4. Cornwall
September is a fine time to visit Cornwall, when sea temperatures are at their warmest, honeypot towns such as St Ives and Padstow are freed from log-jam traffic and summer crowds, and beaches are also far less busy. For two weeks every September, St Ives celebrates the arts with a festival of film screenings, art exhibitions, comedy and concerts — from folk to rock, classic to choral — as well as talks and guided walks in and around town, taking in everything from local history to megalithic tombs and Virginia Woolf’s Talland House. September is also the time of Heritage Open Days (9-18 September), when landmark buildings across the country that are usually closed to the public throw open their doors for tours. There are some notable addresses in Cornwall.
Sustainable travel tip: Ditch the car and explore by bike. Cornwall has a growing number of coastal and rural cycle trails linking its many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The latest trail opened in 2021: the West Kernow Way is a 140-mile looped route starting in Penzance and taking in such landmark spots as Land’s End, St Michaels Mount and Lizard Point.
5. Slovenia
It’s last call for hiking in the Alps, where the walking season winds down in autumn as weather reduces mountain access. September is a spectacular month to be at altitude, being still warm, dry and sunny, while the trees form a fiery seasonal display. Slovenia’s Julian Alps, at the mountain range’s easterly end, are defined by jagged limestone peaks offering an ever-expanding range of waymarked hiking routes. At the heart of the mountains, 9,400ft-high Mount Triglav is Slovenia’s loftiest peak, towering above the beautifully glacial lakes of Bohinj and Bled. The Juliana Hiking Trail is a recently mapped network of pathways across 168 miles of northwest Slovenia, taking in Triglav National Park and traversing some of the country’s most spectacular Alpine terrain in 16 10-mile sections.
Sustainable travel tip: To find the most eco-minded hosts and campsites, consult Slovenian Tourism’s Green Scheme listings.
Subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Follow us on social media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
