Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am slated to travel to central Europe next month, and wondering if anyone can provide some useful suggestions.
I will have 15 days in total and the trip start with Munich, after than it is Vienna, Prague and finally Berlin.
Seems there is a 3-4 train ride between each segment. My questions are
Which are the cities I should spend more time in? Due to time constraints, I don't want to spend more than 3 full days in any of them except Berlin; I won't spend much time visiting museum so that will save a lot of time for sure. I am more interested in architecture, castles and landmarks, interesting neighborhoods, street events etc.
Are there any smaller places that is worth seeing for a few hours/half a day near these cities? What about Salsburg and Dresden?
I am slated to travel to central Europe next month, and wondering if anyone can provide some useful suggestions.
I will have 15 days in total and the trip start with Munich, after than it is Vienna, Prague and finally Berlin.
Seems there is a 3-4 train ride between each segment. My questions are
Which are the cities I should spend more time in? Due to time constraints, I don't want to spend more than 3 full days in any of them except Berlin; I won't spend much time visiting museum so that will save a lot of time for sure. I am more interested in architecture, castles and landmarks, interesting neighborhoods, street events etc.
Are there any smaller places that is worth seeing for a few hours/half a day near these cities? What about Salsburg and Dresden?
Thanks
Lucky duck! You should have a marvelous time.
My advice would be to GET OUT of the cities as much as possible, and into the countryside and smaller towns. That being said, you really should spend at least a day in Prague and Berlin.
When you're in Munich, you should definitely try to see Berchtesgaden and Hitler's Eagles Nest. The town is lovely, lots of interesting history, and the views from the Eagles Nest are amazing. If you're into WW2 history at all, you've got to see this. It's between Munich and Salzburg.
Here are a few photos of this area from our trip last year:
Eagles Nest:
Hitler's office:
If you can go west a bit (still in lower Bavaria but about three hours west) you could check out Garmisch/Partenkirchen (beautiful German Alps) and the highest peak in Germany!
Neuschwanstein is very close by:
Just outside of Munich you will find the town of Dachau - and the famous concentration camp there. Definitely sobering but worth the short trip (about half an hour outside of Munich). Plan to spend half a day there.
Personally, I prefer Salzburg over Vienna. Vienna is lovely but I didn't care much for the people there. Salzburg is just inside Austria near the German border, and it has a gorgeous town center, it's the birthplace of Mozart, and it has some excellent museums.
The Jewish section of Salzburg is also interesting.
Just outside of Salzburg are some famous salt mines with a really interesting tour that takes about two hours -well worth it!
Prague is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, especially if you are into Jugenstihl (Art Nouveau) architecture. I'd spend at least a day there, probably two. Great food there too.
If you CAN, check out some smaller towns like Brno. Brno is often overlooked (I believe if I recall, it's between Vienna and Prague) because most tour books classify it as an industrial town, but it's town center is charming. Stay at the Jakuba Hotel if you go there! It's like a set from an old Humphrey Bogart movie! And the hotel restaurant is excellent.
Jihlava is an even smaller town that we really liked. GREAT deals on garnets and high quality costume jewelry and quaint streets with a definite "eastern European" feel. Off the beaten path.
You are right to stay 3 days if possible in Berlin. Especially if you are into WW2 and Cold War history - it can't be beat. The shopping is amazing as well as the nightlife. Since it was leveled during WW2, don't expect picturesque or even historic architecture -it's a huge, busy, modern city.
Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, fire away.
I'd suggest a stop over for at least a few hours between Prague and Berlin ini Dresden.
It's stunning and I believe they should have completed all of the restoration by now.
If you're in Prague over a weekend, and so inclined, I'd join you for a coffee.
The Alfons Mucha Slav Epic is on display in Prague at this time.
I saw it at its old installation in Moravsky Krumlov, it's now at the modern art museum in Prague.
There's an good amount of art deco in Vienna as well. If you like art, don't miss their museums.
if you are going to Prague, you might as well check out Bratislava (capital of Slovakia) -- to compare who got the short end of the stick during the Czechoslovkia break up .
