Lonely Planet Eastern Europe

By Mark Baker

Lonely Planet’s Eastern Europe is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Walk Dubrovnik’s city walls, discover history in Krakow, and explore Moscow’s Red Square; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Eastern Europe and begin your journey now!

 

Inside Lonely Planet’s Eastern Europe Travel Guide: 

Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak

NEW top experiences feature - a visually inspiring collection of Eastern Europe’s best experiences and where to have them

Colour maps and images throughout

Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics

Over 85 maps 

Covers Albania, Belarus, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

 

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Eastern Europe, our most comprehensive guide to Eastern Europe, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. 

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 

 

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Jul 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781838696429

Mark Baker

Mark Baker has been a test engineer for such companies as Spectra-Physics, Zilog, Pragmatic Test Systems, Schlumberger, Teradyne, and EPRO. In 1997, he founded his own company, TechniCom, which was devoted to technical training courses and seminars; one of their courses was on mixed-signal testing. In the fall of 2001, TechniCom was acquired by Texas Instruments and Baker is now a technical training manager for TI. Baker has published numerous in-house application articles for the ATE companies Teradyne and Schlumberger as well as articles in Electronics Test and Evaluation Engineering magazines.

Book preview

Front CoverLonely Planet Logo

Eastern Europe

MapHow To Use This eBookFull Page SamplerbuttonCountry Map

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe’s Top Experiences

Need to Know

Month by Month

Itineraries

On The Road

ALBANIA

Tirana

Central Albania

Berat

Gjirokastra

The Albanian Riviera & the East

Saranda

Ksamil

Himara

Shkodra

The Accursed Mountains & the North

Valbona

Theth

BELARUS

Minsk

Around Minsk

Nyasvizh

Mir

Brest

Around Brest

Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park

Hrodna

BOSNIA & HERCEGOVINA

Sarajevo

Hercegovina

Mostar

Blagaj

Trebinje

Western Bosnia

Una River Valley

BULGARIA

Sofia

Southern Bulgaria

Rila Monastery

Melnik

Plovdiv

Central Bulgaria

Koprivshtitsa

Veliko Târnovo

Black Sea Coast

Varna

Nesebâr

Burgas

Sozopol

CROATIA

Zagreb

Istria

Rovinj

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Dalmatia

Zadar

Trogir

Split

Hvar Island

Dubrovnik

CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague

Around Prague

Karlštejn

Kutná Hora

Bohemia

Plzeň

Český Krumlov

Karlovy Vary

Moravia

Brno

Olomouc

ESTONIA

Tallinn

Northern Estonia

Lahemaa National Park

Southern Estonia

Otepää

Tartu

Western Estonia & the Islands

Pärnu

Muhu

Saaremaa

HUNGARY

Budapest

Danube Bend & Western Transdanubia

Szentendre

Visegrád

Esztergom

Sopron

Lake Balaton & Southern Transdanubia

Balatonfüred

Keszthely

Pécs

Great Plain

Szeged

Northern Hungary

Eger

KOSOVO

Pristina

Western Kosovo

Peja (Peć)

Southern Kosovo

Prizren

LATVIA

Rīga

Western Latvia

Jūrmala

Kuldīga

Ventspils

Northern Latvia

Sigulda

Cēsis

LITHUANIA

Vilnius

Eastern & Southern Lithuania

Paneriai

Trakai

Central Lithuania

Kaunas

Western Lithuania

Klaipėda

Curonian Spit

MOLDOVA

Chişinău

Around Chişinău

Orheiul Vechi

Soroca

Gagauzia

Transdniestr

Tiraspol

MONTENEGRO

Coastal Montenegro

Perast

Kotor

Ulcinj

Inland Montenegro

Lovćen National Park

Cetinje

Durmitor National Park

NORTH MACEDONIA

Skopje

Around Skopje

Canyon Matka

Western North Macedonia

Mavrovo National Park

Lake Ohrid

Ohrid

Central North Macedonia

Pelister National Park

Bitola

POLAND

Warsaw

Kraków

Małopolska

Lublin

Carpathian Mountains

Zakopane

Silesia

Wrocław

Wielkopolska

Poznań

Pomerania

Gdańsk

Toruń

ROMANIA

Bucharest

Transylvania

Braşov

Sighişoara

Sibiu

Cluj-Napoca

Banat

Timişoara

RUSSIA

Moscow

Golden Ring

Vladimir

Suzdal

Sergiev Posad

St Petersburg

SERBIA

Belgrade

Vojvodina

Novi Sad

South Serbia

Niš

SLOVAKIA

Bratislava

Around Bratislava

Tatra Mountains

Poprad

High Tatras

Eastern Slovakia

Levoča

Spišské Podhradie

Slovenský Raj & Around

Košice

SLOVENIA

Ljubljana

The Julian Alps

Lake Bled

Lake Bohinj

Soča Valley

Bovec

Slovenian Karst & Coast

Postojna

Škocjan Caves

Piran

UKRAINE

Kyiv

Lviv

Odesa

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z

Accessible Travel

Accommodation

Children

Discount Cards

Electricity

Embassies & Consulates

Health

Insurance

Internet Access

Legal Matters

LGBTIQ+ Travellers

Maps

Money

Opening Hours

Photography

Post

Public Holidays

Safe Travel

Telephone

Time

Toilets

Tourist Information

Visas

Women Travellers

Work

Transport

Getting There & Away

Entering Eastern Europe

Air

Land

Sea

Getting Around

Air

Bicycle

Boat

Bus

Car & Motorcycle

Hitching

Local Transport

Train

Language

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

COVID-19

We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.

