4 Reasons Eastern Europe Should be on Your Travel List

A few months ago I was lucky to be able to travel through Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic and I left convinced that Eastern Europe was a location that every traditional “Europe Lover” needed to experience. There are 5* hotels, amazing restaurants, well connected private guides all with a little different charm then the traditional Western European destinations. Below are my best reasons to visit Eastern Europe, and I hope it inspires you to add it to your travel list.

1. Get Behind the Iron Curtain

Every Eastern Europe Country was either part of the Communist USSR or a Satellite State for the Soviets following WW2. Many of these countries were previously free and democratic prior to the war. Each country has its own story to tell about the transition including uprisings, secret police killings and their eventual return to democracy during the fall of the USSR.

2. Food and Drink Culture

Each country has an amazing history and passion for their local food and drinks. While many of the countries have similar basic soviet style meals they all put a slightly different twist on it. Hungary has a great café culture and loves middle eastern spices due to their occupation by the Turks, Czech has an amazing beer culture that rivals Germany and Poland loves their pierogi and sausage.

3. Guides that can Connect with History

Because all of these countries were under Soviet control until 1989 almost every private guide has personally witnessed life before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The family of our guide in Hungary actually were prominent members of the democratically elected government prior to WW2 and due to the soviet takeover all of their property was seized and given to communist party elites. To this day Hungary has not attempted to return seized private property. Personal stories like these from guides really make the destination come to life and give you a much greater understanding of the local culture.

4. World War II From a different angle

Its easy living in America to only think of the Western Front of WW2. We constantly are shown images of D Day, The German Bombing of England, and the US advance into Germany to end the war. The Eastern Front was a very different war, and traveling through Eastern Europe it tells different tales. In Poland you hear about the Soviet capture and killing of Polish generals during the German Invasion, see the history of the Warsaw Uprising and visit world famous concentration camps like Auschwitz. In Hungary find out about Hitler’s occupation and the Soviet Siege of Budapest. Finally in Czech Republic you can hear about the international attempts at peace by giving Hitler Czech land in the run up to the war and the resistance fighters who gave their lives to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich a high ranking SS officer and main architect of the Holocaust

Make sure you contact us to plan your next travel experience in Eastern Europe. We have access to the best guides, connections at the best hotels and know how to piece all the details together to ensure you have a trip of a lifetime.