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Athens

Rugged inlets and beautiful beaches comprise the stunning blend that is the Athens Riviera. Therefore at the close of an autumn day, I found myself with a rather agreeable question: where to head to soothe bones still longing for a final taste of summer sun. For this city offers something that other European cities cannot: a shoreline of more than 40 miles featuring beaches many a Greek island would covet.

During the off-season, the shores of Attica still have a magnetic allure, as I found when taking a dip into a dusk across the Vouliagmeni Bay. For those seeking revitalization in azure seas primed to turn orange pink as the sun sets, bathing off one of the Riviera’s public or private beaches does not let you down.

With sea salt still clinging to my skin, I sat at a local tavern, a tavern whose Mediterranean fare is as good as the spectacular view of the bay it sits on. In a tribute to times past, the appetizers is served on big platters.

The city is as celebrated for its hills as its coastline: natural elevations within view of the Acropolis that make it a treasure trove for amblers when temperatures are cooler. For those who want to get away from a city that sprawls across almost 500 square kilometers, these stone formations – holders of fabulous names such as the Nymphs' Hill and the Hill of the Muses – are a must-see.

In my view, this historic city is the continent's most soulful and sublime.

If you climb the top of Lycabettus Hill, the city’s highest point, either by foot or on the cable railway, the prize is a stunning view of the whole Argo-Saronic Gulf and the offshore isles.

If you want to be in the center, the ancient Plaka district remains the best base. The traditional a classic hotel hotel has doubles facing the north side of the Acropolis from about €140 bed and breakfast. In the same area, a popular restaurant is a preferred restaurant with residents and serves the juiciest lamb cutlets. With views of the ancient monument, Athens’ elevated dining spots are wonderfully atmospheric and perfect for warm autumn evenings – for a real treat visit a top restaurant or the Michelin‑starred fine dining establishment.

The Sicilian Capital

Believe Neapolitan pizza is the ultimate in pizza? Reconsider. In this city they prefer Sicilian pizza, a soft, well-risen rectangle of bread topped with intense, onion-heavy tomato sauce and sprinkled with local cheese and herbs. Hearty, satisfying and comforting, it’s sold in shops, stands and stalls all over the city (Via Maqueda in the historic centre usually has several vendors).

We sample it at a kiosk on Piazza della Kalsa, near where we’re staying. Panineria Chiluzzo often has big lines, but they progress fast as young staff dish out pieces of the pizza, as well as arancini and panelle. There are a couple of seats under the shade outside, but we eat as we walk into the city along tight Via Alloro. This is a pleasant stroll in October but wouldn’t always be in the heat. As hot spells swept Europe this year, temperatures in Sicily topped 40C in the shade. At the summer's peak one hot spot reached an unprecedented 70C at ground level.

We wander the city and enjoy how its long history is etched in its streets.

Now, as the climate rise to 24C by the afternoon, we can wander the city and savour how its heritage is visible in its roads. Walking by baroque and art nouveau palaces, and Casa Stagnitta, the city’s oldest coffee roastery, we take in the Arab-Norman domes of the 12th-century San Cataldo Church; Piazza Pretoria, with its 16th-century water feature, placed under colonial times; and the impressive cathedral, constructed on the site of a ninth-century Islamic temple.

On the way back we take a side trip to Vucciria market, the roots of which also stretch back over a millennium. Some decry its commercialization, but it is still lively and highly dramatic. Feeling brave, we stop for a traditional pani câ meusa, which is better than expected, with its slightly sweet “filling” balanced by grated cheese. The stallholder is especially pleased of his grilled goat’s intestines but, unfortunately, no amount of salt and lemon can make those a delight for me.

We’re glad to head back to more peaceful the old quarter, the former Arab quarter to the eastern part, which was bombed in the second world war and declined for decades before being renewed this century. a boutique hotel (sea-view rooms from €161 B&B) is a small guesthouse with lots to see nearby. Up the street is a historic palace, a baroque baroque pile restored and reopened in recently to display the Valsecchi art collection, which includes works by contemporary artists and Andy Warhol.

Next day we stroll 10 minutes to Palermo’s Botanical Garden, with its record-breaking ancient tree. Songbirds are chirping loudly as the sun pours down. Soon we’ll be in London, the time will change and the cold season will start. We enjoy a last week in the sunshine.

The Austrian Capital

While lamenting the end of summer and hanging out at seaside spots and swimming areas on the branches of the Danube, I’m now chasing a different color. Vienna is a city of parks and well-kept lawns, meadow sweeps and forest zones, which swap their green canopy for a golden and yellowish tint the Austrians call golden autumn.

I leave behind the impressive buildings and cobblestones of the downtown. South-west of it, Schloss Schönbrunn Park extends from the grand royal palace, where the gold isn’t reserved for the interior, and makes its way into pathways of towering bronzed hedgerows and arched tree terraces that lead to the butter-yellow palace.

To the east, in the city’s a large park, I walk beneath the shady trees of the main avenue, an avenue that’s almost three miles long and ancient. On the border of the park, the retro-styled Superbude Prater hotel (doubles from $85 with breakfast) is a ideally located retreat.

In a city with hundreds of urban farms (thanks to a long-standing commitment to promoting parks and building local culture), autumn brings a feast of seasonal ingredients on menus. Pumpkin cream soup is the seasonal staple – best eaten in a wood-panelled Beisl such as the art-splashed Am Nordpol 3 – and followed with a Wiener Schnitzel.

Vienna is a city of parks and gardens that swap their green cover for a rusty amber and warm hue.

Little known, the capital is the sole continental city to grow wine within its urban area, with 1,723 acres of grape fields. There are fourteen official urban paths, known as Stadtwanderwege. Route one leads you through the wine country of Nussdorf. Relax in a slope Heuriger such as Wieninger am Nussberg, drinking a citrussy white wine with a Brettljause (a platter of cold cuts and cheese), while enjoying the beautiful urban view.

The days are getting shorter, but now is the perfect time to wander among the city's stately palaces, galleries and historic abodes – a {cultural crop|