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Byline: Emily Flynn Vencat (Rebecca Hall Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop George Hackett)

Travel: Finding Fall's Best Foliage

By Rebecca Hall

Everyone knows there's no place like New England, blessed with abundant sugar-maple trees and crisp September weather, to take in the colors of autumn foliage. But you don't have to fight the crowds clogging Vermont's pretty little towns to enjoy what the Japanese call "momijigari"--watching trees change. Europe has plenty of its own

prime foliage-viewing spots.

England's Northumberland National Park (northumberland-national-park.org.uk ) has 1,000 kilometers of footpaths, from the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border to the valley of Tynedale further south. On organized walks, visitors can enjoy moorlands awash in the purple haze of heather until mid-October, while golden bracken is a highlight throughout the native woodlands. Explore the Roman ruins of Hadrian's Wall and spend a night or two relaxing at Otterburn Tower, an 11th-century castle built by a cousin of William the Conqueror ([pounds sterling]85; otterburn tower.com ).

Autumn comes to Central Europe earlier than the west due to colder temperatures, so September and early October are optimal times to visit. Bohemia, the western part of the Czech Republic, is a region of dense forests with both coniferous and deciduous trees, and rolling meadows dotted with medieval and Baroque castles.