Genoa, Italy

Saying Genoa has a lot of palaces is like saying Venice is full of canals. Still, they are one of the defining features of a city that has one of the biggest old towns in Europe, ideal for exploring on warm autumn days. More than 100 Renaissance and baroque palaces are still standing, 42 of which comprise the Unesco-listed Palazzi del Rolli. Lots are open to the public.

We visited Palazzo Rosso, with 17th-century frescoes and an art collection including seven Van Dyks; Palazzo Spinola, which now houses the National Gallery of Liguria; and Palazzo Reale, with its sea-view terrace and a hall of mirrors.

More palaces open on Rolli Days (next event 21-22 Sept). Rolli Experience weekends (next one 18-20 Oct) offer guided tours of the city, dinners, concerts and two-night stays in various palaces.

One palace in particular had led us to the city. Palazzo Ducale was built in 1298, became the home of the Doge in 1339 and is now Genoa’s main cultural centre, with must-see exhibitions. We went for this spring’s retrospective of Artemisia Gentileschi, the pioneering 17th-century female painter; next up is impressionist Berthe Morisot (11 Oct-23 Feb 2025).

As well as all the grand architecture, another of Genoa’s charms is that it is still a busy port city, with alleyways to wander and more local people than tourists. Fancy a picnic? De Micheli in the old town has been selling artisan food, such as torta pasqualina (pie filled with chard or spinach, egg and ricotta), since 1900; Da Mario round the corner makes top-quality pasta and pesto to go; Panificio Claretta does great focaccia; and Pasticceria Profumo, close to all the palaces on Via Garibaldi, makes Ligurian cakes and pastries.

There are smart, Michelin-starred restaurants, but we loved the simpler spots. Friggitoria Carega, under the portici by the waterfront, does fried fish and panissa (chickpea fritters) to take away. Further round the front, tiny Trattoria dell’Acciughetta specialises in seafood but will happily provide vegan dishes – I had frisceu (savoury fritters) with cashew fondue, trenette pasta with broccoli sauce and tomato pesto, and artichokes three ways. Bars range from aperitivo spots along the waterfront to palatial cocktail bars and secret speakeasies – Malkovich is hidden inside a burger joint and requires a password.

To make the most of autumn sunshine, stroll a mile and a half along the Corso Italia to Boccadasse, a former fishing village with a small beach. We took the train a little further along the coast to Nervi, which has a huge park and elegant villas that now house modern art galleries. Beyond there is Camogli, a less-visited alternative to Portofino (15 minutes from Genoa by fast train).

Stay If your budget stretches to it, where else would you stay in Genoa but in a palace? Dimora Almayer is a gorgeous frescoed apartment in a 15th-century building (prices to be announced). Palazzo Grillo (doubles from €150), on pretty Piazza delle Vigne, is now a four-star hotel.
Rachel Dixon

Aveiro, Portugal

On a saltwater lagoon in northern Portugal, Aveiro has something of the studenty buzz of nearby Coimbra and much of the old-school tradition of Porto, about 50 miles north, but a vibe all of its own: laid-back, characterful, and, well, small-town. The guidebooks call it the “Venice of Portugal”, which is true in that it has a network of canals and is popular with summer tourists, but that’s about as far as the comparison goes.

That said, a short ride in one of the colourful, gondola-style moliceiro boats is a great way to get a feel for the place – and to pick out a waterside cafe in which to while away an hour or two drinking an icy port tonic.

Aveiro packs a lot into its relatively compact centre, which jumbles art nouveau architecture with impressive religious buildings (including a cathedral and monastery) and a traditional fishers’ quarter. The effect is charmingly eclectic. The central fish market is worth a visit, ringing to the sound of fishmongers hawking that morning’s catch.

Three excellent museums – the Aveiro Museum, the Museo de Arte Nova and Aveiro City Museum – are close to each other, and all handy for a purveyor of delectable ovos moles, the city’s signature sugary treat of sweetened egg yolk in a wafer crust.

Aveiro’s surroundings also make it a great late-summer getaway. Up the coast is the Dunas de São Jacinto nature reserve, where car-free tracks are perfect for a cycle ride through pine trees. And the lagoon, which sits between the city and the coast, offers several options for watery fun, including paddleboarding, kayaking and windsurfing.

Costa Nova, Aveiro’s seaside sister town, a bus ride from the centre, is on a sandy peninsula, its lagoonside promenade lined with colourfully painted, striped palheiros – wooden houses originally built to provide shelter for fishers and to store their equipment. Behind these buildings is a wide, sandy beach that’s popular with surfers and sunbathers.