Welcome to Eastern Europe

In the decades following the collapse of communism in 1989, intrepid travellers have discovered that real adventure in Europe lies not to the West, but rather the East. Western-leaning cities like Budapest, Kraków and my adopted hometown of Prague allow visitors to dip a toe in the old Eastern Bloc, while places further east, like Moldova, Belarus and Russia, offer up heaps of unvarnished modern history. But banish forever those dated black-and-white, Cold War images from your mind: today’s Eastern Europe brims with colour, culture and natural beauty. These days, this ‘other’ Europe might just be the continent’s better half.

jpg

Budapest | ZOLTANGABOR/GETTY IMAGES ©

By Mark Baker, Writer

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For more about Our Writers

Eastern Europe’s Top Experiences

1MUNICIPAL MEDIEVAL MAZES

One of the joys of exploring many places in Eastern Europe is to delve into the old towns – narrow cobbled streets and squares graced with thousand-year-old churches. With the odd exception, the communists never quite had the guts to send in the bulldozers to rid their socialist utopias of these glorious reminders of the past.

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Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków | NAHLIK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Prague’s Old Town

Top billing in Eastern Europe as far as old towns are concerned must go to the Czech capital. Centred around the glorious Old Town Square, the streets of the Staré město radiate out in a web of incredibly well-conserved medievalness that Kafka would instantly recognise as home.

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Charles Bridge | SONGQUAN DENG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Walled Dubrovnik

No visit to Croatia would be complete without completing a circuit of Dubrovnik’s perfectly preserved town walls that ring the old medieval centre. The old town is a warren of limestone lanes and alleyways that is a joy to explore.

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Dubrovnik’s city walls | ALEXEY FEDORENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Kraków

At the heart of Poland’s most atmospheric city is an old town, second to none in the country. Most Polish cities lost their old cores in the latter months of WWII, but somehow Kraków’s remained intact and has gone on, despite the best efforts of the communists, to become Poland’s top tourist attraction.

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Cloth Hall | ELENA KIREY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

2KINGS OF THE CASTLES

In some parts of Eastern Europe there seems to be a castle on every hilltop, guarding every river valley and keeping a watchful eye on every cobbled square. From crumbling medieval piles lost in the mountains to Renaissance residences gracing arcaded squares and Austro-Hungarian fortresses, the variety is astounding. You could spend a lifetime touring just the major castles of the East and still not see them all.

Prague Castle

Officially the world’s biggest castle complex, Prague Castle (pictured left) rises high above the Vltava River. Though you can only see a small fraction of the buildings, what you do see is a millennium of Bohemia’s past.

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TRAVEL FAERY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bran Castle

To the north of the Romanian town of Brašov rises Bran (pictured top left), the Gothic stronghold made famous by Bram Stoker as the setting for his Dracula story. The structure dates back to the late 14th century.

jpg

EMI CRISTEA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bojnice

Fairy tale castles abound in the mountains, but Bojnice (pictured top right) is really something special. With its cream walls, turrets and hillside location, Slovakia’s most visited castle is straight out of a Disney movie.

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ZEDSPIDER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

3SLAVIC SANDS

Few would immediately associate Eastern Europe with lazing around on golden sands, but the Continent’s other half has some strands to rival anything in the west and chances are, it’ll be less crowded when you get there, too. Baltic or Black, Adriatic or Azov – these are just some of the seas by which you can unfurl your beach towel. And in the region’s south, beach weather is guaranteed throughout the summer.

Hvar

Few would argue with Hvar’s claim to be Croatia’s dreamiest beach destination. Countless, tight rocky bays conceal fantasy beaches of sea-smoothed pebbles and golden sand and it’s never as crowded as you might expect.

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Hvar Town | DREAMER4787/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Black Sea Coast

The golden sands of Bulgaria were once a reward destination for particularly industrious workers during communism. Burgas and Varna compete for the top resort spot, but there are plenty of other places along the coast to explore such as Nesebâr and Sozopol.

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Varna beach | ALEKSANDAR TODOROVIC/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Albanian Riviera

The word is out about Albania’s beaches, the best of which hem the so-called Albanian Riviera in the country’s south. Extending for around 150km from Vlora to the Greek border, this stretch of coastline has everything from resorts to wild beaches that can only be reached by 4X4.

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Ksamil coast | LANDSCAPE NATURE PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

4TAKE A HIKE

Wherever you go in the region, Eastern Europeans love to hike, most gaining a love for all things outdoor on summer school trips and at camps. From the low, forested mountains of the Czech Republic to the Ukrainian Carpathians, from the Julian Alps of Slovenia to high-altitude climbs in the Slovak High Tatras, hiking trails crisscross Eastern Europe’s bumpy bits and beyond.

Tatra Mountains

Some of the most dramatic and accessible hikes are provided by Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains, as good as anything the Alps can produce, just a lot smaller in area. Countless well-marked trails take hikers high above the tree line, passing alpine lakes and magical vistas along the way.

