The 20 greatest cities for an autumn break – and where to stay
As the crowds depart, it's time to soak up the urban charms of 20 great city break destinations. We pick 20 of the best destinations, from Barcelona to Bruges.
1. Amsterdam
Why go?
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 as people slowly withdraw from terraces into the softly lit warmth of wood-panelled cafés. This autumn works by two great artists known for their subtle play with light and dark, Rembrandt and his Spanish contemporary Velázquez, hang side by side alongside other Dutch and Spanish masters in the Rijksmuseum for Rembrandt-Velazquez (until January 19, 2020), a massive exhibition held in conjunction with Madrid’s Prado Gallery.
Where to stay
Soho House Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £143 per night
citizenM Amstel Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
8Telegraph expert rating
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• Where to stay in Amsterdam: hotels by district
2. Barcelona
Why go?
Autumn is when Barcelona really comes alive, with a full programme of events and exhibitions. The V&A-produced Opera: Passion, Power & Politics is a dramatic and immersive musical journey through eight countries and four centuries at the CaixaForum (until January 26, 2020). In the run up to Christmas, don’t miss the fairy-tale market huddled around the Cathedral (December 11-24).
Where to stay
Room Mate Anna
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
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Hotel The Serras
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £288 per night Check availability
• The most romantic hotels in Barcelona
3. Berlin
Why go?
Berlin is at its most charming during autumn, 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. It’s a busy time for events too. During October you can visit the Festival of Lights (until October 20) and the annual Jazzfest (October 31-November 3). This year will also see the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, with a week of festivities from November 4-10.
Where to stay
Provocateur Berlin
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
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SO/ Berlin Das Stue
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
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• The hippest hotels in Berlin
4. Bruges
Why go?
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 – it’s a lovely time to visit Bruges. The festive Christmas market runs this year from November 22 to January 5, when the historic city centre glows with low-lit stalls – clustered around an ice-rink – selling crafts and seasonal snacks, interspersed with genial pop-up bars offering Glühwein and jenever gin. A new feature, the “Light Walk”, has been designed to guide walkers through illuminated parts of the city during the same period.
Where to stay
Hotel Van Cleef
Bruges, Belgium
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £173 per night Check availability
Canal Deluxe Bed and Breakfast
Bruges, Belgium
9Telegraph expert rating
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• The best hotels on Bruges' canals
5. Budapest
Why go?
Budapest is lovely in autumn, when the sun mellows and the parks turn honey-coloured. Visit during the CAFe Contemporary Arts Festival (until October 20), 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 alfresco 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.
Where to stay
Corinthia Hotel Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
9Telegraph expert rating
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Gerlóczy
Budapest, Hungary
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £72 per night Check availability
• The best boutique hotels in Budapest
6. Copenhagen
Why go?
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 (until November 3) 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.
Where to stay
71 Nyhavn Hotel
Copenhagen, Denmark
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £185 per night Check availability
Hotel d’Angleterre
Copenhagen, Denmark
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £356 per night
• The most romantic hotels in Copenhagen
7. Dubrovnik
Why go?
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 20) sees cookery workshops, special menus and culinary walks.
Where to stay
Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, Croatia
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £127 per night Check availability
St. Joseph's
Dubrovnik, Croatia
9Telegraph expert rating
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• Where to stay in Dubrovnik: hotels by district
8. Edinburgh
Why go?
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. Capitalise on that spooky feeling by celebrating Halloween Scottish style at the Samhuinn Fire Festival on Calton Hill (October 31). For something a little more sedate, lovers of all things antique, retro and vintage can catch the biggest antiques fair in the country—there’s even a free bus from the city centre to the venue (November 23-24). And of course, from mid-November Edinburgh lights up for Christmas with markets, rides, shows and events (November 16 to January 4,2020).
Where to stay
Eden Locke
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £79 per night Check availability
Prestonfield House
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
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• The best family-friendly hotels in Edinburgh
9. Florence
Why go?
