Where To Go In October

For a weekend break to the capital of Catalonia, Eixample is a good area to stay as it is centrally located and within easy reach of other barrios worth spending time in. Check into your hotel (Sir Victor is a great example option), and head towards Gracia, a lovely neighborhood with pedestrianized streets and shady squares. For lunch, grab a bar stool or window seat at Tangana, a much-talked-about tapas spot, putting a fun twist on the go-to dishes. In the afternoon, please visit the nearby Casa Vincens, Gaudí’s first major masterpiece and much less visited than his two casas on Passeig de Gracia. While slightly less bonkers than his other buildings, the colorful tiling and wooden paneling are spectacular. For a casual dinner, Bodega Marin is an atmospheric spot. The narrow bar, dating back over 100 years, is stacked with wine bottles from floor to ceiling and has a few tables you can book in advance. Come for the extensive wine selection, and stay for the classic tapas (think plates of manchego, anchovies, and Catalan meatballs, finished with Basque-style goat cheese cheesecake). Afterward, switch up the vibe and head to low-lit 14 De La Rosa and find a cozy corner for creative cocktails.

Read our guide to the best restaurants in Barcelona here

After the summer rush, October is one of the loveliest times to visit the rising star of the Balearic Islands. Days are sunny, the sea is warm and the island’s beautiful countryside is bathed in a warm golden light. New luxurious country house hotel openings only make it more compelling for a fall getaway, including the family-owned Son Vell. Set near Ciutadella, this 18th-century Italianate manor is surrounded by 200 hectares of land and has two farm-to-fork restaurants and offerings such as alfresco cinema nights and stargazing. It joins Menorca Experimental and Son Blanc Farmhouse as the new places to bed down on the island. During your stay, among all the boating, hiking, and (possibly) biking, make sure to visit the Hauser & Wirth multi-arts center on an islet off Mahon.

A Guide to Menorca, read here

Sitting in faded grandeur on Sicily’s northwestern coast, Palermo feels suspended between Europe and Africa. A sensual, golden city, it is still gloriously sun-drenched in October, and you can get lost in its labyrinthine streets without fainting from the heat. While wandering, you will stumble across the marks of the city’s myriad invaders, from the Arabs and Moors to the Greeks and the Romans, including Baroque churches, souk-style markets, and crumbling palazzos. The smartest address to stay is Villa Igiea, the Forte family’s Sicilian outpost, with its Belle Epoque character and Olga Polizzi’s interior flourishes. You will want to spend a good amount of time lounging by its magnificent pool, which overlooks a Greek ruin and has the feeling of a bygone era. Then head back into town for lunch at locals’ favorite, Focacceria del Massimo, and natural wines at Del Baron. Make sure to check what is on at Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s breathtaking opera house.

A British county close to our hearts, Somerset is just magnificent in October and ripe for a weekend away. You might be lucky with some late summer sun, and have a better chance at scoring reservations at its various hotspot restaurants, not least a new Italian restaurant from the Hauser & Wirth family. 'Da Costa' has been named for and inspired by Artfarm co-founder Iwan Wirth’s maternal grandfather, who originated from the small mountainous village in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. He emigrated to Switzerland in the early 20th century and opened a restaurant much loved for its simple, honest fare. A century later, and some 800 miles from that first restaurant, Da Costa continues this glorious culinary adventure. The menu is an exploration of traditional northern Italian recipes featuring an array of antipasti, homemade pastas and risottos and daily specials cooked over fire. Bed down at No.1 Bruton or At The Chapel, and you’re perfectly positioned to take in all the surrounding delights including Bruton’s independent boutiques. Also nearby is Holm, the new countryside outpost from the boys behind London’s Salon and Levan restaurants, and Babington House.

Life in Vienna is drenched in culture and the arts. The city is associated with some monumental characters: Beethoven, Klimt, and Mozart, to name just a few. Vienna offers incredible museums and music venues, including the Vienna State Opera House. Another key feature contributing to the city’s well-being is the world-famous coffee culture. Viennese coffee houses are institutions loved by locals and tourists alike. Book into the Altstadt Vienna in the city’s fashionable “Boboville” district. An old aristocratic house, its interiors are filled with more than 400 artworks from Picassos to Warhols.

Or stay at our latest member, The Hotel MOTTO, a Viennese Boutique hotel with lots of French flair and a stunning rooftop terrace with a beautiful view of the vineyards. While in town, you must eat tafelspitz (a kind of boiled beef) at Plachutta — and don’t miss the Klimt Collection at Belvedere.

With Oktoberfest drawing to a close on the 6th this year, there is no better cure than an October jaunt to the Bavarian Alps. Only an hour from Munich, the scenery is just the tonic you will need. For a proper detox, check into the Naturhotel Tannerhof, which is nestled between a mountain and a lake. Laid out like a small village, the hotel enjoys sweeping views of the Leitzach Valley and the Wendelstein mountain. Founded in 1905, it has a holistic approach to hospitality that places nature at the forefront and involves all sorts of supervised fastings and therapeutic treatments. Beyond exploring the Tannerhof, with its epic spa and gourmet cuisine, you can walk into the market town of Bayrischzell, swim in the nearby Schliersee, as well as walk, hike, and bike the valley.

Read Five Bavarian Hotels to book now

84 Rooms recommends: A Guide To San Sebastian, and How To Spend A Weekend In Barcelona.