My favorite places to travel to in Autumn | TRAVELTOBER

First things first: Sorry that there was no post on Friday. But my beloved laptop has gone bye bye. Kind of a funny story actually (...not), Friday was my first day of writing my bachelor thesis. I was ready to start the day and then my macbook decided to retire a bit too early. After a lot of cries I am back on my old laptop from 2010. 
So, there will be new blog posts, but no new videos in the next weeks. Just to let you know :).

Of course the first written post has to be about where to travel to during the magical time of autumn. So let’s get cracking, because I have a huge list of favorite places I love to visit when leaves turn red.

// USA //

Who am I kidding, who’s got the best autumn/Halloween decoration in the world? Right, the USA. Sometimes going totally overboard with it – but it’s absolute fantastic! So of course this country is at the top of my list. But the decorations aren’t the only thing I love in the US during autumn.

The landscape at the Northeast coast is pretty amazing too. Last year I fell in love with New England:  Boston, Acadia National Park and WhiteMountains. AMAZING! (By the way, did you watch Wednesdays new Travel Vlog? No? Than click here.)
This area is famous for a lovely autumn, and the reason is called Fall Foliage or Indian Summer. The leaves turn into the most stunning colors of red and orange. You have a lot of little Harvest Festivals and Fairs. Everybody is celebrating this time of the year and the light, especially in the evening with all the different colors is just magical.  

However, I love to visit New York City in the fall, too.  It gets cozier, the City snuggles up and get out the decorations. You still can have beautiful walks around (the Central Park happen to be a very good place to have a stroll around), get a spicy drink and wander around the bookstores to find a perfect book for the fall. 

// Europe //

But now let’s leave the States and have a look around Europe. Here you will find also some pretty cool places to visit during autumn.

UK

Of course we have to start in the UK. Famous for a lot of rain and foggy weather. Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes and a lot of other great movies are taking place in the rainy UK.  In autumn you can actually stroll around misty London through all the little alleys like the famous Sherlock Holmes does in the movies. You can have Afternoon Tea and a Roast Dinner. I really like London during this time of the year. The vibe in this city is changing, it gets a bit mystical and of course cozy, but also things are slowing down a little bit in the fog.

When you have a day to spare, hop on the train to Brighton. It’s an hour to an hour and a half long ride down to the seaside town. Even when you can’t get your towel out to have a little sunbath, you can wander along the beach and breath in the cold clear air (Life is better at the beach!). Afterwards you can head into town, have a look in the little independent shops and drink a hot chocolate to warm you up.

The next place I have to put on my list is Edinburgh. A little confession: I haven’t been there yet. We are heading there in November. However, I think I really really going to like this place and I can’t wait to share all of our adventures with you – we’ve got some cool stuff planned!

Germany

You shouldn’t forget to look around in your own country to find beautiful places. For me it’s Germany. So let’s start in the North of this country.

I was born and grew up in Bremen. A lot of my childhood memories took place during autumn. Having the time of my childhood life in the “Bürgerpark” (a reeeally huge park in the middle of the city, a bit like the Central Park), collecting chestnuts, visiting the boars and jumping in big puddles with my wellies. You can make a trip to cool museums like the “Universe” or the “Fogge Museum”. Bremen is very special to me during autumn.

The German island in the North Sea are really popular during summer. But if you a fan of cold wind and rough sea (like me) than you will be perfectly happy to be at Sylt or Amrum during a typical autumnal storm. I love the feeling to get back to our cozy holiday home after a long walk at the beach – you can feel the salt at your skin and put off your head. (…. see, I really don’t like the heat!)

Let’s take a huge jump to the very South of Germany. I lived in Constance for a few years and autumn at the lake is gorgeous. But of course you can see so much more: have a little trip to Constance, Meersburg or Lindau. You can also visit one of the many castles in this area, especially for kids it’s super fun. There’s for example the Burg Hohentwiel in Singen.

Last tip I want to share with you is actually right in front of me. When I look out my living room windows I see the Black Forest. You won’t find a lot of broadleaf trees, but instead you will see many fir trees – this why this forest is called the “BLACK forest”. You can go on a lot of hikes and have the most incredible overlooks. A lot of people come here for a weekend getaway all year around.

So these are  my favourite places to travel to during autumn. Which are yours? Tell me in the comments!

#traveltober ... if you want to see more cool autumnal pictures, follow me on Instagram: @travelwithsteffi 

➸ Beach recommendation in PORTUGAL - Praia da Cordoama 🌊

Hey guys :) How are ya doing?? In the first time in forever i haven't booked or planned a holiday! Because I will graduate within the next months from university I have sooo much stuff to do and there are so many things I cannot plan, because I just don't know how my future will turn out - definitely terrifying, but also exciting!!! 

