I honestly can’t tell you how the idea for this trip or destination came to be. As I traveled across Central and Eastern Europe people would ask me “why here?” and I couldn’t come up with a better response than “well, why not?”

I believe it was the history, ancient and modern, that intrigued me the most. I was fascinated by how that history shaped the culture today. Although I guess you can say that about anywhere you travel. I also believed I could spend a few weeks here while adhering to a better budget. In Western Europe, my budget could probably be stretched only a couple of weeks. I ended up spending four weeks traveling through Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Here is how it went.

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Stop #1: Poland

Warsaw

• Where I stayed: Safestay Hostel Warsaw Old Town
• Activities:
  • I took a free walking tour the first day in Poland. Free walking tours are tip based tours of the city from local guides and they have not failed me yet! This tour was no different. We walked around Warsaw’s old town and learned about the city from a guide who was very knowledgeable and passionate about Warsaw.
  • The Warsaw Uprising museum expanded on the history learned on the walking tour. In particular it focused on the years of WWII and the communist regime that took over afterwards.
  • The Warsaw University rooftop gardens were free and a great way to see the city and some beautiful scenery.
• Food:
  • Lots of good food was consumed in Warsaw. For traditional Polish food at a good price I visited a Polish chain called Bar Mleczny.
• Getting Around:
  • After a long flight from Charlotte to Warsaw I took an Uber to the hostel. However, after this I opted for the much cheaper but still very convenient public transit which was widely available in every country on this trip

Krakow

• Where I Stayed: Dizzy Daisy Dowtown Hostel
• Activities:
  • Free walking tour
  • Wawel Castle has three different exhibits that you have to buy separate tickets to. I opted for the underground castle exhibit which included access to the castle gardens.
  • A boat ride on the Vistula River. I’m a sucker for any tour or attraction that involves water and a boat.
  • From Krakow I also took a day trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. This was a difficult place to go, but a very valuable experience.
• Food: A Polish food I regret not getting to try was Chlodnik. It is a cold soup made from beetroots, kind of like a Polish gazpacho.
• Getting Around: I took a bus to get from Warsaw to Krakow. Krakow also had a great public transit system.

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Stop #2: Hungary

Budapest

• Where I stayed: Maverick Urban Lodge Hostel
• Activities:
  • Another free walking tour of course!
  • And another river cruise!
  • I visited Fisherman’s bastion at night to get a view of the city under a different light.
  • The House of Terror museum was probably my favorite museum and educational experience of this trip. It covered Hungary’s history under communist rule and the terror that ensued.
  • I was hesitant at first about the thermal baths, a popular attraction in Budapest. The idea of public bathing didn’t really suit me. However, after some research I realized the name is mostly tying the experience to its historical roots. It’s really just a bunch of swimming pools and spas. Although crowded, the thermal pools and saunas were very nice even in the hot summer weather.
  • The ruin pubs are also iconic to Budapest and are located in buildings nearly destroyed during WWII and have been turned into bars.
• Food:
  • Had a taste of Goulash in Hungary. It’s a traditional soup in Hungary and was very delicious. I tried this at a place called Karavan, a spot for different food trucks selling a variety of dishes.
  • I also wish I had tried the chimney cakes. They smelled so good when I would pass by a street vendor but the timing was never right. Maybe next time!
• Getting Around: The public transit in Budapest was the best for getting around. So easy, cheap, and expansive! It’s also a very walkable city in many parts.

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Stop #3: Austria

Vienna

• I had actually been to Vienna back in 2017. I didn’t originally expect to come back here on this trip. But like Billy Joel said, I guess Vienna does wait for you, even if it’s been seven years!
• Where I stayed: Wombat’s City Hostel
• Activities:
  • The main attraction for returning to Austria was to see a Mozart Orchestra. I’m not typically a big classical music enthusiast but this was a very impressive show!
  • On my second day in Vienna I ventured out to Schronbrunn Palace. Last time I was in Vienna I did a tour of the palace. This time I spent most of my time exploring the large garden area behind the palace. It’s big enough you can spend a whole afternoon just exploring the gardens, and it’s free!
• Food:
  • The hostel I stayed at was next to Naschtmarkt which sold a variety of Mediterranean cuisines..
  • My first lunch in the city after a long bus ride was actually El Burro. I originally had low expectations for Tex mex in Austria, but this place did not disappoint. They even had a tasty vegetarian burrito!
  • Asian cuisine was prevalent in this city as well, and I had some delicious gyoza dumplings at a restaurant called Hao Han.
• Getting Around: The metro was a quick and easy way to get around the city.

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Stop #4: Slovenia

Ljubljana

• Where I stayed: Airbnb
• Activities:
  • First order of business of course was a free walking tour of the capital city of Slovenia. The weather was nice and refreshing – a welcome relief from the European heat wave.
  • Our walking tour took us by a farmer’s market in the middle of the city. If you know me you know that’s the key to my heart. I returned here after the tour to give some locals my business and soak up the good vibes.
  • Wawel castle was an easy hike from the city center and provided good views and interesting history.
• Food:
  • Dobra Avila sandwiches: I heard about this place on social media and they had the best sandwiches in the old town.
  • Good morning Vietnam: I had a delicious coconut curry with tofu.
  • Fetiche Patisserie: a cute bakery with beautiful cakes and pastries. I had a macchiato, strawberry cheesecake shaped like a strawberry, and a chocolate croissant.
• Getting Around: Ljubljana is a very walkable city. Everything I wanted to see I was able to on foot.

