Fodor's Eastern and Central Europe

by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.

• ISBN13: 9780679000112
• ISBN10: 0679000119
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-12-01
• Publisher: Fodors Travel Pubns

Summary

"Up-to-date and accurate."-- Washington Post Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Completely up-to-date, Fodor's Gold Guides are essential tools for any kind of traveler. If you only have room for one guide, this is the guide for you. The best guide to the region, completely updated Walking tours of Prague, Budapest, Krakow, and other historic towns; wonderful drives through rolling countryside to medieval castles and lost-in-time villages Where to buy folk art, porcelain, jewelry, and crystal The best nightlife and cultural events, from grand opera houses and concert halls to traditional pubs and wine cellars Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Modern luxury hotels, revamped castles, historic country villas, simple pensions, and Black Sea coast resorts Rustic taverns, classic city restaurants, and the latest cafes Fresh, thorough, practical -- off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by our expert writer-residents 44 pages of maps, vacation itineraries, and more Important contacts, smart travel tips - Fodor's Choice - What's Where - Pleasures and Pastimes - Festivals - Vocabulary - Further Reading - Complete index

Table of Contents

On the Road with Fodor's	v
About Our Writers	v
Connections	vi
How to Use This Book	vi
Don't Forget to Write	vii
The Gold Guide	x
Smart Travel Tips A to Z
Destination: Eastern and Central Europe	1	(15)
What's Where	2	(2)
New and Noteworthy	4	(2)
Fodor's Choice	6	(6)
Festivals and Seasonal Events	12	(4)
Czech Republic	16	(119)
Pleasures and Pastimes	19	(3)
Exploring the Czech Republic	22	(1)
Prague	23	(55)
Southern Bohemia	78	(11)
Western Bohemia	89	(11)
Northern Bohemia	100	(7)
Southern Moravia	107	(8)
Brno	115	(9)
Northern Moravia	124	(4)
The Czech Republic A to Z	128	(7)
Slovakia	135	(38)
Pleasures and Pastimes	136	(3)
Exploring Slovakia	139	(2)
Bratislava	141	(9)
The High Tatras	150	(6)
Central Slovakia	156	(4)
Eastern Slovakia	160	(7)
Slovakia A to Z	167	(6)
Hungary	173	(134)
Pleasures and Pastimes	176	(3)
Exploring Hungary	179	(2)
Budapest	181	(50)
The Danube Bend	231	(12)
Lake Balaton	243	(16)
Northern Hungary	259	(13)
The Great Plain	272	(14)
Transdanubia	286	(13)
Hungary A to Z	299	(8)
Poland	307	(97)
Pleasures and Pastimes	312	(2)
Exploring Poland	314	(1)
Warsaw	315	(29)
Krakow	344	(15)
Malopolska	359	(10)
Lublin and Eastern Poland	369	(8)
Gdansk and the Northeast	377	(9)
Western Poland	386	(11)
Szczecin and the Coast	397	(2)
Poland A to Z	399	(5)
Bulgaria	404	(38)
Pleasures and Pastimes	406	(3)
Exploring Bulgaria	409	(1)
Sofia	410	(12)
Side Trips from Sofia	422	(1)
The Black Sea Golden Coast	423	(5)
Inland Bulgaria	428	(7)
Bulgaria A to Z	435	(7)
Romania	442	(33)
Pleasures and Pastimes	444	(2)
Exploring Romania	446	(1)
Bucharest	447	(11)
The Black Sea Coast and Danube Delta	458	(3)
Bucovina	461	(3)
Transylvania	464	(5)
Rumania A to Z	469	(6)
Further Reading	475	(4)
Vocabulary	479	(9)
Index	488

Excerpts

Destination Eastern and Central Europe


What's Where

Bulgaria

The southernmost frontier of Eastern and Central Europe, Bulgaria borders Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east; to the west are the territories of the former Yugoslavia. Covering a territory of approximately 111,000 square km (43,000 square mi), Bulgaria has a population of about 9 million. Sofia, the bustling, cosmopolitan capital, sits on the so-called Sofia Plain in western Bulgaria and is surrounded by rugged mountain ranges. The wooded and mountainous interior is sprinkled with attractive "museum" villages and ancient towns. In the Balkan Range in the north is the old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo. South of there, in the foothills of the Balkan Range, you'll find the verdant Valley of Roses and beyond that, Plovdiv, the country's second-largest city, and reputed intellectual center. The sunny, sandy beaches of Bulgaria's Black Sea coast attract visitors from all over Europe; the historic port city of Varna makes a good base for exploring the region.


Czech Republic

Planted firmly in the heart of Central Europe -- Prague is some 320 km (200 mi) northwest of Vienna -- the Czech Republic is culturally and historically more closely linked to Western, particularly Germanic, culture than any of its former East-bloc brethren. The Czech Republic is made up of the regions of Bohemia in the west (sharing long borders with Germany and Austria) and Moravia in the east. Moravia's White Carpathian Mountains (Bílé Karpaty) form the border with the young Slovak Republic, which broke its 74-year-old union with the Czechs in 1993 to establish itself as an independent nation. With a population of over 10 million, the Czech Republic is one of the most densely populated countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The capital city of Prague sits on the Vltava (Moldau) River, roughly in the middle of Bohemian territory. A stunning city of human dimensions, Prague offers the traveler a lesson in almost all the major architectural styles of Western European history; relatively unscathed by major wars, most of Prague's buildings are remarkably well preserved.


Hungary

Sandwiched between Slovakia and Romania, Hungary was the Austro-Hungarian Empire's eastern frontier. Measuring approximately 93,000 square km (36,000 square mi), with a population of more than 10 million, it is the geographical link between the Slavic regions of Central Europe and the Black Sea region's amalgam of Orthodox and Islamic cultures. The heart of the nation is  in the northwest on the Danube, just an hour from Bratislava in Slovakia and two hours from Vienna. Just north of Budapest, the Danube River forms a gentle, heart-shape curve along which lie the romantic and historic towns of the region called the Danube Bend. Southwest of Budapest are the vineyards, quaint villages, and popular, developed summer resorts around Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. The more rural and gently mountainous stretch of Northern Hungary also includes the handsome, vibrant town of Eger and the famous wine village of Tokaj.


Poland

The northernmost country in Central Europe, Poland has a long coastline on the Baltic Sea. A vast nation of 313,000 square km (121,000 square mi), Poland is made up primarily of a great plain in the north and central region and a small but dramatic stretch of mountainous territory to the south (on its border with Slovakia and the Czech Republic). Warsaw, just to the east of the country's center, has rebuilt itself several times over the course of its tumultuous history and since the end of communism has been changing faster than any other city or region in Poland.

Travelers interested in art and architecture shouldn't miss Krakow in the south (it's one of UNESCO's 12 great historic cities of the world) and the historic small towns of the surrounding region known as Little Poland. Outdoor enthusiasts will want to move on to the west and south, to the Podhale region and the Tatra Mountains. Many of the natural wonders and recreational areas of these two regions are within two hours' drive of downtown
Krakow.


Romania

Romania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, second only to Albania, but it's also one of the most beautiful. The same factors that kept Romania from developing economically during the Communist era also helped to preserve the country as one of the last bastions of medieval Europe. The country covers approximately 238,000 square km (92,000 square mi). Bucharest, the capital city, in the southeast just two hours or so from the Black Sea coast, was once known as the "Paris of the East." From Bucharest you can set out on a journey of the villages of Transylvania. Many of the towns here have preserved their medieval core and still show traces of the Latin and Germanic traders who passed through on their way to the Black Sea.


Slovakia

Having declared its independence from the Czech Republic in 1993, the smaller and more agrarian Slovak Republic has been struggling to revive its economic life and adjust to new post-Cold War realities. Slovakia is both less urbanized and less industrialized than  Moravian and Bohemian, its neighbors to the west. Bratislava, the capital, lies on the Danube in the southwestern corner of the country, just a few miles away from both the Austrian and Hungarian borders. Its small Old Town is charming and contains several buildings and churches of interest (especially to those interested in the history of the Austrio-Hungarian Empire), but Slovakia's real assets are to the north and east. Central Slovakia, a hilly region crossed by hiking trails, is rich in folklore and traces of medieval history. The High Tatra Mountains attract skiers, campers, and mountaineers from all across Europe; these days they are a real meeting ground for tourists from east and west.

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Excerpted from Eastern and Central Europe: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.