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High Tatras | BORIEVKY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Accursed Mountains

Don’t be put off by the name of this mountain range in northern Albania – the scenery is simply jaw-dropping. Also known as the Albanian Alps, the main jumping off point is Theth, from where trails lead to cooling waterfalls and along rivers of snowmelt.

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Lakes in the Accused Mountains | LENAR MUSIN/GETTY IMAGES ©

Mt Triglav

Featuring on the country’s flag, the Three-Headed mountain is almost a place of pilgrimage for Slovenians. However, this is no stroll up the local peak but a serious high-altitude Alpine hike. There is a choice of routes and most require two days to complete.

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Hiking Mt Triglav | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ENRIQUE UGARTE/GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

5FEEDING TIME

Eastern Europe is a feast you won’t forget in a hurry (unless you’ve had too much slivovitz). Once unfairly slated as a smorgasbord of pernicious pickles and cabbage, Eastern European cuisine is a varied as it is delicious, from Czech dumplings to Ukrainian borscht, Hungarian goulash to Croatian ham. Oh, and there’s drink, too, lots of drink, hectolitres of the finest Bohemian lager, Moldovan wine, Albanian raki and plum brandy almost everywhere.

Balkan Burek

From Croatia to Albania, Slovenia to North Macedonia, one ubiquitous fast food is the burek. It’s flaky pastry baked with a filling of meat, cheese or spinach, found as street food or in granny’s kitchen.

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Spinach burek | CESARZ/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Istrian Truffles

One of the best top food finds must be Istrian truffles, nuzzled up by specially-trained dogs and literally worth their weight in gold. One of the best ways to try them is simply shaved over pasta.

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Pasta with truffle | OZBAY EMRAH/GETTY IMAGES ©

Czech Beer

Belgians and Bavarians may disagree, but Czech beer truly is the world’s best. There are hundreds of breweries, but possibly the best place to sample the country’s unrivalled lager is at Pilsner Urquell in Pilsen.

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Tanks of Pilsner | FOTOKON/GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

5OFF THE MAP

One of the reasons many return to Eastern Europe time and time again is that looking-glass feeling of being elsewhere. And nowhere else is that truer than in Kosovo, Moldova and Ukraine, though most of Russia and some of the Balkans provide the same experience. Yet to taste tourism on a mass scale (nor ever destined to), the locals in these places have more time for visitors, to chew the fat and share food.

Kosovo

The former Serb province of Kosovo hangs halfway between independence and unification with Albania. Yet the welcome for visitors is warm, the food good and the mountains as dramatic as neighbouring Albania.

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Prizren | SPUMADOR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Moldova

Moldova’s turn in the limelight is yet to come, but some surprising wines, bucolic countryside and a few quirky attractions make visiting this forgotten corner of Europe a worthwhile experience.

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Mileştii Mici | SUN_SHINE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Ukraine

Rural Ukraine often has an otherworldly feel.Endless bus journeys across the steppe give time for reflection as you pass through anonymous towns and cross fast-flowing rivers that wind like snakes.

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Traditional Ukrainian houses | DENIS BELITSKY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

6ART ATTACK

Eastern Europe has institutions that can easily compete with the best of the world’s galleries, and it’s home to some ground-breaking artists that have taken their place in the history books. Russia has some of the world’s top art collections but Prague is also a top centre of art and design.

Hermitage in St Petersburg

Eastern Europe’s top art experience has to be the unsurpassed Hermitage that dominates the city centre of St Petersburg. Few museums can rival the collections here.

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Winter Palace | QIONGNA LIAO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery

The Tretyakov is the place to go if you are into the colourful world of pre-Revolution Russian painting. The gallery started as the private collection of the 19th-century industrialist brothers Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov.

David Černý

Few contemporary artists have made their mark on a European city than Czech artist David Černý has on Prague. A Prague native, he burst onto the art scene in 1991 after painting a Soviet war memorial tank bright pink.

Top Experiences

8NIGHT-TIME PASTIMES

On a night out in Europe’s East you were once grateful for a glass of sticky dessert wine in a 1970s hotel lobby or a neon lit disko with Modern Talking playing on a loop. The 1990s changed all that with an explosion of after-dark frolics like the world has never seen. And it’s not all stag dos in Prague – some of Europe’s top clubs are now in the continent’s eastern half.

Belgrade

Nowhere in the region has a nightlife scene as wild as Belgrade. Serbs head for the flickering lights of mega clubs and nightclub boats on the Danube.

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Sharing a drink in Belgrade | ISSY CROCKER/LONELY PLANET ©

Moscow

Living it up after dark isn’t hard for a city that starts work at 11am and lunches at three. There’s a lot of variety on the Moscow after-dark scene, from grungy live music venues to pubs.

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Moscow nightlife | HUNTER BLISS IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Budva

In summer the Adriatic reverberates to some of the best sounds and no more so than in Budva. Many clubs have opened up in recent years to serve anyone intent on partying.

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Old town, Budva | KYOLSHIN/GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

9ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS

Communism often simply preserved the societies it intended to change and this is particularly true when it comes to Eastern Europe’s historical buildings. As though dipped in formaldehyde circa 1945, many towns and cities kept their medieval looks, untouched by the mid-20th-century bulldozers of enterprise. Where dictators did dynamite churches and shunted the populace into concrete blocks, often megalomaniac projects took their place.