For fresh seafood straight from the lagoon, try the glass-fronted Restaurante Dóri, on the first floor above Costa Nova’s fish market. Lagoon views, especially from the outside terrace, are wonderful, as are the bountiful platters of shellfish, prawns and crab, but leave room for a taste of ensopado (fish stew), one of Aveiro’s specialities.

Stay Veneza Hotel, in a charming 1930s townhouse close to Aveiro station, has doubles from €88, room-only.
Oliver Balch

Alicante, Spain

When I was young, my mum and I travelled into Alicante – the capital of the province I grew up in – only when we needed to either get an official document stamped or to buy slabs of turrón, the renowned nougat made with almonds and rosemary honey. Often bypassed by tourists for the fly-and-flop resorts of Benidorm and Torrevieja, Alicante in the 1990s wasn’t particularly appealing to visitors: hotels were limited, restaurants underwhelming, streets a little rough around the edges.

But this ancient city on the Costa Blanca – it has been inhabited for thousands of years, settled by Greeks and Phoenicians, Romans and Moors – has changed in the past two decades. In particular, talented chefs are returning to their home city, infusing Alicante’s centuries-old dishes – including its 300-plus local rice recipes – with much-needed creativity. Add to that a polished old town, wine bars and museums easily accessible on foot, and a sprinkling of new hotels, and it is easy to see why this underrated city is starting to be noticed. I, for one, keep coming back – and it’s no longer just for the turrón.

The city is particularly lovely in early autumn, when temperatures cool to a pleasant 20C or so. I usually start the day with a stroll along the palm-fringed Esplanada d’Espanya, the waterfront promenade paved in wave-shaped mosaics. At the end of the Esplanada is El Postiguet, a stretch of powdery sand and calm water, perfect for a swim. Above sits Castillo de Santa Bárbara, a well-preserved 16th-century fortress that can be climbed for views over the Mediterranean and the Costa Blanca.

I rarely visit Alicante without stopping by Barrio Santa Cruz, the city’s oldest neighbourhood, at the foot of Monte Benacantil, where the castle is. I love the narrow streets crammed with blue and terracotta plant pots, and the low-slung fishers’ houses with their yellow-and-red patterned tiles. The neighbourhood is also home to Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Alicante (Maca), a gallery dedicated to 20th-century Spanish artists including Dalí and Picasso. I love the nearby Museo de Fogueres too, which is all about Alicante’s annual Sant Joan bonfire party featuring fireworks and giant wooden effigies.

From Santa Cruz, I’ll make for the Mercado Central, the covered market, to stock up on gamba roja (red prawns), mojama de atún (salt-cured tuna) and turrón. El Palé, on the lower floor, serves the best smoked meats and sardines in the city. On Saturdays, alicantinos flock to the market’s bars for an early afternoon tapas crawl known as tardeo, and Bar Guillermo, on a street just behind, offers a special, and delicious, stew of rice, chickpeas and vegetables called olleta alicantina.

For dinner, César Anca is a modern tapas restaurant with creative takes on Spanish classics, such as huevos rotos (fried eggs with potatoes), adding smoked cheese and rosemary. La Taverna del Racó del Pla offers more traditional dishes (its signature is arroz con pata de ternera, calf’s foot rice). Seafood, such as brandy-flambéed langoustines and monkfish fideuà (like paella but with short noodles), is also excellent. The Urban Wine Shop and Bar is a great place to try Alicante wines, paired perhaps with cheese and charcuterie platters.

For those staying longer, adventures on the doorstep include visiting vineyards along Alicante’s Ruta del Vino and the one-hour ferry ride to Isla de Tabarca, about eight miles to the south. It’s small, but has beautifully clear waters, and I love a lunchtime caldero (the island’s rockfish, potato and rice dish) at Mar Azul. Those who stay at Hotel Boutique Isla Tabarca (doubles from €125), a basic but quaint hotel steps from the sea, get the island almost to themselves once the last ferry leaves.

Stay Casa Alberola, in a restored neoclassical building on the Esplanada d’Espanya, has doubles from €145.
Jessica Vincent

Zadar, Croatia

September in Croatia is sublime: the seas are still warm and the nights balmy, but it is less hectic than July and August. And for a last blast of summer – plus a dollop of culture, ancient history, superb food, buzzing cafes, beaches and even a bit of island hopping – Zadar, in northern Dalmatia, fits the bill perfectly.

