Continuing to attract countless visitors throughout autumn and winter, see what all the fuss is about and check Europe out yourself. Make sure to tick as many of these off your bucket list as you go!
Test your senses in the Black Forest. Taste the rich flavours of a black forest gateaux, listen to the sound of the fallen leaves crunching underfoot, smell the crisp earthiness of impending winter.
Dig into some comfort food in Germany, from savoury favourites like currywurst and goulash to sweet indulgences like strudel and berliner.
Watch Austria’s skies transform into a sea of colour for Balloon Week, held annually in Gosau every January.
Go vineyard hopping Vienna’s 700 hectares of wine country, as the local Heurige (wine taverns) open their doors and produce is at its finest.
Vienna’s Prater amusement park is transformed for Halloween into a world of horror, with themed food, face painting, fancy dress.
From September to November Germany’s Europa Park sees demons, witches and more appear as night creeps in. The entire park is decorated fantastically, too.
OK, last one, we promise. Halloween in Paris’ Catacombs is far more trick than treat; known as one of the most haunted locations in Europe. Not for the fainthearted.
Get your skates on in Amsterdam, whether that’s practising your skills on the ice rink outside Rijksmuseum or waiting for the UNESCO World Heritage Canals to freeze over.
26 October is Austria’s National Day. Watch the Military parade in Vienna, as well as enjoying free access to the Vienna Museum and more.
Take in the panoramic views of a city under snow from the Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg.
Dance all night and ADE in Amsterdam, the biggest indoor dance event in Europe. Taking place across 5 days in October, there’s DJs, pop-up events and even talks.
Film festival season runs from September to November in Amsterdam. Check out the program, with eclectic options for all ages.
Take a themed tram from Zurich. Sushi and fondue trams are just two to choose from.
Disneyland® Paris also hosts a Halloween extravaganza, featuring all your favourite characters with a spooky twist.
Would it really be an autumn bucket list without mentioning Munich’s Oktoberfest? Three words: Beer. Grub. Funfair.
Germany isn’t the only place boasting beer festivals this autumn. Head to Holland for Bockbier Festival in Amersfoort or Bock & Rock in Utrecht.
Get groovy in Ghent as the city’s annual Festival of Flanders welcomes 1500 musicians from across the globe.
Get cultured at the Viennale International Film Festival. Around 75,000 visitors attend every year to watch 300 films in the city’s cinema venues.
Visit the French Loire which boasts some of the most extraordinary autumnal scenery in the country. From stunning castles set against the backdrop of forests ablaze with seasonal colours, to pumpkin patches and harvested vineyards.
Get into the groove with Jazzuary in Brussels. Three outstanding events fill the city with the sound of music: Brussels Jazz Festival, River Jazz Festival and Djangofollies.
Autumn is the season of mushroom and chestnut foraging, and France is the perfect place to do it. So, get your gloves on, and get digging.
Get your five-a-day and go fruit picking in Versailles. Find your seasonal favourites at Fermes de Gally, a farm which lets you pick what you find.
Take a winter walk through Brussels Park with a Belgian waffle doused in lashings of chocolate sauce, or whatever you fancy.
Berlin’s Lollapalooza festival takes place in September and sees some of the biggest faces in music. 2018’s line-up included Arctic Monkeys and The Weeknd.
Amsterdam really like to celebrate Christmas, and the Bijenkorf Christmas lights event is no different. Crowds gather to Dam Square for a stunning show before watching the Bijenkorf building become illuminated with hundreds of thousands of lights.
Become spellbound by the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria, where the Disney Castle took its inspiration.
Lover of Literature? Check out the Dickens Festival in Deventer. 700 of his characters are brought to life, and classic seasonal dishes are served.
Ski, snowboard or sit back in a hot tub in the Alps, the tallest mountain range in Europe.
Taste the seasonal splendour of Provincial France at the Carpentras market. Autumn provides fresh almonds, figs and local cheeses.
Take a trip to one of Germany’s oldest Christmas market, Stuttgart Weihnachtsmarkt.
While we’re talking about Germany at Christmas, make sure you visit Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Europe’s Christmas capital.
Sniff out some fresh Potimarron soup in France. This French squash soup is served up in cafés and restaurants across the country throughout autumn.
Berlinale, Berlin’s International Film Festival, takes place every February in the German capital. Pioneers of modernist, political dialogue, these films are an important dialogue on the zeitgeist.
Switzerland’s Oberalp Pass, at 2044m, offers some of the most awe-inspiring scenery on the continent. Hop on the Glacier Express train from Zermatt to St. Moritz and experience it yourself.
Take an autumnal walk through the alpine valley of Engadin. The contrast of azure lakeside, amber woodland and marble-esque mountain tops is breath-taking.
