There is something about autumn that makes me want to keep cycling just a wee bit longer. The temperatures are more comfortable, popular places begin to quiete ndown and the countryside changes almost daily. Add vinyards, harvest time and plenty of opportunities to sample seasonal food, and I’m certainly not ready to put the e-bike away just yet.
I’ve cycled all five of these regions, although not necessarily in autumn. However, having experienced them from the saddle, these are places I’d happily return to when it’s cooler, quieter and autumn is beginning to change the landscape.
Changing colours
Harvest season
Quieter Routes
Cooler Riding
1. Weinviertel, Austria
Vineyards, rolling countryside and traditional Kellergassen (cellar lanes) make the Weinviertel a wonderful area to explore by e-bike. I particularly enjoyed the quiet country lanes and the gentle, rolling landscape. Autumn also brings the grape harvest and, of course, Sturm – the young, partially fermented wine.
Why Autumn?
Grape harvest, quieter country lanes and those wonderful Kellergassen.
2. Goriška Brda, Slovenia
Goriška Brda is a patchwork of vineyards, orchards and pretty villages, spread across rolling hills. It’s beautiful, but there is plenty of up and down, so the e-bike is ideal. Autumn brings harvest season and more comfortable temperatures.
Why Autumn?
Vineyards, harvest season, local food and views all the way to the Adriatic.
3. Tuscany
Tuscany needs very little introduction, but cycling it is quite different from admiring it through a car window. Those famous rolling hills really do roll! Autumn brings more comfortable temperatures as well as grape and olive harvests, with plenty of opportunities for a long lunch along the way.
Why Autumn?
Less heat, harvest season and wonderful cycling through the Tuscan countryside.
4. The Romantic road, Germany
The Romantic Road takes you from Würzburg to Füssen through medieval towns, villages and changing Bavarian countryside. In autumn, cooler temperatures can make longer cycling days more comfortable. While travelling outside the main summer period means some of the best known towns may feel a little less busy.
Why Autumn?
Cooler cycling, fewer peak season visitors and beautiful changing countryside.
5. Burgenland, Austria
Burgenland offers wide open landscapes, vineyards and reed beds around Lake Neusiedl. It’s a region that’s wonderfully suited to leisurely e-biking but summer can be hot and exposed. Early autumn brings more comfortable temperatures for a full day on the bike.
Why Autumn?
Cooler riding, vineyards and peaceful cycling around Lake Neusiedl.
