Steves Rick - Rick Steves Eastern Europe

EASTERN EUROPE

Rick Steves & Cameron Hewitt

EASTERN EUROPE

Until 1989, Eastern Europe was a foreboding placea dark and gloomy corner of the Evil Empire. But the dismal grays and preachy reds of communism live on only in history books, museums, and kitschy theme restaurants. Todays Eastern Europe is a travelers delight, with friendly locals, lively squares, breathtaking sights, fascinating history, reasonable prices, and a sense of pioneer excitement.

Wander among Pragues dreamy, fairy-tale spires, bask in the energy of Krakws Main Market Square, and soak with chess players in a Budapest bath. Ponder Europes most moving Holocaust memorial at Auschwitz. Enjoy nature as you stroll on boardwalks through the Plitvice Lakes waterfall wonderland, or glide across Lake Bled to a church-topped island in the shadow of the Julian Alps. Taste a proud Hungarian vintners wine and say, Egszsgedre! (or stick with Cheers!).

This book covers Eastern Europes top big-city, small-town, and back-to-nature destinationsfrom the Hungarian metropolis of Budapest to the quaint Czech village of esk Krumlov to the pristine Julian Alps of Slovenia. It then gives you all the specifics and opinions necessary to wring the maximum value out of your limited time and money. If youre planning for a month or less in this region, this book is all you need.

Experiencing Europes culture, people, and natural wonders economically and hassle-free has been my goal for several decades of traveling, tour guiding, and writing. With this book, I pass on to you all of the lessons Ive learned.

Ive been selective, including only the top destinations and sights. For example, Poland has dozens of medieval castlesbut Malbork is a cut above the rest. The best is, of course, only my opinion. But after spending much of my life exploring and researching Europe, Ive developed a sixth sense for what travelers enjoy. Just thinking about the places featured in this book makes me want to polka.

Use this legend to help you navigate the maps in this book.

Rick Steves Eastern Europe is a personal tour guide in your pocket. Better yet, its actually two tour guides in your pocket: The co-author of this book is Cameron Hewitt. Cameron writes and edits guidebooks for my travel company, Rick Steves Europe. Inspired by his Polish roots and by the enduring charm of the Eastern European people, Cameron has spent the last decade closely tracking the exciting changes in this part of the world. Together, Cameron and I keep this book up to date and accurate (though for simplicity weve shed our respective egos to become I in this book).

This book is organized by destinations. Each is a mini-vacation on its own, filled with exciting sights, strollable neighborhoods, affordable places to stay, and memorable places to eat. In the following chapters, youll find these sections:

Planning Your Time suggests a schedule for how to best use your limited time.

Orientation includes specifics on public transportation, helpful hints, local tour options, easy-to-read maps, and tourist information.

Sights describes the top attractions and includes their cost and hours.

Self-Guided Walks take you through interesting neighborhoods, pointing out sights and fun stops.

Sleeping describes my favorite hotels, from good-value deals to cushy splurges.

Eating serves up a range of options, from inexpensive eateries to fancy restaurants.