Many Americans, when presented with the prospect of visiting the best European cities, conjure images of the Eiffel Tower, the Spanish Steps, the Ramblas or St. Paul's Cathedral. This western orientation, though, may be a consequence of so much of Eastern Europe being closed off by the Iron Curtain for so many years.
Time to catch up to reality! Times have changed. Yes, it's true, these eastern gems don't glimmer like back in the 90s, when the doors suddenly blew open. Nonetheless, the cities of Eastern Europe are still great opportunities and bargains. Stunning architecture, delicious food, delightful culture, economizing costs and people still not yet jaded by tourism: these remain the hallmarks of the best European cities of the east.
Check out our top three must-see East European cities:
BUCHAREST
This is one that may not come to mind immediately for a lot of people. However, being a bit under the radar is likely part of its appeal. Don't wait too long, though. This great getaway is stirring up more and more attention each passing year.
Known as little Paris, because of its French influence, this wonderful city has survived the bleakest of the bleak Iron Curtain totalitarians much better than one could have hoped. During the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, before the Communists got hold of it, Bucharest underwent a developmental flowering.
There were great achievements in architecture and culture. Among the most prominent were the building of Bucharest University, Grand Hotel du Boulevard, the Botanical Garden, the Atheneum, and Casa Capsa.
In general, the city's wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Epoque buildings and a reputation for high style, has provided it its well deserved little Paris moniker. A bustling metropolis, Romania's largest city and capital is an absolute must see if you're in search of the East's best European cities.
2. PRAGUE
Admittedly, the second spot on our list is a little more obvious. Don't make the mistake though of allowing familiarity to put you off of this wonderful destination. If Prague is an obvious choice for such a list; it comes by the reputation honestly.
It is replete with impressive bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes: a true visual treat at every moment. Its miraculous achievement is to successfully mix the old, medieval center characterized by cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires, with the modern city full of fine dining restaurants, music, and art.
It goes without saying, when you're visiting Prague there are certain venues you simply have to experience. At the top of that list are the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle/St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Old Town Square, with its well-known Astronomical Clock. Goodness, though, don't stop there. There are too many other marvelous secrets to discover.
Take the ubiquitous cafe; Prague is rightfully famed for its grand cafes. Check out this hot tip though. When you go in search of your coffee break, turn your gaze upward. Little known to the average tourist, Prague's best and most refined, atmospheric downtown cafes are up on what they call the first floor.
It is amazingly that these are overlooked by most tourists. All the better for you. You'll be left speechless by the elegance and refinement of the period interiors. The coffee is dependably exquisite and the clientele always well appointed in the old European way. Top recommendations are the Grand Cafe Orient above the Cubist Museum and Cafe Louvre. The latter, I'm told, was once of haunt of both Kafka and Einstein.
KRAKOW
If you found the second place on our list a bit predictable, you probably won't think the same of our position of honor. Krakow though is indeed a precious find; it hides away some of the best kept secrets of Europe: beautiful architecture and old world charm are everywhere. Krakow's restaurants enjoy a deserved reputation for being quaint, atmospheric eateries with excellent food, for very affordable prices.
However, as precious as Krakow remains, it is no longer undiscovered. Thanks to Steven Spielberg's awarding film, Shindler's List, both shot here and based on events that took place here, there is a tourist industry in the city. If though you want to see the real Krakow, the town without the Hollywood generated tourist trade, it's not hard to find. Here is our suggestion: get over to Podgrze.
Podgrze is described as a working-class area. It is gradually gentrifying due to an influx of bohos looking to escape the increasingly touristy town center and Jewish district. The recently completed Laetus Bernatek footbridge offers up this intriguing part of the city to easy access. Most tourists don't venture across it, but you should. Like most such transitional areas, there are a wide range of bars and cafes to choose from. You have to determine what best suits your taste.
To mention just one, see Klub Drukarnia. It is a happening jazz club providing glorious sunset views over the Wisla River. Its basement hosts concerts and DJ nights. Among its features are a saloon-style smoking room and a smarter side with velvet seats and a long bar with huge windows looking out over the river. Come hang with the hip set of Krakow.
The coolest thing on this side of the river, though, and in fact, an experience so surreal, it was what tipped the balance to making Krakow our number one pick is Liban Quarry. You've got to check this out! It was a working quarry of a 19th century Jewish owned limestone company. Nazis made it into a forced labor camp. When serious about forced labor, as were the Nazis, it means worked-to-death.
Following the war this area was turned into a memorial to the victims of Nazi atrocities. However, it seems that irony was yet to have the last laugh. For, as the decades have gone by, the city has turned its back on the quarry. As a consequence, gradually, nature reclaimed it. Once a thriving business reflecting Jewish acumen, then a blight of Nazi barbarism, it now is a spontaneous wildlife sanctuary. Home to waterfowl, birds of prey, pheasants and various other animals, the Liban Quarry seems to have found its own peace. Still, when looking over the rusting refinery equipment and memorial gravestones surrounded by ponds and draped in dense vegetation, ever surveyed by the sentinels of limestone cliffs, symbolism endlessly forces itself upon the imagination. I'll leave you to your own interpretations.
If a visit to Liban Quarry, as it often does, leaves you feeling a little melancholy, maybe even spooked, I suggest you finish off your day with a heart warming nightcap. Coming back across the bridge from Podgrze you'll discover two delightful cafes just on the city side. These are Mostowy Art Cafe, a large and elegant gallery cafe, and its next door neighbor, the more modest Po Drodze. The latter is a cosy old kitchen cafe where they'll spice up your coffee with a vodka shot. That's the way to end your day.