Český Krumlov

Occupying a tight bend in the River Vltava, Český Krumlov is one of Eastern Europe’s best preserved medieval centres and the second most visited place in the Czech Republic.

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Tower, Český Krumlov State Castle | LOWPOWER225/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Berat

Looking from the south bank of the Osum River, it’s not difficult to see why Berat is dubbed the City of a Thousand Windows. This Unesco-listed town in central Albania climbs a steep hill, every Ottoman-era house sporting several, uniformly shaped windows.

Palace of Parliament

Bucharest’s Palace of Parliament is an absurdly humungous building commissioned by Romanian dictator Ceaucesu in the early 1980s and now used as the Romanian parliament.

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Exterior, Palace of Parliament | BALATE DORIN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Need to Know

For more information, see Survival Guide

Currency

Euro (€) in Estonia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Slovakia and Slovenia, local currency elsewhere.

Languages

Apart from national languages, Russian, German and English are also widely understood.

Visas

Generally not required for most Eastern European countries for stays of up to 90 days, but a few countries do require visas.

Money

ATMS are common, cards are accepted in major towns. Always carry some cash though.

Mobile Phones

Be wary of roaming charges. If you’re coming from outside Europe it’s usually worth buying a local SIM card to swap into your (unlocked) phone.

Time

GMT/UTC plus one, two or three hours, depending on country.

When to Go

03-climate-eeu16

High Season (Jul–Aug)

A Expect high temperatures and long evenings.

A Hotels prices rise by up to 30% and you’ll need to reserve in advance.

A Big draws such as Prague, Budapest and Kraków will be crowded, as will beaches and hiking trails.

Shoulder (May–Jun, Sep–Oct)

A Crowds and prices drop off but weather remains pleasant.

A Spring, music and wine festivals unfold.

A Overall the best time to travel in Eastern Europe.

Low Season (Nov–Apr)

A Hotel prices drop to their lowest, except in ski zones.

A Days are short and weather is cold – in some places brutally so.

A Summer resorts are like ghost towns, while winter-sports areas fill to the brim.

Useful Websites

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/europe) Destination information, traveller forum and more.

Deutsche Bahn (www.bahn.de) The best online train timetable for the region.

Like a Local (www.likealocalguide.com) Free online guides to cities across the region, written by locals.

Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com) Crowd-sourced travel guide to offbeat attractions around the world; plenty on Eastern Europe.

VisitEurope (www.visiteurope.com) Info and inspiration for travel in 36 European countries.

Spotted by Locals (www.spottedbylocals.com) Insider tips for cities across Europe.

What to Take

A Flip-flops for overnight trains, hostel bathrooms and beaches

A Hiking boots for treks and cobbled streets

A Earplugs and eyeshades for hostels and overnight trains

A European plug adaptors

A Unlocked mobile phone to use local SIM cards

A Spork or cutlery for hikes, markets and train picnics

Exchange Rates

For current exchange rates, see www.xe.com.

Daily Costs

Budget: Less than €40

A Hostel bed: €10–25

A Admission to museums: €1–15

A Canteen meals: €3–6

A Beer: €1.50–4

Midrange: €40–150

A Midrange hotel room: €40

A Main meal in a decent restaurant: from €10

A Inner-city taxi trip: €10–15

A Half-day activity like horse riding or rafting: €30–50

Top End: More than €150

A Top-end hotel room: from €100

A Swanky, big-city restaurant meal: from €20

A Hire cars per day: around €30

A Private hiking or tour guide per day: €75–150

Accommodation

Hotels From Soviet-era behemoths to palatial five-stars.

Guesthouses and Pensions Small, family-run, and generally good value.

Hostels From barebones to hipster chic.

Homestays and Farmstays Find out how locals live.

Campgrounds Cheap, though quality is variable. Wild camping is usually forbidden.

Mountain Huts Mattresses on floors or private rooms in no-frills lodges. Book in advance where possible.

Arriving in Eastern Europe

Václav Havel Airport Prague Public bus no. 119 costs 32Kč and runs from 5am to 11pm, every 10 minutes, connecting to a metro to the centre. The journey takes 30 minutes. Taxis cost from 500Kč to 700Kč.

Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports (Moscow) Accessible by train (one way R420 to/from the centre). Alternatively, order an official airport taxi in the terminal (R2000 to R2500 to the centre).

Ferenc Liszt International Airport (Budapest) The 100E coach (900Ft) departs for the centre every half hour between 5am and 12.30am. Taxis cost from 6000Ft.

Getting Around

Train Connects nearly all major cities, but not all countries have straightforward train links to neighbours.

Bus Covers almost all of Eastern Europe; particularly useful for reaching remote areas.

Car Drive on the right. Main roads are generally good. Many car-rental companies limit which countries their vehicles can go to.

Ferry International sea services connect Baltic countries with Russia, while Danube ferries travel between Hungary and Slovakia, as well as between Romania and Bulgaria.

Plane International flights connect most capitals to neighbouring countries and Western European hubs.

Bicycle Cycling infrastructure varies by country. Where bike-hire schemes exist, it’s a great way to explore.

