Beautiful sunny hours with clear, cool air, colourful leaves, falling chestnuts and finally jumper weather again – autumn has finally begun, and with it the cosiest, most beautiful season of the year. Well, this opinion may be somewhat subjective, but let’s be honest: when does nature look more radiant, the sunsets more golden? Autumn is not only the best fashion season or the perfect time to watch squirrels foraging – in the coming weeks we will experience the best of both worlds, so to speak, namely strong sunrays without sweating and pretty fabric coats without having to wrap ourselves from head to toe in warming winter accessories. Oh, so cosy!
Should any of you still be pining for summer or need additional ideas for nice activities, we have listed our favourites on the following lines. Autumn, mon amour!
1) City trips over long weekends: Not too cold and not too hot – now is the perfect time to explore new cities. Hop on the train or bus, search Instagram for delicious food spots and discover old European cities in good company. Prague, Belgrade, Bratislava… where history meets urban lifestyle, the short break becomes especially exciting! Why not look for cool concerts in advance and combine several highlights?
2) Off to the spa! Most of us spend far too much time in front of the screen, are professionally challenged and chasing deadlines. Stress weakens the immune system and has a negative effect on our mood. To prevent the early onset of darkness from degenerating into the autumn/winter blues, let’s treat ourselves to some relaxing wellness days now! Sauna sessions are worth their weight in gold for body and soul, the warm water carries us gently and in the relaxation room – snuggled up in your bathrobe – you can comfortably read good books.
3) Make chestnut laundry detergent: Easy, eco-friendly and free – if these arguments aren’t powerful enough, dream yourself back to childhood and remember the fun we all had picking up chestnut after chestnut from the ground. So, bag up and get out into nature! The detailed instructions are here.
4) Pumpkin (spice) everything! Cook with pumpkin, carve pumpkins and use the wonderfully warming pumpkin spice mix for baking or for delicious hot drinks. As autumnal as it gets!
5) Wine walking: On sunny September and October days, it’s simply wonderful to spend time outside. Whether it’s hiking through nature or storming, spritzing and drinking prosecco al fresco. But wait a minute, why ‘or’? Wine walking days are offered in various provinces, plus Buschenschanken and Heurige, Kellergassen and wineries are open, so you can stop in and enjoy on your own after a short hike.
6) Photo Walks: Walks through rustling leaves (watch out for hedgehog hiding places!), in mystical foggy weather, at dusk when the lights start to glow all around… There is a multitude of picturesque autumn motifs and scenes that can be captured on camera. Pack your camera, take a stroll and pause!
7) Visit museums and art galleries: When it gets cooler outside and darker earlier, excursions into the world of culture are a good idea. There are many exciting exhibitions that can broaden our horizons. My favourite for years: The World Press Photo exhibition, which tours different cities and countries around the world every year, showcasing the most spectacular, award-winning press photos of the past year. Until 23.10. at Westlicht Vienna.
8) City Date in the bookshop: Whether with the person in your heart, friends or yourself – how nice is the thought of treating yourself to a chai, pumpkin spice latte or another hot drink to go together and stroll through the city? Looking at shop windows and finally stopping in at the trusted bookstore to browse for inspiring works. Yes, even if the unread pile at home is already quite high.
9) Host movie nights or series marathons: Windy, rainy and uncomfortable outside? Wonderful! We snuggle up on the couch with popcorn, our loved ones and cosy blankets. The best thing to do at this time of year is American films and series that show the famous ‘fall foliage of New England – that is, the picturesquely coloured nature. Housesitter with Goldie Hawn is recommended as a feel-good classic from the nineties, Gilmore Girls is also always good.
10) Celebrate Friendsgiving: The Thanksgiving version, where you get together with friends to cook up autumnal dishes and feast for hours on them, is a particularly nice opportunity to toast friendship with fancy bubbly drinks.