The Six Days of Ghent is a must for cycling connoisseurs. The track cycling race takes place annually at the Kuipke velodrome in November.
September to April is Holland’s Oyster season. Taste the fresh delicacy in a seafood restaurant or market in Zeeland.
Take a toboggan ride in Tirol. Get your coat on and fly down over 750km of tracks.
Quench your thirst at Wurstmarkt, the world’s largest wine festival, every September in Germany.
Surrender to your sweet tooth with a Dutch oliebollen, a delicious, sugar-coated donut. Pick up this festive treat at any Christmas market in Holland.
Holland’s Efteling theme park loves to change with the seasons. The natural landscape glows in autumn with hues of red, orange and yellow. At Christmas, the entire park becomes a winter wonderland.
Lyon’s Festive of Lights is the biggest winter festival in France. The religious event takes place in December and sees the city illuminated in a spectacular display.
Go walking in the Dutch moorlands from early September as the heather blooms and the landscape becomes a deep shade of purple.
While you’re out in the Dutch wilderness, stop at a local eatery for some game, including pigeon, venison, hare and boar. It’s at its best in October.
Book a Christmas concert at Paris’ La Madeleine church, it’s a heart-warming experience that takes you back to the real meaning of the season.
Instead of spending Valentine’s Day in Paris, head to Bruges. Try a couple’s chocolate making class, or simply retreat into a centuries old brewery and snuggle up with a Belgian beer.
Be on wildlife watch at Hoge Veluwe in Holland, keeping an eye out for red deer, elk and boar.
Taste the season at the world’s largest pumpkin festival in Ludwigsburg. From August to November there are giant pumpkin sculptures, carvings and pumpkin based cuisine.
Get into Christmas with the arrival of Sinterklaas on 18 November in Amsterdam. The city-wide event is a Dutch tradition for the whole family.
Take in the mimosas. No, not the drink, but the French flower. Drive the Route du Mimosa in the French Riviera from late January to early March to see them in full bloom.
Beat the January blues with some retail therapy. Major cities like Berlin, Paris and Brussels boast some of the best January sales in Europe.
Visit the Olympic Ski Jump in Innsbruck. At dizzying heights, you’ll wonder where the jumpers get their nerves of steel.
Hide away in an Austrian chalet in Oberaichwald, a sleepy town offering endless alpine countryside, all hibernating under a blanket of snow.
Nice Carnival kicks off the years events in the French Riviera every February with parades, fireworks, performances and more.
Amsterdam’s Light Festival turns the city into an art exhibition as the canals and cobbled pathways are lit up with displays created by international artists.
Cologne Carnival takes place from November to March, beginning on 11th November at 11:11am, with the finale aptly named the ‘crazy days’.
There’s so many museums to visit in Amsterdam, so why not do it all in one go with Museum Night. Over 50 museums are open until 2am, with an array of events on, too.
Cold weather means one thing: an authentic Belgium hot chocolate. Brussels has countless cafés and chocolatiers serving up the rich treat.
Treat yourself to some Swiss cheese fondue in Lucerne. The steaming hot delicacy will warm you to your core.
Gouda by Candlelight takes place in Gouda in December. It illuminates the market square with thousands of candles for an evening of theatre, music and more.
Fill your boots at the Côtes du Rhône wine festival in November as the grapes are harvested.
Go flower picking in Amsterdam for National Tulip Day in January. Dam Square is filled with 200,000 tulips for you to pick at will.
Warm up in an Austrian thermal bath, soaking up the amazing health benefits.
Celebrate Chinese New Year in Paris with traditional street parades and performances.
Escape the winter frost with a drink in Europe’s longest bar in Düsseldorf.
On the subject of intoxicating libations, make sure to sample some authentic hot glühwein in Austria.
Touch the sky in the Titlis Rotair gondola. The world’s first 360° rotating gondola will take you 3,020m above sea level to the peak of Mount Titlis in Switzerland.
When the weather gets too cold, get a history lesson in the war museums of Northern France.
Fashionistas get your January sale inspiration at Berlin fashion week.
Burn through those Christmas calories with the New Year Run in Berlin. This 4km run kicks off at the famous Brandenburg gate, guiding you through some of Berlin’s most iconic locations.
Carol singing in Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral is the ultimate Christmas activity, and there are plenty of opportunities for you to join in throughout the season.
Visit the tallest Christmas tree in Switzerland at St Gallen, decorated with over 5000 lights.
The outdoorsy type? Pack up your gear for a Swiss mountain climb.
Watch the sunset in Germany’s Moselle Valley as it casts a warm glow across the countryside already coloured with autumnal tones.
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