Time to catch up to reality! Times have changed. Yes, it's true, these eastern gems don't glimmer like back in the 90s, when the doors suddenly blew open. Nonetheless, the cities of Eastern Europe are still great opportunities and bargains. Stunning architecture, delicious food, delightful culture, economizing costs and people still not yet jaded by tourism: these remain the hallmarks of the best European cities of the east.
Check out our top three must-see East European cities:
BUCHAREST
This is one that may not come to mind immediately for a lot of people. However, being a bit under the radar is likely part of its appeal. Don't wait too long, though. This great getaway is stirring up more and more attention each passing year.
Known as little Paris, because of its French influence, this wonderful city has survived the bleakest of the bleak Iron Curtain totalitarians much better than one could have hoped. During the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, before the Communists got hold of it, Bucharest underwent a developmental flowering.
There were great achievements in architecture and culture. Among the most prominent were the building of Bucharest University, Grand Hotel du Boulevard, the Botanical Garden, the Atheneum, and Casa Capsa.
In general, the city's wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Epoque buildings and a reputation for high style, has provided it its well deserved little Paris moniker. A bustling metropolis, Romania's largest city and capital is an absolute must see if you're in search of the East's best European cities.
2. PRAGUE
Admittedly, the second spot on our list is a little more obvious. Don't make the mistake though of allowing familiarity to put you off of this wonderful destination. If Prague is an obvious choice for such a list; it comes by the reputation honestly.
It is replete with impressive bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes: a true visual treat at every moment. Its miraculous achievement is to successfully mix the old, medieval center characterized by cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires, with the modern city full of fine dining restaurants, music, and art.
It goes without saying, when you're visiting Prague there are certain venues you simply have to experience. At the top of that list are the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle/St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Old Town Square, with its well-known Astronomical Clock. Goodness, though, don't stop there. There are too many other marvelous secrets to discover.
Take the ubiquitous cafe; Prague is rightfully famed for its grand cafes. Check out this hot tip though. When you go in search of your coffee break, turn your gaze upward. Little known to the average tourist, Prague's best and most refined, atmospheric downtown cafes are up on what they call the first floor.
It is amazingly that these are overlooked by most tourists. All the better for you. You'll be left speechless by the elegance and refinement of the period interiors. The coffee is dependably exquisite and the clientele always well appointed in the old European way. Top recommendations are the Grand Cafe Orient above the Cubist Museum and Cafe Louvre. The latter, I'm told, was once of haunt of both Kafka and Einstein.
KRAKOW
If you found the second place on our list a bit predictable, you probably won't think the same of our position of honor. Krakow though is indeed a precious find; it hides away some of the best kept secrets of Europe: beautiful architecture and old world charm are everywhere. Krakow's restaurants enjoy a deserved reputation for being quaint, atmospheric eateries with excellent food, for very affordable prices.
However, as precious as Krakow remains, it is no longer undiscovered. Thanks to Steven Spielberg's awarding film, Shindler's List, both shot here and based on events that took place here, there is a tourist industry in the city. If though you want to see the real Krakow, the town without the Hollywood generated tourist trade, it's not hard to find. Here is our suggestion: get over to Podgrze.
Podgrze is described as a working-class area. It is gradually gentrifying due to an influx of bohos looking to escape the increasingly touristy town center and Jewish district. The recently completed Laetus Bernatek footbridge offers up this intriguing part of the city to easy access. Most tourists don't venture across it, but you should. Like most such transitional areas, there are a wide range of bars and cafes to choose from. You have to determine what best suits your taste.
To mention just one, see Klub Drukarnia. It is a happening jazz club providing glorious sunset views over the Wisla River. Its basement hosts concerts and DJ nights. Among its features are a saloon-style smoking room and a smarter side with velvet seats and a long bar with huge windows looking out over the river. Come hang with the hip set of Krakow.
The coolest thing on this side of the river, though, and in fact, an experience so surreal, it was what tipped the balance to making Krakow our number one pick is Liban Quarry. You've got to check this out! It was a working quarry of a 19th century Jewish owned limestone company. Nazis made it into a forced labor camp. When serious about forced labor, as were the Nazis, it means worked-to-death.
Following the war this area was turned into a memorial to the victims of Nazi atrocities. However, it seems that irony was yet to have the last laugh. For, as the decades have gone by, the city has turned its back on the quarry. As a consequence, gradually, nature reclaimed it. Once a thriving business reflecting Jewish acumen, then a blight of Nazi barbarism, it now is a spontaneous wildlife sanctuary. Home to waterfowl, birds of prey, pheasants and various other animals, the Liban Quarry seems to have found its own peace. Still, when looking over the rusting refinery equipment and memorial gravestones surrounded by ponds and draped in dense vegetation, ever surveyed by the sentinels of limestone cliffs, symbolism endlessly forces itself upon the imagination. I'll leave you to your own interpretations.
If a visit to Liban Quarry, as it often does, leaves you feeling a little melancholy, maybe even spooked, I suggest you finish off your day with a heart warming nightcap. Coming back across the bridge from Podgrze you'll discover two delightful cafes just on the city side. These are Mostowy Art Cafe, a large and elegant gallery cafe, and its next door neighbor, the more modest Po Drodze. The latter is a cosy old kitchen cafe where they'll spice up your coffee with a vodka shot. That's the way to end your day.
About the Author:
Travel fans and aficionados should be following the hottest news on European travel ideas at our Best European Cities blog. Mitchell Jones is a widely published travel writer, who provides the lowdown on the breaking travel trends. See his fascinating article on the wellness travel industry in India.
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