Lake Bled

• From Ljubljana, I took a day trip to Lake Bled.
• Activities:
  • I did some hiking along the lake loop trail around Lake Bled and up to a viewpoint called Mala Osojnica. The hike to the viewpoint was a short hike (about 30 minutes). However, it was pretty steep and tiring in the heat. The view was well worth it!

• The castle is in the middle of the lake, so we took a row boat there to explore.

• Food:
  • Lake Bled is known for their Bled Cake, which of course I had to try while I was there.
  • This was also where I tried Shashuka for the first time!
• Getting Around: Taking the bus to and from Lake Bled was super quick and easy. Once there everything, except the castle that had to be reached by water, was walkable.

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Stop #5: Croatia

Zagreb

• Where I stayed: My Way Guest House
• Activities: Honestly, I only spent one night in Zagreb to pick up a rental car so I did not do much here.
• Food: It was also a holiday, so not much was open. I ended up eating Dominos pizza because that was one of the only places open that evening.
• Getting Around: I arrived by bus to Zagreb, but left by car. I was pretty nervous about renting a car, but was surprised by how simple it was for the most part. It only became complicated when arriving in Split since it is pretty crowded there.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

• Where I stayed: Guest House Macic
• Activities:
  • I got a two day pass for the park and ended up hiking for about four hours each day in order to see majority of the park. The views of the pristine lakes and waterfalls were breathtaking. The water was a stunning transparent blue, and to protect the park swimming was not allowed.

• Food:
  • I mostly bought groceries and packed sandwiches for my hikes or made ramen noodles for dinner here to save money.
  • One night I had dinner at Restauran Gurman down the road from the guest house I was staying in. It was a nice treat!
• Getting Around: The rental car got me to and from the park each day. Throughout the park I hiked as well as took the free shuttle bus and boat that were available to visitors.

Split

• Split is a bit of a crowded city. It is especially crowded in the center. Dropping off the car was a little more stressful than managing the rural roads in the days prior.
• Where I stayed: Airbnb in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Diocletian’s Palace
• Activities:
  • Walking tour of the city center
  • Bacvice and Kasjuni Beaches
• Food:
  • I found Split to be more expensive than most of the places I had been so far on this trip, so I bought groceries and cooked for several meals.
  • However, I did treat myself to some gelato. 🙂
• Getting Around: The city was mostly walkable, but I did take an Uber to Kasjuni beach and the public bus when returning to the city.

Hvar

• Where I Stayed: Hostel Villa Skansi
• Activities:
  • A boat tour that took us to many different islands and beaches around Hvar.
  • Scuba diving was one of my favorite activities of this whole trip. Every time I do it I ask myself why I don’t dive more often.
• Food:
  • Hvar was also expensive, so I definitely took advantage of the free pizza offered at the hostel every night.
  • Let’s Taco Bout Hvar was a great lunch spot for some tacos.
  • Kava37 for coffee
• Getting Around:
  • To get to and from the island I took a one hour ferry from Split.
  • The island was mostly walkable, but many people do use mopeds or scooters to get around.
  • The boat tour was a great way to see some of the smaller islands near Hvar.

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Stop # 6: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar

• Where I stayed: Balkaneros Hostel
• Activities:
  • Through a little tour arranged by my hostel I was able to visit three places in Herzegovina:
    • Blagaj – a Muslim monastery and natural spring
    • Plocitelj – a UNESCO world heritage site and ancient fortress
    • And lastly Kravica falls!
  • Last free walking tour of the trip! It really helped me to understand the complex and turbulent history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • After the conclusion of the tour I was inspired to learn more about this history at the Museum of War and Genocide 1992-1995 and pay my respects at the war cemeteries in the city.

• Food:
  • Traditional food at a restaurant called Food House. I ordered Imam Biyaldi, or stuffed eggplant. This food originated from the Ottoman Empire.
  • Here is a picture of the view from another traditonal B&H restaurant with a beautiful view of Stari Most. The restaurant was called Urban Taste of Orient and the bridge is the most iconic symbol of Mostar.
  • Pics
• Getting Around: I arrived to Bosnia and Herzegovina by bus and left by bus as well. Within the city I was able to walk everywhere.

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Stop #7: Back to Croatia

Dubrovnik

• Where I stayed: Airbnb in Lapad, just outside the city of Dubrovnik
• Activities:
  • One of the things I wanted to do most in Dubrovnik was a kayaking tour. I was able to see the island, learn about the history, and snorkel.
  • After kayaking, I went to a hole in the wall dive bar (literally, it is built into a hole in the city walls). I went for a little liquid courage and some cliff jumping.
• Food:
  • The second thing I wanted to do most in Dubrovnik was eat oysters and drink wine. I had heard the oysters were so fresh here, and the ones I had at Edulius oyster bar did not disappoint.
• Getting Around: public bus and walking

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(Mini) Stop #8: Italy

Rome

• A nine hour layover in Rome gave me a great opportunity to explore the city for a day!
• Activities:
  • The colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum
• Food:
  • Pizza!
• Getting Around: Taking the train to and from FCO airport was quick and easy.

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That’s a wrap! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the trip or these destinations. Have you had the chance to visit any of these places? If so, I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences.