Off to E Europe

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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:49 am

If the Czech Republic, don't miss Karlovy Vary. Wonderful Spa town nestling in the hills, super shops selling the local mined semi precious red stones, very reasonable and most acceptable presents/souvenirs - horse drawn open carriages touring round the cafes and sights, a very attractive and romantic place. See the huge goldfish swimming in the heated natural springs, drink the mineral water from open collonaded walks out of special spouted porcelain containers and look up on to the side of the hills to see the sky high open swimming pool alongside the health resort type hotels. Fab place. Wonderful people and the food is seriously yummy.

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:09 pm

Nothing in Hungary or Romania to see?

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:08 pm

If you get the oppurtunity go to Talinn in Estonia. I spent 4 days there on shore leave. It is the most beautiful city I have ever been to. No end of architecture to stare at in amazment. Cheap drink to.

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:45 pm

Bardejov in eastern Slovakia is fantastic if you're into historical things. Can't recommend much in Romania, all I saw was incredible rural poverty.

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:04 am

Quote:

Can't recommend much in Romania, all I saw was incredible rural poverty.

Yes, there is plenty of that but if it is all you saw then you obviously did not go to the right places. The country as a whole is incredibly rich in culture and history. Some of the towns are stunningly beautiful, such as Sighisoara, Fageras, Sibiu, Targu Mures, and the Bucovina area with its painted monasteries, the Danube Delta, a world heritage area.

Apart from all that the Romanians are some of the most delightful people you could ever wish to meet.

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:09 pm

I fancy something fun - name me ten ways for me to get arrested..
1) Go in to the stones at Stonehenge (done that)
2) Climb the rat lines on a clipper ship in London
3) Jump naked into the baths at Bath
4) um... nothing toooooo arrestable now..

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Quote:

Nothing in Hungary.....to see?

If you get the chance go to Budapest! When I visited I had a great time.
The people were all very nice, the women were beautiful, the castle and island across the bridge was neat, and the artwork on the old buildings and the statues in the square are really neat, also.

There is also a very good Irish Pub downtown where my colleague and I finished out our evenings every night. I want to say it was called Beckett's and was Irish owned and ran.

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:27 pm

Quote:

I want to say it was called Beckett's and was Irish owned and ran.

So why don't you? That evening a bit misty?....

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

It was several evenings, actually. We went there on what was supposed to be a four day pass, but turned into a 12 day mini-vacation because of a train strike (shucks). We found this place on our second day there.

This was also almost 8 years ago, hence the uncertainty about the name.

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:50 pm

Quote:

ten ways for me to get arrested..

Support Liverpool away.

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:17 pm

^^^ That's one way to get arrested 10 times.

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:20 pm

And also in Budapest there is the house of terror Twisted Evil

excellent place if you are short of nightmares Twisted Evil

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 1:51 am

Quote:

Support Liverpool away

Nah - I said fun Exclamation

(And something I can be proud of..) Smile

EDIT\ Um.. maybe I'd better not..

Quote:

The father of a Briton who was jailed in Slovakia after swimming naked in a fountain during his stag party has apologised on his son's behalf.. two-month jail sentence ..faced a maximum of two years in jail, had been denied legal representation and access to a phone

I'll be good

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:09 am

I went skiing in Austria once, with my school. Being the excellent skier I am, I couldn't get off the chair lift. (The one that you hook under your ass like a seat on a park roundabout).
Anyway, I ended going all the way up to the slalom, realising I honestly couldn't go any futher so then making myself fall into a crumpled heap on the ground.
Could've been a great view, but I was so far up all I could see was bloody cloud.
Ended up shitting myself at the very steep, very icey, snow, taking my skies off and walking back down the mountain. Took hours. Rolling Eyes

Somewhere called Elmau or something...

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:38 am

Quote:

2) Climb the rat lines on a clipper ship in London

Was that the Cutty Sark? Someone did something much worse - burnt it to the ground Mad

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:55 pm

In Hungary going to Budapest makes the most sense. You easily can spend 2-3 days here. One of the many thermal baths is worth chaecking out if you are into such things.

If you want to spend some more time in Hungary, other playes worth checking out are:

- Szentendre: small town not far away from Budapest, lots of tourists
- Esztergom: seat of the main Hungarian archbishop, at the banks of the Danube
- Visegr�d: old castle, not far from Esztergom
- Veszpr�m
- Pannonhalma: first monastery in Hungary
- Lake Balaton: biggest lake in Central Europe (yes, we Hungarians consider us belonging to Central Europe, not Eastern Europe)

Getting around the country is probably not the easiest thing to do without a car, trains are not as good as they should be. So if you have only a a few days, I'd suggest staying in Budapest.

Some places Westernes often like and I can recommend are:

http://wwwold.terrorhaza.hu/index3.html?PHPSESSID=cc4cfc8be158950b1749e26886c9c466

House of Terror: Museum about the facist and communist past. Somewhat politically biased against the current leftist parties, but still good and interesting.

http://www.szoborpark.hu/index.php?Lang=en

A statue park on th outskirts of Budapest where many statues from the communist era were brought together.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:59 am

@morbiczer
Thanks, Hungary was getting to be a blank space. Can I easily get a train to Bratislava overnight, and about how much would it be (remember me and the birds both want to go 'cheep')?
@it wasn't me
I went skiing in Switzerland years ago and got resuced on the first day! Went to the top of the black run and then the piste closed. Rescue guy came up to clear the piste and when he saw me and my mate were complete twits he raced off and came back with the rescue sled. Two up with him pulling us, it was the best fun we had! (Without booze)

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:04 pm

Just looking at the above comments re Hungary, I'd agree with those places to visit.

The trains aren't bad ... don't let the comment put you off. Some of them are old and tatty but they are reliable and reasonably frequent, and cheap. There are trains along both shores of Lake Balaton, and if you're going to that area I'd recommend a visit to Kesthely (not sure if that is the right spelling) at the Western end. The lake is lovely, people are very friendly, a lot speak some English and more speak German.

The food in Hungary is arguably the best in Europe.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 7:21 pm

Just got back from my trip of Western Europe, and if you want to go on the road less travelled, you should check out some of the ski areas during the summer. There is no skiing, but there are things to do. I went to Hopfgarten in Austria, and went to the town as well as Salvena Land for a couple of hours! I went to Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland, and took the Murren Loop as well as seeing Tremmelbach Falls nearby. It was quite an experience.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:43 pm

^^^Hey SP, welcome back!! Hope you had a fun, memorable and eventful trip Very Happy

We missed ya x

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:51 pm

Welcome back!

We all til here. Cool

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:36 am

Hey guys! So nice to be back, but so jet-lagged! I'll post up pictures of ones I deem to be safe soon!

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:04 am

I know I'm necroing my own thread, but I'm not the only one! Laughing

I fly out tomorrow and promised a blog FWIW.

See you all in five weeks Cool

http://travellingstranger.blogspot.com/

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

My eldest is currently backpacking around Eastern Europe
They looked up hostels at hostelbookers.com
So far passed through Warsaw, Prague, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade ( not nessecarily in that order)
They originally flew out from Newcastle ( North England ) to Krakow- Easy Jet- �34 for the flight

So far she seems to be having a great time, in spite of massive heatwave.

Master Baiter Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 139

Reaper wrote:

well it has been neutral it's entire life...by that why it could be centre

Apparently your history needs work too. Austria was part of the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Turks) in WWI, and was annexed by Germany before WWII. They've been anything but neutral.