5 Weeks in Central Europe
- Tasnia Mozammel
- Oct 21, 2019
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 20, 2020
June 8-July 14, 2019
As a student, it had always been a dream of mine to make an independent trip to Central Europe and I knew the summer of 2019 would be my year to explore the beautiful countries of the historically rich region. Although my trip was a combination of an exchange program hosted by Masaryk University (located in Brno, Czech Republic) as well as a little over two weeks touring solo, I will share in this post briefly my travel route through the European region. For details on must-see sights, eateries, and expenses, please view posts on specific destinations!
This Central Europe route included the following countries (in particular order of destination): Warsaw (Poland), Krakow (Poland), Bratislava (Slovakia), Brno (Czech Republic), Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Zagreb (Croatia), Dubrovnik (Croatia), and finally, Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina).
WARSAW, POLAND
June 9-11, 2019
I arrived in Warsaw from Toronto around 11 am and took a taxi to Oki Doki Hostel, located just outside the walls of Warsaw Old Town (literally). The accommodation's location was excellent and the hostel overall exceeded my expectations.
I spent two nights and three days in Warsaw, before continuing to Krakow. The Old Town provides free walking tours throughout the day, offering various focusses from contemporary architecture to Jews of WWII. All of the major tourist attractions and sites are also walking distance from one another, and many only within pedestrian zones. Thus, I do not recommend purchasing tour tickets for Warsaw before arrival.
Warsaw Old Town was a major highlight of my entire trip! Warsaw is not a popular tourist destination as of yet but is completely underestimated. By 1944, Warsaw was destroyed by Nazi troops. The destruction was so severe that when Warsaw Old Town was decided to be rebuilt, it had been based on 18th Century landscapes painted before the Partitions of Poland. Hence the romance of the town and its insta-worthy old-but-new architecture.
KRAKOW, POLAND
June 11-13, 2019
I made my way from Warsaw to Krakow via FlixBus (4hr 25min journey; CAD 9.36).
*NOTE: I pre-booked all of my transports through cities before embarking to Central Europe. Thus, everything had been planned before arrival. I also highly recommend taking bus routes between states opposed to trains (1. cheaper, 2. more efficient/secure, 3. exceptionally breathtaking views, 4. there is an evident language barrier in many Central European states and standards of train stations do not compare to Western Europe). Trust me.
Upon my arrival to Krakow, I stayed at Metropolo by Golden Tulip. During the second day, I made a trip to Auschwitz Concentration Camp with Royal Krakow Tours and Transfers. The tour was exceptional.
Three to four days in Krakow is good enough. I found my stay quite short. Unlike Warsaw Old Town (newer), Krakow Old Town is actually old. Thus, staying within Old Town is not recommended (accommodation standards are very low). Metropolo was very far from the centre, but good accommodation.
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
June 13-15, 2019
I arrived to Bratislava via FlixBus (5hr 50min journey; CAD 24.56).
The six hour road trip from Krakow to Bratislava was absolutely stunning! Slovakia is known for its castles dating circa the Great Moravian Empire. I stayed at CHORS (Capsule hostel) that completely exceeded my expectations, and highly recommend it due to it's excellent location right outside Bratislava centre. There are also a multitude of city bus tours you can find in the centre. I recommend the red tour bus shaped like an old train!
BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC
June 15 - July 7, 2019
Hosted by Masaryk University (World in Transition & Central European Transformation)
I arrived in Brno via RegioJet train (1hr 25min; CAD 8). The train was excruciatingly uncomfortable. Brno's train station is of low standard, and I highly recommend travelling to the town by bus or car. The town itself is small (beautiful with unique attractions, however not easily accessible for tourists). Although Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, there is no airport, and due to the lack of tourism, it is not tourist friendly. Thus, if deciding to visit Brno, I highly recommend making accommodations including transport before arrival.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
June 21-23, 2019
We visited Budapest during our first weekend of the three week exchange program. Budapest is divided by the river Danube, the flat side called "Buda," the mountainous side called "Pest."
The city is absolutely stunning and can be toured all within six hours just by foot (I do not recommend this as we walked it all and suffered after, lol). For top instagrammable points of interest including eateries and clubs, please stay tuned for a detailed post on Budapest!
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
June 28-30, 2019
Prague's architecture is breathtaking. We stayed at Hotel Saint George, just a 15-20 minute tram ride to the heart of Old Town or Charles Bridge. The city is embedded with instragrammable locations in every corner and is full of a variety of entertainments. You can take a day tour (hop-on-hop-off) bus to tour the city for one day. I would highly recommend enjoying a jazz night or orchestra for an evening as well.
I was blessed to have been with the exchange students for this part of my trip, because Prague is the perfect city to enjoy with friends. The city has great nightlife, and a myriad of activities around every corner!
For top instagrammable points of interest including eateries and clubs, please stay tuned for a detailed post on Prague!
