during the fall that a glorious backdrop of rust-red and pumpkin orange trees provides a stark contrast against the ivory white towers and spires of this late 19th-century former royal residence.
Stand at the foothills of the spectacular High Tatras Mountains in the north of Slovakia as fall descends and be greeted with this awesome canvas where steely-blue peaks seem to loom out of a forest of sepia and berry-brown leaves.
Tuscany delights year round, its landscape providing inspiration for artists and writers since the Renaissance. By mid-September the countryside is an ocherous blanket of copper and gold, the colors creeping up on destinations like the picturesque village of Castellina in Chianti in Sienna.
The islands of Scotland's Inner Hebrides include the Isle of Skye, a wild and rugged destination of high mountains and deep valleys that in the fall is brushed with a wonderfully warm red-tan veneer.
Though blanketed with pine, flora found in Finland's Oulanka National Park is still touched by the golden fingers of fall, coloring the tips of conifers with a golden crown.
Hikers summiting the magnificent Benwiskin in County Sligo during fall will be rewarded by a sight similar to a giant wave washed with liquid gold.
One of the most celebrated beauty spots in North Wales is Llanrwst and its ancient bridge, Pont Fawr. Come here during the fall and admire the burgundy-hued ivy smothering the façade of Gwydir, a manor house dating from 1492.
A world away from the islands and beaches Greece is usually famous for, you'll find the rugged and mountainous Epirus region. By September a regiment of copper-colored trees form an autumnal guard of honor to the approach of a mid-19th-century arched stone bridge near the village of Zagoria.
High up in the central Peloponnese is the charming village of Oria village, in Greece's Arcadia region. Make the effort to visit during the fall and be met by a community nestling in woodland burnished with apricot yellow and olive oil green.
Dare you visit the Devil's Bridge at Ardino? Called the Dyavolski by most, the arched bridge spans the Arda River in a narrow gorge. Pluck up the courage to come here in the fall and soak in the scenery.
The Alcázar de Segovia is one of the most famous medieval castles in the world. Always illuminated at night, the 12th-century fortress radiates an even greater luster in the warmth of an autumn evening.
The seldom visited town of Rijeka Crnojevica in central Montenegro is reached on foot by following the eponymous Rijeka Crnojevića river. Do so in late September and tread through a mustard and russet landscape slowly changing color with the seasons.
Sources (UNESCO) (Royal Parks) (Dangerous Roads)
Bavaria's fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle rears out of a blushing chestnut-brown canopy as fall heralds the end of summer and the encroachment of winter.
Click through and visit the best locations on the continent to appreciate autumn.
Europe in the fall: the best locations to appreciate autumn
Explore Europe's most picturesque landscape to enjoy autumn
TRAVEL Leisure
The advent of fall represents change. It marks the transition from summer to winter. It's a season when the days get shorter and colder. In the Northern Hemisphere, the period between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice is a magical one. A mantle of copper and gold blankets the landscape. Leaves slowly turn the color of mustard and cinnamon. The air is sharp and crisp. Across Europe, the autumn veneer lends a host of destinations a gilded edge. Towns and villages glow in the embers of summer. Rustic woodland is flecked with splashes of yellow and amber, and a warm luster hangs lazily in the sky. Indeed, perhaps the best time to explore the continent is during this enchanting moment before the black and white of winter. So, are you falling for Europe?
Click through and visit the best locations on the continent to appreciate autumn.