For much more on Getting Around

Month by Month

TOP EVENTS

Kurentovanje (Mardi Gras), February

Prague Spring & Fringe, May

White Nights, June

EXIT Festival, July

Sarajevo Film Festival, August

January

January is an enchanting time to experience countryside blanketed with snow and Old Towns dusted with frost. Most towns are relatively tourist-free and hotel prices are at rock-bottom, though ski resorts are lively.

z Küstendorf Film & Music Festival, Serbia

Created and curated by Serbian director Emir Kusturica, this international indie fest (www.kustendorf-filmandmusicfestival.org) in the town of Drvengrad, near Zlatibor in Serbia, eschews traditional red-carpet glitz for oddball inclusions vying for the ‘Golden Egg’ prize.

February

Still cold, but with longer days, February is when colourful carnivals are held across the region, while skiers and snowboarders enjoy more sunshine. Low hotel prices and the off-season feel continue.

z Golden Grapes Festival, Bulgaria

Melnik and other Bulgarian winemaking towns have their vines blessed by a priest before lavishly toasting the patron saint of wine. It’s celebrated on the first and/or 14th day of the month.

z Rijeka Carnival, Croatia

A kaleidoscope of costume and colour unfolds in Rijeka, host to Croatia’s dazzling pre-Lent celebrations (www.rijecki-karneval.hr). Other events kick off in Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik too.

z Kurentovanje, Slovenia

A procession of hairy masks, bell-ringing and the occasional wry slap form the dramatic rites of spring in Ptuj for Kurentovanje (www.kurentovanje.net), Slovenia’s most distinctive Mardi Gras festival.

March

Spring arrives in southern regions, northerly countries remain in winter’s slushy grip, and skiers continue to make merry in the mountains. Days can be bright and sunny, though hiking trails are perilous with melting snow.

3 Vitranc Cup, Slovenia

Slovenia’s major downhill skiing event (www.pokal-vitranc.com), held annually in early March in Kranjska Gora, will elicit gasps from both dedicated snowheads and casual observers.

z Maslenitsa (Pancake Week), Russia

There is no such thing as too many pancakes at this Shrovetide festival. Maslenitsa celebrates the end of winter and encourages pre-Lenten pancake guzzling. Folk dancing and pancake stalls can be enjoyed across Russia.

z Drowning of Marzanna, Poland

Head to Poland in March for the rite of the Drowning of Marzanna, a surviving pagan ritual in which an effigy of the goddess of winter is immersed in water at the advent of spring.

3 Ski-Jumping World Cup, Slovenia

Held on the third weekend in March, this international competition (www.planica.si) in Planica is the place to marvel at world-record-making ski jumps.

z Easter Festival of Sacred Music, Czech Republic

Choral and orchestral concerts (www.mhf-brno.cz) take place in the oldest churches in Brno, including the beautiful Cathedral of Sts Peter & Paul, during the two weeks following Palm Sunday.

April

Spring kicks off in April, though the winter-sports season sometimes lingers and lofty mountain passes may still be treacherous. Days are getting warmer and sunnier, and, outside the Easter holidays, hotel prices remain low.

3 Budapest Spring Festival, Hungary

One of Europe’s top classical music events is this two-week festival in mid-April. Concerts are held in a number of beautiful venues including several stunning churches, the Hungarian State Opera House and the National Theatre.

3 Moscow International Film Festival, Russia

Russia’s premier film festival (www.moscowfilmfestival.ru) runs toward the end of the month and includes retrospective and documentary film programs as well as the usual awards.

3 Music Biennale Zagreb, Croatia

Held during odd-numbered years since the 1960s, Croatia’s lauded live-music highlight (www.mbz.hr) features modern-day classical concerts across a multitude of venues.

May

An excellent time to visit Eastern Europe, May is sunny and warm and full of things to do, but never too hot. Big destinations feel busy, though hiking areas and villages remain quiet.

0 International Labour Day, Russia

Bigger than Christmas back in communist times, International Labour Day (1 May) may have dropped in status since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but it’s still a national holiday in Russia and several other former Soviet republics. You’ll find fireworks, concerts and even military parades.

z Czech Beer Festival, Czech Republic

Beer lovers won’t want to miss the Czech Beer Festival (www.ceskypivnifestival.cz), where lots of food, music and – most importantly – more than 150 beers from around the country are on offer in Prague from mid- to late May.

3 Prague Spring & Fringe, Czech Republic

Three-week international music festival Prague Spring is the most prestigious event in the Czech capital’s cultural calendar, with concerts held in an array of venues. Meanwhile, the Prague Fringe Festival (www.praguefringe.com) hosts a more irreverent line-up of theatre, comedy and music.

June

Shoulder season is well under way – it’s already summer in southeastern Europe and the sun barely sets in the Baltic as the solstice approaches. One of the best times to travel, if not the cheapest.

z Mikser Festival, Serbia

Creative thinking is at the heart of Belgrade’s Mikser Festival (www.festival.mikser.rs), which hosts thought-provoking art exhibitions, cultural forums and cutting-edge design around the edgy Savamala district.

z Rose Festival, Bulgaria

Join Bulgaria’s celebration of its most fragrant export as the Valley of the Roses bursts into bloom. Kazanlâk’s main square holds the main event on the first weekend in June, but smaller villages have their own rituals, from folk dancing to sipping rose liqueur.

z White Nights, Russia

The barely setting sun across the Baltic encourages locals to party through the night. The best place to join the fun is in the imperial Russian capital, St Petersburg, where classical concerts, an international music festival (www.wnfestival.ru) and other summer events keep spirits high.

