Summer holidays were yesterday: That's why taking time off in autumn is becoming the new trend

The crackling of leaves in our ears leaves in our nostrils and a kaleidoscope of colours in front of our eyes: autumn days are very popular with us. But of course, saying goodbye to summer isn’t easy for us either, and sometimes the shorter days and cooler temperatures can have quite an impact on our moods. Do you know the feeling? There’s really only one thing to do: take another long holiday and enjoy autumn to the full. Because some things can only be experienced in the off-season: we tell you how to get the best out of the colourful season.

Taking a break in autumn: the advantages

Actually, we all know it: the low season is simply cheaper. Do we still go on holiday every June, July and August because the Instagram flood of cocktail pictures and mountain panoramas also gives us wanderlust? Guilty as charged. Perhaps a holiday at another time is not possible for organisational reasons, for example, because the summer months coincide with the children’s holidays. But maybe there is a window day or two in autumn that can be used for a long weekend? Either way, if you are one of the lucky ones who can schedule your holidays in autumn, you can expect not only lower prices when booking but also a lower risk of encountering overcrowded restaurants and crowds of people in front of every attraction at your holiday destination. crowds in front of every tourist attraction. And have you ever wondered what your favourite spot on the map looks like in autumn dresses? It will certainly show itself from sides you haven’t seen before – with new colours, regional delicacies and seasonal events.

How does the golden season taste?

And while we’re on the subject of regionalities: Autumn is also harvest time in Europe. What does that mean? High season for tastings of everything that the soil has to offer. Wineries that have finished this year’s harvest offer tours and tastings, and the wine autumn in Lower Austria takes the whole thing to the epicurean extreme. Vineyard walks, storm days, cellar tours, wine christenings and, of course, tastings are on the programme here – no summer offer can keep up. And in southern Burgenland, too, things are pretty delicious amidst the colourful foliage. Of course, Uhudler and the Blaufränkisch wines from the Eisenberg are particularly shining here, but the region also has something to offer for hop and malt fans. Why not stop off at the Zickentaler brewery in Heugraben, taste the beers and take a guided tour of the building? and take a guided tour of the building. After a cool draught beer, do you just want to unwind? Then take a look at our autumn offer at the Falkensteiner Balance Resort Stegersbach and round off the gustatory days in our spa.

In autumn, it is impossible to imagine life without the orange, round heads that grin at us from the ground and as lanterns at the end of October: once summer is over, the pumpkin season is not far away. Friends of the pumpkin (botanically speaking, the pumpkin is actually a berry!) can visit the Pumpkin Festival in Retzer Land, the Pumpkin Farmers’ Market in Vienna or the Giant Pumpkin State Championship in Tulln. Or you can head to Styria, where the fruit vegetable has long since been elevated to a national dish and is waiting for you on pretty much every corner. If you really do go to Styria for your autumn holiday, you don’t have to be cramped with culinary options. Schladming is not only a great place for skiing in winter, but also for tasting beer in autumn at the local brewery and for guided tours and tastings at the nearby Mandlberggut. This unique manufactory combines the Dachstein distillery, which produces excellent whiskies and spirits, with a mountain pine oil distillery, which also distils pine – an ancient craft that is resurrected here every day in the form of the finest spirits. In the shop, you can stock up on high-quality natural products and of course one or two whiskies, gins or spirits.

Excursions under colourful leafy canopies: sporty through autumn

Let’s be honest: exercising in the summer is actually a little overrated. Between heat waves and summer thunderstorms, we wait for the few bearable moments to squeeze into our walking or running shoes or quickly get on our bikes. Swimming is, of course, a wonderful sport for hot days, everything else tends to make your inner pig growl. Not so in autumn: the temperatures drop to a pleasant average, cool breezes help to air out the head and the wonderful autumn colours lure us outdoors. And because we were talking about Schladming before: The Talbachklamm gorge shines even more beautifully in the golden autumn sun, and along the Ennsradweg cycle path you’ll cycle through colourful swirls of leaves and copper-coloured mountain landscapes in the late months of the year. The hikes around the Dachstein massif are also easier to do here when the sun is milder and the mountain air is already a bit cooler. And finally, autumn is the best time to savour what makes these months so special: the mystical. The adventure hike through the moorland forest in Upper Austria is ideal for this, and in the pale light of the low sun it lives up to its title even more. Of course, you don’t have to do without seasonal culinary delights here either: Also in the Mühlviertel is the Lebzeltarium and in Linz, you will find Upper Austria’s largest green market. The region’s many pleasure biking trails will keep you fit during your holiday. Our conclusion: Autumn, with all its special features, makes every holiday something very special. We would even like to think that sometimes not even summer’s permanent fine weather can keep up. So be sure to treat yourself to some time off before you head into winter!

Ausflüge unter bunten Blätterdächern: sportlich durch den Herbst

Hand aufs Herz: Sporteln im Sommer wird doch eigentlich ein wenig überbewertet. Zwischen Hitzewellen und Sommergewittern warten wir die wenigen erträglich temperierten Momente ab, um uns dann schnell in unsere Wander- oder Laufschuhe zu zwängen oder rasch aufs Fahrrad zu schwingen. Schwimmen ist natürlich ein wunderbarer Sport für heiße Tage, alles andere bringt eher de inneren Schweinehund zum Knurren. Nicht so im Herbst: Da sinken die Grade auf einen angenehmen Mittelwert herab, kühle Windbrisen helfen, den Kopf auszulüften und die herrlichen Herbstfarben locken uns nur so ins Freie. Und weil wir zuvor schon von Schladming gesprochen haben: Die Talbachklamm glänzt in der goldenen Herbstsonne noch um einiges schöner, und am Ennsradweg radelt ihr in den späten Monaten des Jahres durch bunte Blätterwirbel und kupferfarbene Berglandschaften. Auch die Wanderungen rund um das Dachsteinmassiv könnt ihr hier leichteren Schrittes abgehen, wenn die Sonne milder und die Bergluft bereits eine Spur kühler ist.

Und schließlich kostet ihr im Herbst am besten das aus, was diese Monate so besonders macht: das Mystische. Dazu bietet sich die Abenteuerwanderung durch den Moorwald in Oberösterreich an, die im fahlen Licht der tief stehenden Sonne ihrem Titel gleich noch ein Stück mehr gerecht wird. Natürlich müsst ihr auch hier nicht auf saisonale Kulinarik verzichten: Ebenfalls im Mühlviertel gelegen ist nämlich das Lebzeltarium und in Linz findet ihr Oberösterreichs größten Grünmarkt. Die vielen Genussradelwege der Region halten euch während eures Urlaubs weiterhin fit.

Unser Fazit: Der Herbst macht mit all seinen Besonderheiten jeden Urlaub zu etwas ganz Speziellem. Wir möchten sogar meinen, dass manchmal nicht einmal ein sommerliches Dauerschönwetter hier mithalten kann. Also unbedingt noch eine Auszeit gönnen, bevor es in den Winter geht!