Autumn is a great time to visit Florence; temperatures can be mild until well into November, and around mid-October, the crowds begin to disperse, museum queues dwindle and hotel prices come down. Cultural highlights this autumn include interactive exhibition ‘The Botany of Leonardo’ – a vision of science bridging art and nature – in the museum of Santa Maria Novella; Carmen, Rigoletto and La Bohème at the Teatro dell’Opera; a major retrospective of 20th-century Russian painter Natalia Goncharova whose unconventional life focused on Moscow and Paris which also features works by Gaugin, Picasso and Matisse (until January 12, 2020 at Palazzo Strozzi). After the show, nip around the corner for a glass of fizz and an autumnal truffle cream sandwich at historic Procacci 1885.
Where to stay
Hotel Savoy
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £377 per night Check availability
Oltrarno Splendid
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £112 per night Check availability
• The best five-star hotels in Florence
10. Lisbon
Why go?
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. This year, Lisbon welcomes the return of grand dame Bairro Alto Hotel, renovated and expanded by acclaimed architect Souto de Moura with food by ex-Chiltern Firehouse chef (and Lisbon-born) Nuno Mendes and the arrival of three Micherlin-star Basque chef, Eneko Atxa with his eponymous restaurant Eneko Lisboa.
Where to go
Casa Fortunato
Lisbon, Portugal
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £372 per night Check availability
Bairro Alto Hotel
Lisbon, Portugal
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £229 per night Check availability
11. London
Why go?
With the tourist crowds subsiding and the city’s parks and squares turning golden, Londoners share a sense of quiet pleasure at the approach of autumn. And the subsequent winter chill provides impetus to explore the capital’s array of blockbuster exhibitions, including the William Blake retrospective at Tate Britain, the largest show of Blake’s work for almost 20 years (until February 2, 2020). There's also a host of fun new hotels to eat, drink and stay in, too.
Where to stay
Claridge's
Mayfair, London, England
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £600 per night Check availability
The Standard, London
King's Cross, London, England
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £149 per night Check availability
• The best London hotels near Oxford Circus
12. Madrid
Why go?
Madrid is at its most exhilarating in autumn with a buzzing cultural scene and days warm enough for outdoor drinks on café terraces. The hot ticket is the Palacio de Liria, home of the Duke of Alba, which has one of the best art collections in Spain and has just opened to the public. The Prado museum celebrates its 200th anniversary on November 19 and the major exhibition this season features Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana, two of the most significant female figures in western art, which runs until February 2, 2020.
![Madrid's Teatro Real - Credit: @jjfarquitectos (@jjfarquitectos (Photographer) - [None]/JJFarquitectos](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/sDhs8NgNVIsI6oF2pQClhg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en-GB/the_telegraph_818/09f271948ca21d9357740fba7d151473)
Where to stay
Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid
Madrid, Spain
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £147 per night Check availability
Aloft Madrid Gran Via
Madrid, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
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• Where to stay in Madrid: hotels by district
13. Marrakech
Why go?
Marrakech is abuzz this autumn with new openings. The Musée des Confluences is a huge success with its beautiful exhibits from the collection of archaeologist 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' new restaurant, Dar Simons, which will finally bring fine dining to the Medina.
Where to stay
Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech
Marrakech, Morocco
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £287 per night Check availability
Riad de Tarabel
Marrakech, Morocco
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £180 per night Check availability
14. Paris
Why go?
Paris thrums with new life for the autumn “Rentrée”. The café terrasses fill once more and cultural events abound. Be transported back to the absinthe-soaked cabarets of Belle Époque Paris via 'Resolutely Modern', a Toulouse Lautrec retrospective, fittingly housed amid the Art Nouveau splendour of the Grand Palais. Or head to the Atelier des Lumières, Paris’s innovative digital art museum in the cool 11th arrondissement for 'Van Gogh, Starry Night' – an immersive exhibition that uses video, sound and installation to tell the story of the artist’s life and work.
![Paris autumn - Credit: ekaterinapokrovsky.com (ekaterinapokrovsky.com (Photographer) - [None]/encrier](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/anHg7TwLcVR32AqsI95aoQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en-GB/the_telegraph_818/8a67b59772aa74b8bed3e93768612389)
Where to stay
The Hoxton, Paris
Paris, France
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £189 per night Check availability
Sinner
Paris, France
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £346 per night Check availability
• Where to stay in Paris: hotels by district
15. Prague
Why go?