0 St John’s Eve & St John’s Day, Baltic Countries

The Baltic region’s biggest annual night out is a celebration of midsummer on 23 and 24 June. It’s best experienced out in the country, where huge bonfires flare for all-night revellers who sing, dance and leap over fires.

z Jewish Culture Festival, Poland

Kraków rediscovers its Jewish heritage during a packed week of music, art exhibitions and lectures (www.jewishfestival.pl) in late June/early July. Poland’s festival is the biggest and most exciting Jewish festival in the region.

July

The middle of summer sees Eastern Europe packed with both people and things to do. Temperatures and prices soar by the end of July, but hotel room rates remain reasonable early in the month.

z Východná, Slovakia

Slovakia’s top folk festival (www.festivalvychodna.sk) is held over the first weekend of July each year in the tiny Tatras Mountain village of Východná. More than 1400 performers converge here to celebrate traditional music, dance, arts and crafts.

z Ohrid Summer Festival, North Macedonia

The month-long Ohrid Summer Festival comprises a wealth of performances from classical, opera and rock acts to theatre and literature, all celebrating North Macedonian culture.

3 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic

Held in one of the most beautiful spa towns in the Czech Republic, the region’s own Cannes (www.kviff.com) is a far smaller affair than its French cousin, but it still shows hundreds of movies in its packed program.

0 Ivan Kupala (Kupalle), Ukraine & Belarus

Fern wreaths, leaping over bonfires and late-night dancing are the mystical hallmarks of this suggestive fertility festival, held on the night of 6 or 7 July to purify participants in time for midsummer.

z Festival of Medieval Arts & Crafts, Romania

During July the beautiful Romanian city of Sighişoara hosts open-air concerts, parades and ceremonies, all glorifying medieval Transylvania and taking the town back to its fascinating 12th-century origins.

3 EXIT Festival, Serbia

Eastern Europe’s most talked-about music festival takes place each July within the walls of the Petrovaradin Citadel in Serbia’s second city, Novi Sad. Book early for tickets as big international headlining acts attract music lovers from all over the continent.

z Slavyansky Bazaar, Belarus

Held in the old Russian city of Vitsebsk (in modern Belarus), this festival is one of the biggest cultural events in the former Soviet Union, featuring theatrical performances, music concerts and exhibits from all over the Slavic world.

3 Pohoda Festival, Slovakia

Slovakia’s largest music and arts festival (www.pohodafestival.sk), held in Trenčín, represents all genres of music, from rock to orchestral, over multiple stages.

3 Ultra Europe, Croatia

Now one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world, Ultra Europe (www.ultraeurope.com) lights up the city of Split before continuing the action in Bol, Hvar and Vis.

3 Belgrade Summer Festival, Serbia

BELEF (www.belef.rs), a dynamic sampling of innovative music, dance, theatre and visual-arts displays, takes over the Serbian capital for a month from mid-July.

3 Baltica International Folklore Festival, Baltic Countries

This rotating festival (www.cioff.org) of traditional Baltic folk music and dance will be hosted in Estonia in 2019 and Lithuania in 2020.

3 International Music Festival, Czech Republic

Thousands of music lovers congregate in Český Krumlov for classical concerts, as well as jazz, rock and folk music, at this impressive month-long festival (www.festivalkrumlov.cz), which runs from mid-July to mid-August.

3 Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Croatia

From mid-July to late August, Croatia’s most prestigious summer festival (www.dubrovnik-festival.hr) presents a program of theatre, opera, concerts and dance on open-air stages throughout the city.

August

It’s easy enough to escape crowds and expense, even at summer’s height. There’s a huge amount to see and do in August, and the weather – from the Baltic coast to the Adriatic – is sizzlingly hot.

3 Kaliningrad City Jazz, Russia

Kaliningrad’s jazz fest (www.jazzfestival.ru) attracts performers from across Europe. It’s held over three days around the city, with nightclub jams, big concerts and even free open-air sessions.

3 Untold, Romania

Untold is Romania’s largest music festival (www.untold.com). It’s held in Cluj-Napoca near the start of the month and has been scooping up awards since it began in 2015.

3 Sziget Festival, Hungary

A week-long music festival held all over Budapest, Sziget features bands from around the world representing a dizzying array of genres, from hypnotic trance to the blackest heavy metal.

3 Nišville International Jazz Festival, Serbia

The sprawling Niš Fortress hosts this jazz festival each August with acts from around the world on the program.

z Guča Festival, Serbia

Much more than old brass, Guča’s trumpet festival (www.gucafestival.rs) is one of the most exciting and bizarre events in Eastern Europe. Thousands of revellers descend on the small Serbian town of Guča to damage their eardrums, livers and sanity over four cacophonous days.

3 Sarajevo Film Festival, Bosnia & Hercegovina

This globally acclaimed festival (www.sff.ba) that grew out of the ruins of the ’90s civil war screens commercial and art-house movies side by side in the Bosnian capital.

