September holidays, or where to go with kids after the summer season
School has started, but luckily not for everyone just yet! September is actually a perfect month for a holiday with young children – fewer crowds, lower prices, and still plenty of beautiful weather. Here are a few of my ideas for a family getaway after the summer season ❤️
Gargano Peninsula
The Gargano Peninsula is a lesser-known part of Italy where September still means warm sea and pleasant evenings. Located on the Adriatic coast, in the Italian region of Puglia, it is known for beautiful beaches, crystal-clear water and rocky limestone cliffs – like those at Pizzomunno Beach in Vieste, with its impressive limestone monolith rising from the sand. Manfredonia is a fairly large port town and a kind of gateway to the peninsula, making it a good place to start your Gargano adventure. It’s convenient to stay here for a night and then continue further into the peninsula. In the morning, you can enjoy a coffee in a small café full of locals, have seafood by the harbour for dinner, and afterwards go for an atmospheric evening walk along the beautifully illuminated promenade.
A rental car will take us through some wonderful landscapes, with views over the peninsula from above. Driving along the winding coastal roads, we pass dense Mediterranean vegetation, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees. One unique experience is a visit to a nearby restaurant built on the rocks right above the sea. Sitting there almost feels like being out on the open water, surrounded by large, crashing waves. The sound of the sea, the fishing atmosphere and truly delicious fish and seafood dishes make you feel as if you were having lunch aboard a boat in the middle of a rough sea. Definitely worth a stop! Continuing along the coast, we reach the fishing town of Peschici, where a castle overlooks the town from a headland and the pier offers beautiful views of the beach, boats and fishing vessels. In the small old town, you can stop for some delicious gelato – including a few rather unusual flavours, such as saffron 😉 Straight from Peschici, we head to Vico del Gargano, a hilltop town located away from the sea. It offers beautiful views over a large part of the peninsula, while walking through its narrow cobbled streets and admiring centuries-old stone houses is a real treat for both kids and adults!
One of the best things to do on the Gargano Peninsula is definitely renting bikes in Gargano National Park, or more precisely in its dense forest known as Foresta Umbra. Exploring the forest on electric mountain bikes is a fantastic adventure and a great way to spend an active day with children surrounded by unspoilt nature. And everything is organised professionally and with so much kindness 😉
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva is a large glacial lake in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The area is very well connected not only with the rest of the canton and the country, but also with neighbouring countries. Getting around is incredibly easy thanks to the exceptionally comfortable trains. Geneva, the capital of the canton, with its many international institutions and impressive architecture, is also a great place for long walks along the promenade, where you can see the famous tall fountain rising from the lake 😉 If you’re travelling with children, make sure to visit the botanical garden, with plenty of space for them to run around and lots of lovely corners filled with trees, exotic flowers and greenery. Not far from lively Lausanne (home to Switzerland’s only metro 😉) lies Lavaux, a vast wine-growing region. September is the perfect time to visit, when vineyards full of ripe grapes stretch towards the horizon above the shimmering waters of Lake Geneva, with the monumental Alps in the background. It’s easy to get around here with a stroller and walk for miles with young children – and there are plenty of places to taste local wines and cheeses too 😉 Lavaux is, of course, not the only place with panoramic views of the area. You can also head towards the north-western end of the lake early in the morning and admire the region in absolute silence from some of the highest viewpoints around.
It’s worth spending a couple of days travelling along the northern shore of the lake. We start at Chillon Castle, where I could sit for hours just looking at the breathtaking scenery. A real fairytale! The castle itself isn’t very big and you can comfortably explore it inside, but its location is simply magical! From there, we continue towards Montreux, with its iconic Freddie Mercury statue, and then on to the charming town of Vevey. In all of these places, you can walk along beautifully maintained promenades, cycle beside the lake, relax on the grass in the shade of the trees right by the water, and watch the kids have a wonderful time at the many playgrounds!
Just an hour away from Geneva is the famous French town of Chamonix, with views of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. It’s definitely worth taking the cable car higher up and seeing this majestic mountain in all its glory. Funny enough, it was right below the Mont Blanc massif that we lost our little M’s very first shoe – or rather, our little one made sure to secretly throw it out of the stroller 😉 Sentimentally speaking, somewhere there beneath Mont Blanc, the first symbolic little shoe of our first daughter might still be waiting.
Copenhagen and Malmö
For those who prefer slightly cooler weather, Copenhagen will definitely be a great choice! It’s not only Nyhavn – the famous canal and street in the Danish capital – but also the harbour, the sea, the beach, modernist architecture, castles and palaces with impressive gardens, as well as huge parks and playgrounds that are perfect for children. The Gothic churches are impressive, while little ones have lots of fun running around and hiding in the spiral passageways of Rundetårn, or the Round Tower. Another must on a family trip is Tivoli Gardens – an amusement park in the centre of Copenhagen, surrounded by trees and especially worth visiting in the evening, when everything is beautifully and cosily illuminated. Quite a phenomenon is Freetown Christiania, located near the river and close to green wetland areas. It is an independent centre of the hippie movement and alternative culture. Visiting a place where using phones and taking photographs is forbidden is quite an interesting experience 😉 For something delicious, I really recommend the local food market Torvehallerne, where you can try fresh and tasty local food. And while you’re in Copenhagen, taking the train across the sea straight to Swedish Malmö is definitely an adventure for the kids! The journey really is an attraction in itself, and the city is genuinely charming too, with a lovely old town, characteristic windmills and, of course – because how could it be otherwise? – wooden playgrounds hidden away in mysterious little forests ❤️
If you’re the parent of a baby, toddler or preschooler, you really should visit one of these places outside the main tourist season! September is such a great opportunity to enjoy a family trip ❤️ I can help you plan a trip like this even at the very last minute, so you can make the most of everything September has to offer ❤️
This post is about: family holidays 🌎 traveling with kids 🌎 Gargano 🌎 Peschici 🌎 Vieste 🌎 Foresta Umbra 🌎 Apulia 🌎 Manfredonia 🌎 Lake Geneva 🌎 Chillon Castle 🌎 Vevey 🌎 Lavaux 🌎 Montreaux 🌎 Geneva 🌎 Lausanne 🌎 Copenhagen 🌎 Malmo 🌎 Nyhavn 🌎 Christiania
