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.
Those days are happily behind us, now. And, though their virtues don't shine like they did back in the 90s, when suddenly the doors flew open, the cities of Eastern Europe remain remarkable opportunities. Combining architectural beauty, great cuisine, rich culture, low costs and people still not yet jaded by tourism, the best European cities of the east offer wonderful value and a great experience
Our top three on the list of must-see cities are offered for your consideration:
3. BUCHAREST
If #3 takes you by surprised, we're not surprised. Its charms remain still widely unacknowledged in mainstream tourism. This fact likely contributes to its appeal. We offer fair warning, though, don't wait too long or this lovely gem could be swamped by the time you get there.
It came to be dubbed little Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The French influence from that time upon this wonderful city has amazingly survived the bleakest of Iron Curtain totalitarians far better than one would have had any reason to hope. During its developmental heyday, before the Communists got hold of it, Bucharest underwent a cultural flowering.
These great achievements remain among the cities destination landmarks. Topping that list is 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
True, our second on the list isn't quite the surprise as the #3 spot. Don't though make the mistake of letting its predictability put you off a truly remarkable experience. This may be among the best-known East European cities, but, make no mistake; it comes by its 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.
Of course, when visiting Prague one must see the iconic sights: the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle/St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Old Town Square, with its well-known Astronomical Clock. Don't stop there, though. The city has many other intriguing secrets.
Top on our list are the cafes of Prague. Well, sure, you may say, the city is famous for its grand cafes. True, but did you know that the real gems, which most tourists never even see, are tucked away up on what they call the first floor? That's where you look to find the city's most refined and atmospheric downtown cafes.
These are amazingly overlooked by most tourists. And I'll tell you, you will be left speechless at the beauty of the period interiors. The coffee is always perfect and you'll find them well appointed with a smart clientele oozing old school European sophistication. Among the great choices, check out the Grand Cafe Orient above the Cubist Museum and Cafe Louvre, in their day, a favorite 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.
Despite all this, Krakow is no longer the undiscovered hideaway of even recent years. Steven Spielberg's much decorated movie, Shindler's List, filmed and based on events that took place in Krakow, has brought the city to the attention of tourists in a renew way. It is still possible and relatively easy, though, to get a taste of the real Krakow - of the feel of the city prior to its Hollywood generated tourist industry. 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.
One place we would highly recommend, though, is Klub Drukarnia. It is a swinging jazz club and offers the bonus of being able to enjoy spectacular sunset vistas over the Wisla River. The club's basement is the setting for frequent concerts and DJ nights. Features include a saloon-style smoking room and a smarter side with velvet seats and a long bar with huge windows providing a glorious panorama over the river.
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.
Those days are happily behind us, now. And, though their virtues don't shine like they did back in the 90s, when suddenly the doors flew open, the cities of Eastern Europe remain remarkable opportunities. Combining architectural beauty, great cuisine, rich culture, low costs and people still not yet jaded by tourism, the best European cities of the east offer wonderful value and a great experience
Our top three on the list of must-see cities are offered for your consideration:
3. BUCHAREST
If #3 takes you by surprised, we're not surprised. Its charms remain still widely unacknowledged in mainstream tourism. This fact likely contributes to its appeal. We offer fair warning, though, don't wait too long or this lovely gem could be swamped by the time you get there.
It came to be dubbed little Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The French influence from that time upon this wonderful city has amazingly survived the bleakest of Iron Curtain totalitarians far better than one would have had any reason to hope. During its developmental heyday, before the Communists got hold of it, Bucharest underwent a cultural flowering.
These great achievements remain among the cities destination landmarks. Topping that list is 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
True, our second on the list isn't quite the surprise as the #3 spot. Don't though make the mistake of letting its predictability put you off a truly remarkable experience. This may be among the best-known East European cities, but, make no mistake; it comes by its 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.
Of course, when visiting Prague one must see the iconic sights: the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle/St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Old Town Square, with its well-known Astronomical Clock. Don't stop there, though. The city has many other intriguing secrets.
Top on our list are the cafes of Prague. Well, sure, you may say, the city is famous for its grand cafes. True, but did you know that the real gems, which most tourists never even see, are tucked away up on what they call the first floor? That's where you look to find the city's most refined and atmospheric downtown cafes.
These are amazingly overlooked by most tourists. And I'll tell you, you will be left speechless at the beauty of the period interiors. The coffee is always perfect and you'll find them well appointed with a smart clientele oozing old school European sophistication. Among the great choices, check out the Grand Cafe Orient above the Cubist Museum and Cafe Louvre, in their day, a favorite 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.
Despite all this, Krakow is no longer the undiscovered hideaway of even recent years. Steven Spielberg's much decorated movie, Shindler's List, filmed and based on events that took place in Krakow, has brought the city to the attention of tourists in a renew way. It is still possible and relatively easy, though, to get a taste of the real Krakow - of the feel of the city prior to its Hollywood generated tourist industry. 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.
One place we would highly recommend, though, is Klub Drukarnia. It is a swinging jazz club and offers the bonus of being able to enjoy spectacular sunset vistas over the Wisla River. The club's basement is the setting for frequent concerts and DJ nights. Features include a saloon-style smoking room and a smarter side with velvet seats and a long bar with huge windows providing a glorious panorama over the river.
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 opportunities at our Best European Cities site. Mitchell Jones is a widely published travel writer, who has the scoop on the latest travel trends. See his fascinating article on the wellness travel industry in India.
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