From fairy-tale castles to breathtaking Alpine views, fall is the perfect time to discover this fascinating region
The undulating hills of Central Europe – between the metropolises of Munich, Prague, Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest – are a patchwork of coniferous forests and cultivated fields. Between Prague and Salzburg, the forests that straddle southern Bohemia and Oberösterrich are sprinkled with spruce groves, the wood of which produced superlative pianos and violins favored by Mozart, Beethoven, Dvořák, and Liszt. Linking the regions of Bavaria with the cities of Vienna and Budapest, the mighty Danube River flows like a light blue thread through the heart of Europe, where past and present intersect. There’s never been a better time to move between this wonderful region’s great cities – especially during the romantic fall season.
Prague, Czech Republic The City of 100 Spires
Prague and the surrounding region, Bohemia, is famous for its golden-hued lagers and the atmospheric pubs that serve them. But lately, another drink has been getting attention in the Czech capital: a cocktail bar boom has been underway with bartenders shaking and stirring up classic and signature libations.
The new Taigen, opened in May 2025 in the handsome, tree-lined Vinohrady neighborhood, is blending ingredients including wheat vodka, fresh mango juice, vanilla, and egg whites to create something new on the palate. At the speakeasy-like Parlour, just steps from Wenceslas Square, tell the bartender what flavor profile you favor, and you’ll get an improv libation to your liking. Even restaurants are getting in on the act – centrally located Alma serves up elevated takes on Central European fare and has a long bar where you can get drinkable riffs on the classic cocktails.
Native son Franz Kafka wrote of his city: “Prague never lets you go; this little mother has claws,” and you’ll soon find out how right he was
Native son Franz Kafka wrote of his city: “Prague never lets you go; this little mother has claws,” and you’ll soon find out just how right he was. On the Old Town side of the Vltava River, just past Jirásek Bridge, take a walk along the riverside path. Náplavka, as the stone-paved riverbank is called, is bustling with docked-boats-cum-bars, riverside cafés serving wine and coffee, and, on Saturdays, a farmers’ market.
For a longer stroll, explore among the narrow, winding cobblestone lanes of Old Town and Mala Strana, linked by the iconic 14th-century Charles Bridge. As you’ll soon discover, this is a city that’s made for wandering.
Munich, Germany Beer, Deer, and Fine Art
In September and October, as the leaves turn bronze and flutter to the ground, Munich’s denizens make their way to the city’s atmospheric beer gardens for their last outdoor quaffs of the beverage before winter sets in.
If you’re here in late September and feeling sociable, join the crowds at Oktoberfest (kegs run dry on the first Sunday of October) or settle into Hirschgarten, the world’s largest beer garden, which holds 8,000 people. It will make you feel like you’re partaking in Oktoberfest – even in November or December. Parked under chestnut trees, indulge in Bavarian staples like weisswurst (veal and pork sausage) from the restaurant, open since 1791. In between beers, take a break and feed the gentle fallow deer and mouflon from the adjacent deer garden.
Munich is also home to one of the world’s oldest galleries, the Alte Pinakothek, which boasts a wonderful collection of European paintings. The temporary exhibition, How Pictures Tell Stories, runs from June 2025 to May 2026 and features works by 16th- and 17th-century Flemish and German painters, including Peter Paul Rubens.
Salzburg, Austria Mozart and Monasteries
If Disney were to create the ideal Central European settlement, it might look a lot like Salzburg. This city of harmony and melody, of Mozart and The Sound of Music, boasts enchanting medieval alleyways, a castle-crowned hilltop, jewel-box Baroque churches, Alpine views, and a turquoise-hued river gently running through it. Here you can take in an opera at the stunning 700-seat Salzburg State Theater, where Mozart conducted his music shortly after the venue opened in 1776.
Ride the funicular all the way to the top of Mönchsberg, a hilltop overlooking this city of lavishly gilded palaces and tidy squares. At the top of the 1,600-foot hill, experience both past and present by popping into the not-to-be-
missed Museum der Moderne to see gorgeous light installations by James Turrell and paintings by Oskar Kokoschka, and then wander around the medieval St. Peter’s Abbey.
When the stomach starts to rumble, you’re never far from good food. Vigne Pfefferschiff, located on the periphery of this city of 150,000 people and set in a 17th-century farmhouse, serves up a sophisticated menu of elevated Austrian fare.
Vienna, Austria Powder-Blue Domes and Imposing Palaces
This handsome metropolis frequently crowns lists of the best places on Earth to live. For those who have been lucky enough to wander Vienna’s cobblestone streets, linger in its Secessionist and Art Deco cafés, feast at the city’s sophisticated restaurants, and stroll around the world-class art museums, that’s no surprise at all.
Once the hub of an empire that stretched from Dubrovnik in southern Croatia to western Poland, Bohemia in today’s Czech Republic and even a sliver of northeastern Italy, Vienna is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in all of Europe. There are so many different aspects to the Austrian capital that it’s a virtual choose-your-own adventure. Spend a few days treating your ears to the Vienna Philharmonic playing symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, or Mozart; take in an opera at the Vienna State Opera, built in the mid-19th century; and dine on Michelin-Starred Central European fare at celebrated Steirereck and Pramerl & the Wolf.
Chefs in Austria lean into the season, so expect fall-inspired dishes laced with roasted nuts, cinnamon, and cardamom. Get lost in the iconic world-class art at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, at the MuseumsQuartier cultural district, and at Schloss Belvedere to see the works of Gustav Klimt. Then, at the end of a long day of culture, have a nightcap in the fin de siècle Loos American Bar.
You’ll leave this Habsburg city of powder-blue-domed buildings and imposing palaces more convinced than ever that it truly is a great place to live – or at least to visit for a few unforgettable days.
Budapest, Hungary Bathhouses and Decadence
This stunning city is split by the wide Danube River, with hilly and elegant Buda on one side, and flat, handsome Pest on the other. It co-led the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century and still has all the trappings of an empirical capital.
Budapest boasts more Michelin-Starred restaurants than any other city in the former Eastern Bloc (that’s seven restaurants, in total, for those keeping score). If that were the main reason to spend a few days in the Pearl of the Danube, as it has historically been known, it would be a worthy one. But this city offers a potpourri of diverse activities on streets flanked by alluring Art Nouveau buildings.
The one pastime Budapest holds over its neighbors is bathing. The city is sprinkled with bathhouses powered by thermal springs – many dating back to 17th-century Turkish rule. The Széchenyi Baths, the biggest in Europe, are popular with visitors and locals who come to soak in thermal waters while taking in the Baroque aesthetics. For a bathing experience that is less overwhelming, dip into Gellért Bath, where the stained-glass surroundings create a peaceful vibe.
Budapest boasts more Michelin-Starred restaurants than any other city in the former Eastern Bloc
Budapest has its share of hipster coffee places serving single-origin java like it’s liquid gold, but when you need an afternoon perk, take a seat in one of the city’s high-ceilinged, 19th-century cafés, where Neo-Renaissance decor practically drips from the walls. At New York Café, the gold-leaf decor and white marble interior is fit for a Habsburg. So is the New York chocolate cake smothered in rich Valrhona chocolate. Upgrade your coffee to get it sprinkled with actual gold leaf so your drink matches the surroundings.
When you’re ready to eat something more substantial, book a table at two-Michelin-Starred Stand. The kitchen crafts elevated takes on Hungarian classics. In fall, expect hearty bowls of venison goulash that pack a flavorful punch with every bite and savoy cabbage intertwined with fennel and doused with brown butter. This is fall on a plate – and the perfect end of a journey to the very heart of Europe.