Ideas For Autumn City Breaks
If you’re feeling robbed of a summer, there are plenty of places to enjoy in Autumn. It won’t be expensive, since there are plenty of great deals available on flights.
Budapest
For instance, Budapest has a fantastic cultural festival from 8th – 17th October. The Autumn Festival is a city wide celebration of the arts – there are open air photography displays, dance troupes, opera groups and theatre performances all to be found in the keys squares and boulevards. You can see the Ferenczy Karoly exhibit at the Hungarian National Gallery. Karoly was a modernist painter with unique approach to colour and texture. This runs from 2nd December to 29th May 2012. Or there is the Christmas Fair, which opens in mid November to 30th December in Vorosmarty Square – lots of hand made toys and gifts for those who enjoy a shopping spree and a glass of something warming. You can try out the largest open skating rink in Europe in the City Park behind Heroes Square – you’ve got to see it to believe it!
Try out the Libego Chairlift, that connects Janos-hegy and Zuglieget. It’s a great way to see Budapest, since the chair lift travels up into the hills for nearly 500 metres gliding over gardens, woodlands and old villas. You can get there by picking up the Number 291 Bus from Nyugati ter. At the top you can take a stroll, or make your way to the Look Out Tower for fabulous views of the city. The chairlift moves continuously, so you need to be fairly nimble on your feet, but there is usually someone to help out if required.
Naples in November
How about Naples in November? It’s the largest city in Southern Italy and at this time of year, it’s still warm. You can take a day trip to the Islands of Capri, Procida or Ischia. Or visit nearby Herculaneum or Pompeii, which has some of the most astonishing Roman ruins to be found anywhere – remains of the city are still be uncovered today, buried by the ash from the exploding volcano of Mount Vesuvius. Although there are many ancient parts of the city, Naples embraces new design, and there have been two state of the art galleries opened in the last year.
All Saints Day is held on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd – you’ll see the flower markets overflowing, because this is a particular time of year for families to exchange flowers or take flowers to graves.   You’ll also see plenty of adverts for food festivals relating to Chestnuts, Truffles and wild mushrooms – autumn is a celebration of food in many parts of Italy.
Naples is the home of the Margherita Pizza – abandon a diet when visiting Naples – the pasta and pizza restaurants are out of this world. Epicurian shops are everywhere, specialising in the truffles, hundreds of types of pasta, and of course, fine wines.
To get the best of your trip make sure you pick up a copy of Qui Napoli from the tourist information centres, found on the Piazza dei Martriri, Paizza dei Gesu Nuovo and Via San Carlo. Qui Napoli is available in a variety of languages and has a good map to help you take in the key city sights.
It’s easy to get away just now and a long weekend in Budapest or Naples is a few hours away with some great bargains on flights just now. Keep the winter blues at bay with some affordable adventures and see a different part of Europe without breaking the bank.