But just because I don't go on holiday anytime soon, it doesn't mean you will stay at home, too! And I know in many countries the summer break will began very soon - YEAH for that! So, I thought, maybe you need a little beach inspiration. Life is better at the beach, right?! Therefore, I wanna share with you one of my favourite beaches in Portugal: Praia da Cordoama. 

This beauty you will find at the Atlantic coast, 5km away from Vila do Bispo (in the south of Portugal) and only 13km away from Sagres. So when you wanna combine the beach with some culture, like the Fortaleza de Sagres - it's a perfect day trip. 

The beach is a surfers' paradise, so keep your eyes peeled for some hot surfers ;) ... or try surfing yourself, there are many surf schools around! When you're not up to surf, then bring a blanket, a picnic and some other fun stuff to have the perfect beach day (... please don't forget to bring your sunscreen!). And when you're tired of chilling in the sun, you can climb up the cliff to have a beautiful view or even watch the sunset from there! 

The only drawback: you can reach the beach only by car and be prepared, it's an adventurous road with a beautiful outlook! But totally worth it. 

➸ Ponta da Piedade, Lagos, Portugal

Hello my name is Stephanie and I'm addicted to Portugal. Guess what?! Our trip to Portugal was just a dream... again. We stayed at the same hotel like two years ago (Pestana Dom João II) in Alvor, but this time we got a rental car. Therefore we could explore a lot of new places. One of them is the Ponta da Piedade in Lagos. You're at the top of the cliffs and have a more than an amazing view at the landscape around you: cliffs, lonely rocks in the ocean, the ocean, people... eh i mean birds :P. 

But what makes this place so special? Maybe you already saw on Pinterest (my page you will find here - cheeky little self promo :P) a picture of the famous stairs going directly down to the water:

You can get really close to the water and at the end of the platform you find a pool ladder going down in the ocean. But I don't really recommend going for a swim, the water is wild and the drift strong - the chance are pretty high to end up hitting the cliffs very hard.

Funny story, by the way: we've met a very sweet grandma, who was so into getting THAT shot of the ocean with all of the cliffs, she really didn't mind getting wet (we're talking about head to toe wet) caused by a few big waves down there. Hilarious! She had the time of her life. I really hope she got a few good pictures to show back at home! 

This stunning view is totally free and you can go there by bike, car, walking or tourbus. But when you're not with a tourbus, i would highly recommend to check this place out later in the afternoon, when the tourbus tourists are gone and the place isn't that crowded anymore. A lot of parking spaces are available and one or two little restaurants. When you want to experience this area with all its rocks a little more, you can go on a kayak tour. There a lot of companies who offer a 2hours to a day trip at the harbour in Lagos. 

➸ Where to eat in Constance

Oh Constance! It’s a beautiful place to be and a very good place to eat! I have lived here for about 4 years and every time I return, I mostly end up at my favourite places to stuff my stomach with delicious food. What I really love about this town is that you will not find a Starbucks or any other franchise coffee place. There are a lot of cool independent places you can check out. My favourites below are just a few of many options.

Holly’s
This is probably my favourite restaurant in town. My beloved ex-roomie and me were all over it right from the beginning (maybe because it was just across the street from our apartment). The food is delicious: breakfast or dinner, I could eat it all and let me tell you, I am a very picky eater! Also, the ambience is unique. You have a stunning view at the “Seerhein” a part of the Lake Constance. The interior is very unique too. You have a collection of different types of furniture, a wall of bricks and you can look into the kitchen through a big window! 

Café Zeitlos
The perfect place to have a sneaky breakfast or a big fat brunch on the weekends. In summertime you can sit in the lovely garden surrounded by roses, in wintertime you can snuggle up in the little cosy house. They serve everything from Bircher Müsli to eggs and fruit salad. But make a reservation, it is always completely packed. 

Pano
Located directly in the town centre and specialises in bread and coffee – it’s the perfect stop after a shopping afternoon. You can sit outside and watch people walking by or sit inside at an extra-long table. 

Anelu Eishandwerk
In Constance you won’t find that many gelato places, but this is a great option! A lovely view of the harbour and a great selection of ice cream types (even some extraordinary ones like basil)

Vogelhaus
Another great place to have a little coffee break. You find this cool place also in town centre. 

Chez Leon
This restaurants you will find at the “Fischmarkt”. Like the French name promises, this place is like a bistro in Paris. Okay the view is missing, but you definitely have the flair and the little coffee tables outside.