It’s so pretty here in autumn that this coastal city and gateway to Acadia National Park holds its annual Mount Desert Island Marathon and Half Marathon, as well as its Wine Tasting and Brewfest in October. Cruise ships continue to call on Bar Harbor through early November, when ghost and haunted history tours add to the chill in the air, while hot chowder and popovers provide warmth. And if wildlife-viewing is your thing, try booking a moose safari.

An autumn visit to Vancouver lets you revel in the natural beauty that surrounds British Columbia’s largest city while also enjoying one of the Pacific Northwest’s most amazing spectacles: the annual salmon run. From late September to late October, you can watch millions of scarlet-hued salmon return from the ocean and swim upstream in the Squamish, Capilano, Harrison, Adams, and other rivers to the place of their birth to spawn—and then, sadly, die.

If you book a Danube River cruise that calls on Vienna between late September and mid-October, check out the Wiener Weisn-Fest. Set in the shadow of the Ferris wheel of the Prater, the festival features local crafts, regional foods (think: wiener schnitzel and beer), and hours of traditional folk music. Throughout October, head to the baroque church of St. Charles Borromeo to catch Mozart, Vivaldi, and Bach concertos.

Ships visit Canada’s eastern Maritime Provinces for the fall foliage, but there’s plenty to do beyond leaf-peeping. Because St. John is located on the Bay of Fundy—which has the highest tides on earth, up to 50 feet—you can watch as 160 billion tons of seawater flow into and out of the bay twice a day. Take selfies standing in the seabed at low tide or atop the glass panels of Skywalk St. John, which extends over the largest whirlpool of the Reversing Falls Rapids.

If you’ve developed a fascination with the elaborately decorated skull-and-floral motifs of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)—or the movie Coco (guilty!)—plan to stop by this island port between October 31 and November 2. While the masks, candles, bouquets of marigolds, and mariachi music are dramatic and festive, this is a holiday when Mexicans honor and celebrate deceased family members; respectfully joining in the celebrations is encouraged.

If maple is your favorite fall flavor, this historic city on the St. Lawrence River will have you licking your lips. Though spring is the traditional festival season for the syrup, you’ll find “sugar shacks” specializing in maple-flavored dining all year round—and since most are located in the woods, the setting is pretty spectacular in September and October. Other autumn pastimes include the snow geese migration at the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area and apple, pumpkin, or squash picking on Ile d’Orleans.

September and October are popular months for ships to call on this northern Oregon port, and it’s the starting point for cruises on the Columbia and Hood rivers that explore the region’s food, wine, and history. Astoria has a thriving brewpub scene (mainstays include Buoy Beer Company and Reach Break Brewing), or you can sip your way through 40 local craft beers at the Pacific Northwest Brew Cup in late September. Visit on Sunday (through mid-October) to check out the 200 local vendors at the Astoria Sunday Market, and for a fall foliage fix, head to nearby Young River Falls.

Harvest time in Normandy means apples—and cider and calvados (apple brandy)—so Seine River cruisers who love the aroma and flavor of les pommes can visit local cider makers and distillers on tours from medieval Rouen. Tour the city’s notable Gothic spires of Notre Dame Cathedral (painted by Claude Monet) and Joan of Arc Square (where the teenage French martyr was burned at the stake in 1431); and if aromatic aged cheese is your thing, Normandy has cheese trails. Bring on the Camembert!

Some cities seem to bask in autumn’s glow, and Boston is one of them. In fall, college teams swiftly row along the Charles River (the Head of the Charles Regatta happens on the third weekend of October), the Red Sox will likely be in a pennant race at Fenway, and Halloween-themed pub crawls and costume races add to the merriment. Beer lovers can head to Oktoberfest in Harvard Square and families to pumpkin farms that are just a short drive away. Plus, you can tack-on a visit to nearby Salem, known for its, um, bewitching past.

Wine, more specifically Riesling, reigns here—and you’ll find plenty of atmospheric weinstube, the grape-lover’s version of a beer garden—but beer aficionados won’t be disappointed by a fall river cruise to this 2,000-year-old city where the Rhine meets the Moselle. It’s all part of culinary traditions dating back centuries. A local specialty called doppekooche—a potato, bacon and onion casserole—pairs well with drier Rieslings and can be enjoyed amid medieval churches and squares. We say prost to that!