September

Summer crowds have dropped off and prices are no longer sky high, but great weather lingers across the region. September is a fantastic month to head to Eastern Europe, particular for hiking and outdoor activities.

z Coffee Festival, Ukraine

Eastern European coffee culture thrives in Lviv, even more so during the annual coffee festival (www.coffeefest.lviv.ua). Taste coffees from all over the world and channel the buzz into bike rides, film screenings and other events.

3 Apollonia Arts Festival, Bulgaria

Seaside Sozopol hosts a vast festival (www.apollonia.bg) of music, drama and dance for the first week of September.

z Cow’s Ball, Slovenia

This Slovenian mid-September weekend of folk dancing, music, eating and drinking in Bohinj marks the return of the cows from their high pastures to the valleys in typically ebullient Balkan style.

3 Dvořák Autumn, Czech Republic

This classical-music festival honours the work of the Czech Republic’s best-known composer, Antonín Dvořák. The event is held over three weeks in the spa town of Karlovy Vary (www.kso.cz).

October

October remains mild in the south but gets chilly in the north. Prices stay low and crowds lessen with each passing day. Some hiking and biking trails are off limits. Summer resorts may start hibernating.

z Wine Festival, Moldova

Winemakers, wine tasting, wine buying and wine-enriched folkloric performances in and around Chişinău draw buyers and more casual oenophiles to this wine festival.

November

Eastern Europe’s in-between days: after hikers shuffle home and before snow brings winter-sports fans. Days are short, weather is cold, but you’ll have most of Eastern Europe’s attractions to yourself and accommodation is cheap.

3 Tirana International Film Festival, Albania

From the end of October through the first week of November Tirana holds a short- and feature-film festival (www.tiranafilmfest.com), the only one of its kind in tiny Albania. It’s a great way to take stock of Eastern European film-making.

3 Jazz Festival, Bosnia & Hercegovina

Held in Sarajevo in early November, this festival (www.jazzfest.ba) showcases the sultry sounds of local and international jazz musicians.

0 Martinje, Croatia

Martinje (St Martin’s Day) is celebrated in all the wine-producing regions across Croatia on 11 November. There are wine celebrations and lots of feasting and sampling of new wines.

December

Christmas decorations brighten dark streets and, despite the cold across much of the region, as long as you avoid Christmas and New Year’s Eve, prices remain surprisingly low. Ski season starts towards the month’s end.

7 Christmas Markets

Throughout December Eastern Europe heaves with German-style Christmas markets. You’ll find these in many cities in the region, though we recommend Bratislava for its charm and beautiful setting.

0 Christmas

Most countries celebrate on Christmas Eve (24 December) with an evening meal and midnight Mass. However, in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, Christmas falls in January.

0 New Year’s Eve

Even back when communist officials frowned on Christmas, New Year’s Eve remained a big holiday in Eastern Europe. Join the party wherever you are and see in the new year with locals.

Itineraries

Essential Eastern Europe

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2 WEEKS

Combine highlights of the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary for an introduction to Eastern Europe’s charms.

Start in Prague, spending two days absorbing the Old Town. Day-trip to Kutná Hora, to peep at its eerie ossuary and medieval silver history, and take a beer pilgrimage to Plzeň.

On day five head by train into Poland to reach Kraków, with its gob-smacking Main Square. Over three days, ramble Wawel Castle and off-beat Kazimierz, and take a trip to harrowing Oświęcim (Auschwitz).

On day eight head to Slovakia, passing through the High Tatras before reaching Bratislava, with its Danube views. Spend the evening in wine bars and beer halls; the next morning, take a half-day excursion to crumbling Devín Castle.

On day 10 take a boat down the Danube to Budapest. Spend a couple of days simmering in outdoor baths, exploring coffee houses and ruin bars, and admiring the architecture. From here bolt to the baroque Eger and finish with a day trip to Pécs, full of relics from the Turkish occupation.

Itineraries

Eastern Europe 101

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2 WEEKS

Looking to cram history, culture and nightlife into a zippy fortnight-long trip? This itinerary knits together highlights from five Eastern European countries.

Start off by flying to the Polish capital Warsaw for one night, seeing the beautifully restored Old Town and eating pierogi (dumplings) before taking the train south to Kraków. Staying for two nights gives you time to see the Old Town, Wawel Castle and Kazimierz, and do a day trip to Oświęcim (Auschwitz) before taking the overnight train to Prague. Spend another two days on intensive sightseeing – Prague Castle, Charles Bridge and the Old Town, and tasting Czech beer in a local pub.

At the end of day five, take another overnight train to Budapest for two nights in Hungary. Soak in the glorious Gellért Baths, take a cruise on the Danube, see the magnificent Parliament building and wander Castle Hill before yet another overnight train (at the end of day seven) to Romania’s underrated capital, Bucharest. With a one-night stay you can cover the main sights, including the Palace of Parliament, wander the historic centre and pick up the city’s energy in its bars and clubs.

On day nine, continue by bus or train to Plovdiv in Bulgaria, equally rich in Roman ruins, creaky Bulgarian Revival–era mansions, inventive galleries and bars. Stay two nights here, allowing time to amble through the Old Town, pose in the Roman Amphitheatre, and take a half-day trip to vertiginous Asen’s Fortress. On day 11, take the train to Sofia for two nights exploring the glamour of the Bulgarian capital, in particular the golden-domed Aleksander Nevski Cathedral and the Ancient Serdica Complex.