Autumn is a fantastic time to visit the Czech capital. Not only are its handsome baroque and neo-renaissance facades bathed in the season’s soft light, but local wine tastings are ubiquitous, and classical music fans can enjoy seasonal festivals like Strings of Autumn (until November 13). Look out this year too for special anniversary celebrations of the Velvet Revolution, such as the 'November 1989 in the Streets of Prague' exhibition at the City Museum (until April 26, 2020) and the Fall of the Iron Curtain photo show at Prague Castle (until 30 November).
Where to stay
Four Seasons Hotel Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £245 per night Check availability
The Nicholas Hotel Residence
Prague, Czech Republic
8Telegraph expert rating
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• The best hotels in Prague's Old Town
16. Reykjavik
Why go?
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 until December 8. And music fans won’t want to miss the annual Airwaves music festival (November 6-9) which showcases new Icelandic and international talent.
Where to stay
Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre
Reykjavik, Iceland
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £149 per night Check availability
Kex Hostel
Reykjavik, Iceland
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £13 per night Check availability
• The best budget hotels in Reykjavik
17. Rome
Why go?
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 the fourth edition of Rome Art Week, the festival that features events at galleries and studios across the capital (October 21-26). Musja, the new privately owned museum near Campo dei Fiori, begins its three-part 'The Dark Side' series of exhibitions with 'Who's afraid of the dark?' (until March 1, 2020), while the Galleria Lorcan O'Neill presents Leaving, showcasing Tracey Emin (unti December 7). Fans of street art can get acquainted with some of Italy’s most prominent names at the Rosso20sette Arte Contemporanea gallery’s Da Sketch a MURo, the city’s newest urban art museum (until November 16).
Where to stay
Chapter Roma
Rome, Lazio, Italy
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £122 per night Check availability
Elizabeth Unique Hotel
Rome, Lazio, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £303 per night Check availability
• The best boutique hotels in Rome
18. Seville
Why go?
Seville’s cultural life kicks off in autumn against a backdrop of warm days and mild evenings. The celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s 1519-1522 around-the-world voyage continue with a superb multimedia exhibition at the Archivo de Indias. Tracing the route of the 'Spice Armada' from Seville to Indonesia, it follows the fate of its five ships and 245 sailors (until 23 February, 2020). Other cultural highlights include an immersive Klimt show, with enlarged versions of his paintings accompanied by animated projections and classical music, at the Pabellón de Navegación (until December 15).
Where to stay
One Shot Palacio Conde de Torrejón 09
Seville, Andalucia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £62 per night Check availability
Casa del Poeta
Seville, Andalucia, Spain
9Telegraph expert rating
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• The best boutique hotels in Seville
19. Venice
Why go?
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. Highlights of the season include 'From Titian to Rubens', a selection of grand master paintings from Dutch collections at the Doge’s Palace (until March 1, 2020); a show on the remarkable life and time of 17th-century Doge Francesco Morosini at the Museo Correr (until January 6, 2020); and gorgeous designs in glass by Thomas Stearns for Venini at the Stanze del Vetro (until January 5, 2020). And finally, it's a great, quiet time to catch the sprawling contemporary art Biennale before it closes on November 24.
Where to stay
Hotel Metropole
Venice, Veneto, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £226 per night Check availability
Novecento Boutique Hotel
Venice, Veneto, Italy
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £109 per night Check availability
• The best design hotels in Venice
20. Vienna
Why go?
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). Top billing goes to the Albertina’s Dürer retrospective (until January 6, 2020), including a rare peek at his elusive hare, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum for early baroque masterpieces bearing the hallmark of Caravaggio and Bernini (until January 19, 2020). 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.
Where to stay
Park Hyatt Vienna
Vienna, Austria
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £436 per night Check availability
Hotel Lamée
Vienna, Austria
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review From £128 per night Check availability
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, John O’Ceallaigh, Adrian Phillips, Caroline Shearing, Paul Sullivan, Nicky Swallow, Kerry Walker and Rebecca Winke