Meander the Riva, the seafront promenade running along the western length of the peninsula where Zadar’s old town sits. The Austrians built it in the 19th century, but all along are signs of those who came before them. Just off the seafront are the remains of the Roman forum, swiftly followed by the squat Byzantine St Donatus church, now an atmospheric concert venue. It’s beside the 19th-century belltower of the Romanesque St Anastasia cathedral. In the same square is St Mary’s Church, with its mishmash of Roman, medieval, Renaissance and baroque elements and a 10th-century belltower. The 20th century muscles in with its 1970s concrete Archaeological Museum across the way.

In fact, there is quite a lot of 20th century here – repeated Allied bombing during the second world war led to large-scale reconstruction. But the essence of three centuries of Venetian rule remains. Terracotta and ochre townhouses loom over marble-paved lanes, including the main thoroughfare, Kalelarga, which leads to beautiful Narodni trg (People’s square), with cafe terraces surrounded by Venetian architecture.

This is the place for an aperitif before diving back into the maze of alleyways for dinner. Terracotta is a good bet for Dalmatian dishes such as cuttlefish-ink risotto and grilled calamari. On the north-eastern tip of the peninsula, Restaurant Kornat offers sea views to go with fresh-off-the-boat seafood and hefty steaks. It’s by the Garden Lounge, probably the most chilled place for a drink, with huge sunloungers and sofas strewn on a sea-facing terrace.

Two of Zadar’s best sights are the food market – open daily and an excellent place to pick up chunks of fabulously salty Pag cheese – and the humdrum-sounding but fascinating Museum of Ancient Glass, whose exhibits go back to Roman times.

Amid this ancient history comes the modern world in audacious form. On the Riva’s northern tip, two art installations created by the architect Nikola Bašić in 2005 and 2008 harness the power of the sea and the sun: the Sea Organ’s underwater pipes make mournful music; and Greeting to the Sun has blue solar panels that glitter by day and twinkle by night). All part of Zadar’s magic.

Stay Downtown Boutique Hostel has dorm beds from €23, stylish private rooms sleeping five from €139, and a pretty courtyard cafe.
Mary Novakovich

Thessaloniki, Greece

Rather than go to Athens and the Greek islands, both still mobbed with tourists deep into autumn, my go-to place in Greece in late summer is Thessaloniki, the country’s fascinating second city. I lived and taught in Thessaloniki in the early 90s and have returned every year since. While the city’s ancient patina and unpretentious attitude remain, it has become more progressive in the intervening decades. Posh cocktail bars (try Vogatsikou 3) offer outdoor seating on the waterside, and upmarket gastropubs sit next door to traditional tavernas in Ladadika, the district once home to the city’s olive oil shops and warehouses.

Thessaloniki has long been a geographical and cultural intersection; it is a major port and crossed by the Via Egnatia, the Roman road that once stretched from the Adriatic to Constantinople. Christian, Jewish and Muslim populations have lived alongside one another for centuries, a fact that still informs the city’s welcoming personality.

The city is made for walking and, even better, for getting lost on purpose. In the space of an afternoon, you could visit the spectacular (and air-conditioned) Archeological Museum, then meander along the Aegean on a windswept promenade that stretches for miles. Another day’s walk might lead you along the Roman walls into Ano Poli, the old city, with its Ottoman-style houses and tiny Byzantine churches.

While Thessaloniki is a busy city and home to Greece’s largest university, away from the main thoroughfares it feels more like a large village, its leaf-shaded alleys lined with bars and inexpensive restaurants catering mostly for locals. The city boasts some of the best food in Greece, especially mezedes, small plates meant to be shared with fellow diners.

Seek out restaurants with menus that change daily, according to the moods of the market or the chef. A good place to start is in Valaoritou, a former garment district now bustling with day and nightlife: Ouzeri Agora offers white-tablecloth service for formal dining, but also smaller portions listed on a chalkboard menu in the bar area (cuttlefish with spinach is particularly good). The gorgeously renovated Modianou market nearby is a great place for snacks and gifts.

Thessaloniki is ideally situated for day trips. While the city beaches at Perea are acceptable for a quick dip, it’s worth driving for just under two hours to Halkidiki, a trident-shaped peninsula with some of the best beaches in Greece. Sithonia, the middle, less-populated prong of the trident, can be circumnavigated in an afternoon, depending on how often you stop to swim or feast on seafood.

For a dose of mountain air, drive 90 minutes south from Thessaloniki to the foothills of Mount Olympus. You can stroll from the charming village of Litochoro into the spectacular Enipeas gorge, then have a dip in the sea at Leptokarya, a short drive away, and still be back in the city in time for dinner.

Stay For comfortable, affordable lodging in the centre, consider the Davitel Tobacco Hotel on Agiou Dimitriou (doubles from €119 B&B), or the more economical El Greco Hotel (doubles from €80 room-only) right on Via Egnatia.
Christopher Bakken