Best Places To Catch Fall Foliage In Europe In 2024

It has been a long hot summer in Europe, but soon the nights will get longer as the temperatures drop and the trees will start to dress up in their colorful fall foliage. Many locations in the EU lay on a great show, but the following are among the best to visit for the red, orange and gold leaves of the fall. Moreover, the fall will hopefully offer some relief from the extreme heatwaves of summer.

Which destinations in Europe put on the best fall foliage?

– The Lake District, England

The Lake District of England is beautiful all year round and has inspired many romantic poets with its spectacular views, including Wordsworth. Moreover, this area of northern England was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

For those seeking fall foliage, head to Buttermere early in the morning to view the fall foliage reflected on the mirror-like lake. In the afternoon, head to Coniston Water with its stunning mix of evergreen and fall-colored trees.

– Perthshire, Scotland

Heading to Bonnie Scotland, Perthshire boasts some amazing views where the Lowlands and Highlands meet. Watch out for the Meikleour Beech Hedge which holds a Guinness World Record as the world’s tallest and longest hedge. Meanwhile, the Hermitage is a stretch of forest owned by the National Trust that turns russet and gold in the fall, with romantic ruins to explore.

– Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled in Slovenia offers some of the most amazing views and hosts the country’s only natural island. A stroll around the lake lets travelers take in the bronze and gold leaves of the fall and takes around 1.5 hours.

While the fall is too cold for swimming, rowing boats are available for hire to head over to the island of Bled and take some Instagram shots of the surrounding fall colors.

– Transylvania, Romania

While Transylvania is known for legends of vampires and Gothic architecture, it is also among the best places in Europe for spectacular fall foliage. One of the best places to be is the Mociar Forest, Romania’s oldest forest which covers 1,400 acres, making it ideal to explore on a crisp, fall day.

Meanwhile, another great way to view the fall colors is on Romania’s high-altitude roads, like the Transfagarasan Road that connects Transylvania with Wallachia.

– Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

The fairytale castles of Bavaria seem to be straight out of a Disney movie, with the turreted Neuschwanstein Castle perched on a hill surrounded by fall colors. Meanwhile, the castle nestles in the striking Bavarian Alps and was built as a palace for King Ludwig II in the late 19th century.

While in the area, take a leisurely drive to Germany’s iconic Black Forest in which elms, beech and oak trees dress up in fall colors, next to the evergreen pine trees.

Experience the fall foliage of Europe this year – take in the spectacular colors in the crisp fall air.