It is smaller and less developed than Prague, but it has a nice old city center.
PS: both Prague and Vienna are absolutely amazing and must-see European cities. Munich if a great city, but nowhere near Prague and Vienna, trust me.
if you are going to Prague, you might as well check out Bratislava (capital of Slovakia) -- to compare who got the short end of the stick during the Czechoslovkia break up .
It is smaller and less developed than Prague, but it has a nice old city center.
PS: both Prague and Vienna are absolutely amazing and must-see European cities. Munich if a great city, but nowhere near Prague and Vienna, trust me.
I think it's ridiculous to claim that "Slovakia got the short end of the stick" just from comparing Bratislava and Prague, when Prague is three times more populated and used to be the capital of the entire Czechoslovakia.
I think it's ridiculous to claim that "Slovakia got the short end of the stick" just from comparing Bratislava and Prague, when Prague is three times more populated and used to be the capital of the entire Czechoslovakia.
fair enough, but I also considered their country side.
Czech republic is more industrial, more wealthy, and thus more sophisticated, while Slovakia is mostly agrarian, poor, and mostly underdeveloped.
Dont get me wrong, I absolutely love what Slovaks did in the last 20 years since the collapse of the socialist system, they made a ton of progress both economically and socially (compared to the likes of Bulgaria and Romania and some other Eastern bloc states). BUT, they have a VERY long way to go still.
I sat on some lectures in Bratislava University of Economics, I interacted with some slovaks, I visited huge IBM service centers and talked with their senior leadership, I was able to move around Bratislava a little bit on my business trip. I liked the progress and a lot of optimism in people's faces. but it doesn't prevent me from viewing Slovakia, with all due respect, as a very backward and undeveloped country. its not a good or bad thing, its a fact.
fair enough, but I also considered their country side.
Czech republic is more industrial, more wealthy, and thus more sophisticated, while Slovakia is mostly agrarian, poor, and mostly underdeveloped.
Dont get me wrong, I absolutely love what Slovaks did in the last 20 years since the collapse of the socialist system, they made a ton of progress both economically and socially (compared to the likes of Bulgaria and Romania and some other Eastern bloc states). BUT, they have a VERY long way to go still.
I sat on some lectures in Bratislava University of Economics, I interacted with some slovaks, I visited huge IBM service centers and talked with their senior leadership, I was able to move around Bratislava a little bit on my business trip. I liked the progress and a lot of optimism in people's faces. but it doesn't prevent me from viewing Slovakia, with all due respect, as a very backward and undeveloped country. its not a good or bad thing, its a fact.
It certainly is not a fact, it is your opinion and not a very accurate one. I lived in Bratislava as well just like in many other cities in Europe and Australia and I and by no means I see any signs of backward and underdeveloped country in Bratislava. Anyone can have a bad experience anywhere and that is a fact.
To come back to the topic, I think Bratislava is definitely worth a trip, you can just get a 1 hour train from Vienna to Bratislava and back.
What the hell is Central Europe? Eastern Europe?
Central Europe..c'mon, I know that former commies are trying to resuccitate a word that died 80 years ago, but those countries are Eastern Europe.
Next time, they'll call themselves the Austrohungarian Empire.
I lived in Bratislava as well just like in many other cities in Europe and Australia and I and by no means I see any signs of backward and underdeveloped country in Bratislava. Anyone can have a bad experience anywhere and that is a fact.
on the contrary, I had a very good experience in Bratislava, hence my recommendation to visit. but you can't be serious and say with a straight face that Slovakia is a modern developed country with developed infrastructure, because this would be dishonest at best.
Bratislava (everywhere but the old town) is extremely raw and unpolished, which kind of reminds me on Russian provincial town's suburb, and we are talking about the capital of a country here! there are some newer office buildings with Western companies occupying them, but the rest of the housing is gray mediocre socialist conrete jungle.
Quote:
To come back to the topic, I think Bratislava is definitely worth a trip, you can just get a 1 hour train from Vienna to Bratislava and back.
I absolutely agree, it is definitely worth visting! hell, where else can you get a glass of quality wine for something close to 50 cents ?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
