# Central Europe in 14 days By Saurabh Bipin Chandra (https://srbhchandra.github.io/). Source: https://srbhchandra.github.io/travel/central-europe/ A 14-day road trip from Prague to Venice through Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia and Italy. ## Day 1: Prague, Czechia Night in Prague. - Walk: Dancing House → Hanging Umbrella Man → Franz Kafka – Rotating Head → Man Hanging Out (Sigmund Freud) → Prague Jewish Quarter → Prašná brána (climb the tower) - Walk: Old Town Square: Prague Astronomical Clock → Památník Jana Husa → Týn Church → St. Nicholas' Church - Walk: St. Francis of Assisi Church → Charles Bridge on the Vltava → Prague Castle → St. Vitus Cathedral → The Golden Lane - Eat: Beef goulash, salami at Lokál Dlouhááá ## Day 2: Prague, then drive to Brno via Kutná Hora Driving about 3 h. Night in Brno. - See: Il Commendatore by Anna Chromý, by the Estates Theatre - See: Klementinum (baroque library) – guided tour - See: Strahov Monastery – museum, baroque library - Eat: Lunch at Strahov Monastery – best beer and food of the entire trip. Beer: IPA + dark beer brewed by the monastery. Food: pork tenderloin, steak [Best food & beer] - See: Sedlec Ossuary, Kutná Hora (chapel adorned with human skeletons) - See: Ukraine war exhibit, Brno-střed ## Day 3: Drive to Krakow, Poland from Brno Driving about 5 h. Night in Krakow. - See: Moravian Karst (labyrinth of underground caves and stunning rock formations) – guided tour (Skalní mlýn, Punkva Caves, Macocha Abyss (take the funicular)) - See: Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau - Eat: Dinner at Hamsa, Kazimierz Jewish Quarter ## Day 4: Krakow, Poland Night in Krakow. - Walk: Stare Miasto (historic center): St. Florian's Gate → Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) → St. Mary's Basilica → Rynek Underground Museum → The Cloth Hall → Basilica of St. Francis → Town Hall Tower (climb up) → Planty gardens - Walk: Wawel Royal Castle and cathedral → Wejście do Smoczej Jamy (cave under the castle) → Fire-breathing dragon statue → Vistula river - Walk: Kazimierz Jewish Quarter ## Day 5: Wieliczka and Zakopane, Poland Driving about 2 h. Night in Zakopane. - See: Wieliczka Salt Mine, an underground marvel with intricate salt sculptures and chapels - See: Zakopane – the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains: rugged peaks, glacial lakes and deep valleys - See: Gubałówka – take the funicular up the hill, hike down; good views of the valley - Walk: Centrum Miasta (downtown) ## Day 6: Drive to Budapest, Hungary via Slovakia Driving about 5½ h. Night in Budapest. - Eat: Excellent breakfast at Restauracja Zakopiańska – tried bliny gryczane - See: Tatra National Park – hike up Sarnia Skała for views - See: A very beautiful drive through Slovakia with views of the Tatras; stop at Ždiar for photos - Missed: An extra day in the Tatras: stay on the Slovak side, and hike to Morskie Oko (on the Polish side) ## Day 7: Budapest, Hungary Night in Budapest. - Walk: Castle district: Vienna Gate → Matthias Church (climb the tower) → Fisherman's Bastion → Buda Castle → Budapest History Museum / Castle Museum → Várkert Bazár [Best city walk] - Eat: Desserts from Ruszwurm Confectionery, Castle district - Walk: Hungarian Parliament, from outside (the tour is on day 8) → St. Stephen's Basilica (climb the tower) → Vörösmarty tér – very happening - See: Danube night cruise to admire the city's landmarks - Missed: Central Market Hall ## Day 8: Budapest, then drive to Vienna, Austria via Slovakia Driving about 3½ h. Night in Vienna. - Walk: Széchenyi Thermal Bath → Gatehouse Tower → Vajdahunyad Castle → Museum of Ethnography - See: Hungarian Parliament Building – guided tour - Eat: Etyeki Manor vineyard, Etyek - Walk: Bratislava, Slovakia (nothing special; skippable): Bratislava Castle → Old Town ## Day 9: Vienna, Austria Night in Vienna. - Walk: Innere Stadt: Naschmarkt → St. Charles's Church → Vienna State Opera → Michaelerplatz - Eat: Late breakfast at Café Demel: Viennese coffee and pastries, such as Sachertorte and Apfelstrudel - Walk: Austrian National Library → Spanish Riding School → The Hofburg → Kunsthistorisches Museum → Parliament (no guided tour) → Rathausplatz - See: Hundertwasser House and Village - Walk: St. Stephen's Cathedral (elevator up the tower) → Albertina - See: Watch the opera “Daphne” at the Vienna State Opera ## Day 10: Vienna, then drive to Slovenia Driving about 6 h. Night in Kranjska Gora. - See: Schönbrunn Palace (Habsburg architecture) – audio-guided tour - Eat: Heuriger at Fabian Inh. Johann Sloboda, Podersdorf am See – a small family vineyard pouring its own wine; an amazing experience ## Day 11: Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Driving about ½ h. Night in Kranjska Gora. - See: Lake Jasna - See: A very beautiful drive through Triglav National Park up to the Vršič Pass and back ## Day 12: Bled, then drive to the Dolomites, Italy Driving about 6 h. Night in Colle Santa Lucia. - See: Vintgar Gorge – the best nature of the trip: blue, green and yellow water in the gorge [Best nature] - See: Lake Bled, with its island - See: Mountain coaster on Straža hill, Bled – super fun - See: Predjama Castle – seen from outside - Missed: Postojna Cave or Škocjan Caves (Postojna Cave, Škocjan Caves) ## Day 13: The Dolomites, Italy Driving about 1½ h. Night in Colle Santa Lucia. - See: The best drive, with many hairpin bends (Passo Giau, Cascate di Limedes, Lagazuoi cable car (skipped: the top was in cloud), Belvedere di Pocol, Punto Panoramico, Parcheggio Belvedere) [Best nature & drive] - Walk: Cortina d'Ampezzo - Eat: Hot chocolate from Pasticceria Panificio Alverà, Cortina ## Day 14: The Dolomites, then drive to Venice Driving about 3 h. Night in Venice. - See: Lake Alleghe - See: Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park (Valle del Mis – stopped just for fun, Cadini del Brenton, Lago del Mis, Sentiero Natura Val Falcina) - See: Leave the car in Mestre and cross the causeway into Venice - Walk: Venice, on foot and by boat: Venezia Santa Lucia station → Rialto Bridge (from the boat) → Basilica dei Frari → St. Mark's Square → Doge's Palace → St. Mark's Basilica → National Archaeological Museum ## Take-aways - Most of what you’ll see is Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque, or a 19th-century “neo” revival of one of them. Learn those three and every old town starts to make sense. - Old towns are built for walking; cars are an afterthought. It’s the opposite of the US. - Many older buildings have no lift, so people of every age climb stairs every day, and it shows. - Milk and butter taste noticeably better than at home. - Water can cost more than beer. In Krakow it even carried 23% tax. - Beer is mostly mild and pale, made for drinking a lot of it. - Public toilets usually cost a coin or two; carry change. - Every bathroom in every apartment has its own quirk. - The churches everywhere are stunning, and most have a giant pipe organ. - Leave slack in every city to wander, shop, eat and watch. Some of our best moments weren’t planned. ## Where I learnt the most history - **The Rynek Underground Museum in Krakow changed how I saw the map.** It sits under the main square. Its maps put Krakow at the centre of medieval Europe’s trade routes: a Europe-centred view of the world that was new to me. - **Buda Castle is dense with history, especially the invasions.** The Budapest History Museum inside the castle walks through the armies that came through Hungary, starting with the Romans, when Budapest was Aquincum on the empire’s frontier. Buda itself was held by the Ottoman Turks for almost 150 years, from 1541 to 1686; for much of that time Bratislava served as Hungary’s capital, and Vienna twice held off Ottoman sieges, in 1529 and 1683. I had thought of Europe mostly as the coloniser. Seeing how much of its own past was war and invasion, I came away with more empathy, and some sense of why it became the conqueror it did. - **Auschwitz-Birkenau is sobering, and worth the time.** Book a slot well ahead. ## Driving and renting - **One car for the whole trip, and the one-way fee was most of the cost.** We rented from Budget, picked up in Prague and dropped off in Venice. Picking up and dropping off in the same city is far cheaper, if your route allows it. - **Tell the rental company every country you’ll drive through.** Crossing borders needs their permission and often a cross-border fee. Without it the insurance and breakdown cover can be void. - **Buy an e-vignette before each country’s motorways.** Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Slovenia need one, tied to your number plate; we bought each online as we were about to cross the border. Poland and Italy charge tolls on some motorways instead. In Austria a digital vignette bought online only becomes valid 18 days after purchase, so buy it early or get a sticker at a petrol station. - **Parking is often extra at hotels and apartments.** Check before you book if you’re driving. - **The drives are part of the trip.** The most beautiful: the Dolomites passes on day 13, Zakopane to Budapest through the Slovak Tatras on day 6, and up to the Vršič Pass on day 11. ## Where we stayed - **We stayed in a mix of Airbnbs and apartments from Booking.com.** Kitchens and showers were small by American standards almost everywhere, and not every place had laundry, so check the listing if you need it. - **Check the stairs before you book.** Our Airbnb in Zakopane was in the attic and extremely cramped, and the one in Kranjska Gora had a very narrow, steep staircase. Many older houses have no lift, so with big bags, look for stairs and ceiling height in the listing photos. ## Weather in the mountains - **Keep a spare day for the Dolomites if you can.** Mountain weather changes fast. Our first full day there was so wet and cloudy that we couldn’t hike, and the Lagazuoi cable car disappeared into the cloud. A flexible day lets you wait for a clear one. ## If you’re short on time - **Venice was my least favourite place.** Overcrowded, dirty and scammy. - **Vienna was next.** Dirty, and overhyped. - **Bratislava can be dropped.** Nothing special. --- From “Central Europe in 14 days” by Saurabh Bipin Chandra, https://srbhchandra.github.io/travel/central-europe/. Please credit the author and link the page when quoting.