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
July 5-7, 2019
We stayed at Wombat's City Hostel, Naschmarkt, just across from Vienna's famous flea market. Three days in Vienna felt too short of a time. We took a walking day tour in the beautiful city, however, each tourist attraction would require some time. The city is an exquisite blend of traditional architecture and preservation of art and culture with modernity.
The city possesses various forms of art (paintings, architecture, and sculptures) in every corner. I highly recommend spending at least four-five days in Vienna as the city is exceptionally rich in art and history. You're in for a splendid time. I will soon make a post in detail sharing my itinerary in Vienna including must-see spots and eateries!
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA
July 7-8, 2019
As my exchange program ended in Vienna and I said goodbye to great friends from all over the globe, I continued my journey independently to Ljubljana. I arrived in Ljubljana around 2pm, via OBB train (6hrs; CAD 37.90).
I stayed at Best Western Premium Hotel Slon for the night. The hotel was splendid, with excellent location (in the heart of Ljubljana Old Town), and included exceptional breakfast. Two-three days in Ljubljana is good enough as the town is incredibly small. All of the major tourist attractions (including Dragon Bridge) in the town were 5-10 minutes walk from the hotel.
After arriving, I took a stroll and walked all of the city in 1 hour. I had ice cream from CACAO ( I suggest the sacher flavour), near Dragon Bridge, and a lovely dinner by the river at Promenada. The town is incredible peaceful and for its minimal time in battle throughout the history of Europe, is known as "mini-Canada."
Regarding tours, I wouldn't recommend booking a day tour to Bled Island as there is a local bus that leaves every hour from 5am-8pm for approximately 5-10 euros (time and price could change). Unfortunately, I could not make it to Bled due to my limited time in Slovenia and wet weather conditions during my stay. As for Ljubljana tours, I took an hour boat tour for 10 euros that was just very satisfying.
ZAGREB, CROATIA
July 8-10, 2019
I then travelled to Zagreb via FlixBus (2hrs 35min; CAD 14) and arrived at 4pm. I stayed at Main Square Hostel, taking the location of its name. The hostel is beautiful, secure, and possesses an excellent location (right in the heart of Old Town Zagreb).
All the major tourist attractions were 5-10 minutes of a walk, however I strongly suggest taking the city Hop-on-Hop-off. You don't need to pre-purchase tour tickets, you can pay in cash on the bus. There are a few tourist attractions, such as Mirogoj Cemetery that is farther north from the centre, but is a must-see sight. I spent majority of my time at Mirogoj, the architecture was just mesmerizing.
The city is wonderful, full of eateries, nightlife, and events. The Hop-on-Hop-off may serve as a taxi throughout the day to reach various spots throughout Zagreb. I also highly recommend trying global chain restaurants whilst travelling as they serve very different items. For instance Zagreb's McDonald's had a Cesar Salad Burger, that may actually have been one of the best burgers I've ever encountered (not being hyperbolic).
DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
July 10-14, 2019
DISCLAIMER: I will share a detailed itinerary (including eateries, places to see, and tours I took) of my Dubrovnik trip soon. This is a brief.
I arrived in Dubrovnik around 2:30pm from Zagreb via FlixBus (8hrs 30min; CAD 30.08). Dubrovnik was an absolutely perfect trip to conclude my 5 weeks in Europe and I was fortunate to have my father join me (from Bahrain) for the four days before returning to Toronto.
I pre-booked my transfer and my father's airport transfer from GetTransfer. The drivers were very accommodating. We were then greeted by the owners of Hortenzia House, located just 5 minutes from Pile Gate. I highly recommend this guesthouse. It is in the centre of Dubrovnik (excellent location), includes a beautiful terrace garden, and magnificent view. The hosts were exceptionally accommodating and friendly as well. Four to five days in Dubrovnik is good enough.
MOSTAR, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
July 12, 2019
You can take several day tours to near by states from Dubrovnik, such as Montenegro or Bosnia. Due to limited time, my father and I visited Mostar for a day. The tour (around CAD 65 per person) included guided tour to and from Kravice Falls and Mostar, a walking tour within Mostar, and a 2-euro tour of the Turkish House. It was incredible. Mostar is rich in history. If visiting, I would recommend taking a half day to day tour, however not spending a night in the city. It is not as tourist friendly or as safe as the rest of Central Europe.
I also highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes as the cobble stones in the UNESCO World Heritage town is excruciatingly painful. But definitely a beautiful and memorable tour!
IMPORTANT:
That concludes my 5 weeks in Central Europe in order. Although my trip took 5 weeks due to my in Brno exchange program, I estimate your trips, following a similar route would be around 3-4 weeks. It's important to note that Central Europe is an incredible affordable trip to make. In my next posts, I will have details on expenses in each city. The most "expensive" cities were Vienna and Dubrovnik, however Dubrovnik is the same expense standard as North America (so only expensive in comparison to other Central European states).
The tour begins in Poland (rich in history) and ends in Dubrovnik, Croatia (relaxation), which offers a unique balance of the time you spend in the beautiful cities and Old Towns. And I hope my experience inspires you to take this route soon!
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