On your last day, take a day trip from Sofia through the Rila Mountains to the country’s spiritual nucleus. Thousand-year-old Rila Monastery is Bulgaria’s holiest site, in a mountain setting as spine-tingling as its apocalyptic frescoes. From here, fly out of Sofia or continue to bigger regional air hubs, such as Athens or İstanbul, to get a flight home.

Itineraries

Baltic Blast

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2 WEEKS

This trip weaves through four very different countries: skirting the Baltic coast, plunging through thick forests, and taking in treasured art. In the space of a fortnight you’ll see rolling countryside and discover three capitals – Tallinn, Rīga and Vilnius – along with timeless St Petersburg and quirky Baltic towns.

Set aside three nights for heart-stoppingly beautiful St Petersburg to see the Hermitage, Nevsky Prospekt’s mansions, and the amazing Church on the Spilled Blood. Head out of town to the reconstructed palaces and manicured gardens of Peterhof, which belonged to Peter the Great.

Take a bus or train to the Estonian capital Tallinn for two days. Wander the chocolate-box streets and stone towers of the 14th- and 15th-century Old Town before heading to the university town of Tartu, packed with interesting museums, parks and handsome wooden buildings. Duck west to the Baltic coast to find the inviting Estonian beach resort of Pärnu. Rest here for a day to indulge in the pleasures of summer holiday-making: mud baths, Bacchanalian nightlife and golden-sand beaches.

At the beginning of week two, continue into Latvia, stopping off in cheerful Sigulda. Spend a day walking in the tranquil landscapes and dense forests of Gauja National Park. On day 10, continue on to Rīga, Latvia’s delightful capital, where you can soak up fantastic art-nouveau architecture, plus bleak history and a contrastingly friendly Old Town, over two days. On one of the days, take an excursion to the opulent Rundāle Palace to see how the aristocrats lived. On day 12, day-trip to the beaches of Jūrmala.

Lithuania is next, and it greets you with the astounding Hill of Crosses in Šiauliai, an icon of Lithuanian identity. Spirited university town Kaunas is Lithuania’s second city, boasting a leafy old centre and bookish cafes, as well as being just a short distance away from the chilling history of war and deportation at Ninth Fort. Finally, end your journey in beautiful Vilnius, the country’s crowning glory.

Itineraries

East of East Tour

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3 WEEKS

Pull back the old Iron Curtain to discover the history and beauty of these one-time Soviet satellites of regional heavyweight Russia.

Begin with two days in dynamic Warsaw, with its revamped Old Town, museums and royal parks. From here take a train to Lviv, Ukraine’s most beautiful city, and spend a day enjoying Old Town churches and enchanting Lychakiv Cemetery. After Lviv, continue by train to imposing Kyiv, where sacred relics repose beneath gilded domes.

After a couple of days enjoying the sights in the Ukrainian capital, and perhaps a guided tour of Chornobyl’s exclusion zone, take the sleeper train to the megalopolis Moscow, a place of striking extremes, dazzling wealth and gridlocked traffic. Drink in the history of the Kremlin, see Lenin’s Mausoleum, St Basil’s Cathedral and Red Square, and sample the nightlife and fashion.

Once you’ve had your fill, leave Moscow and visit picturesque Veliky Novgorod en route to the beautiful baroque and neoclassical architecture of St Petersburg. You could easily spend three days here, although there are abundant sights around as well, such as the tsarist palace Tsarskoe Selo.

When you’re ready to head off, grab a train to Estonia’s magical capital, Tallinn, where you can soak up the medieval Old Town. Head south and relax on the golden-sand beaches of Pärnu before continuing to the Latvian capital Rīga, and its fine collection of art-nouveau architecture. Squeeze in trips to the caves and medieval castles of Sigulda, and the breathtaking coastline around Ventspils.

Cross into Lithuania, where a night or two in Vilnius will reveal the Baltic’s most underrated capital. From Vilnius travel to the huge sand dunes of the amazing Curonian Spit. If you’ve arranged a double-entry visa for Russia, cross over into the melting-pot exclave of Kaliningrad. Alternatively, if you’ve sorted a Belarus visa, take the train to this isolated republic with its pleasant capital Minsk before re-entering Poland and heading back to Warsaw.

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Kotor’s Old Town, Montenegro | IGOR LUSHCHAYI/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

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Cathedral of St Sophia in Veliky Novgorod, Russia | MARINA ZEZELINA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Itineraries

Breezing through the Balkans

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3 WEEKS

Taking its name from the Balkan Mountains, this is a fascinating region of Eastern Europe lapped by different seas, with enigmatic fortresses and intriguing towns.

Begin in Slovenia, where the capital Ljubljana is a delight with a castle, beautiful buildings and bridges. Indulge in superb scenery and adrenaline-rush sports in the Julian Alps before heading south to Croatia and to the beaches along the Dalmatian Coast. Stop in Dubrovnik to explore the Old Town and the surrounding islands.

Detour into Bosnia and Herzegovina – first visit Mostar to see the legendary bridge and the multi-ethnic community that has enjoyed rejuvenation since the Balkan Wars, then spend a night or two in bustling Sarajevo. Head south to the coast and east into Montenegro: visit the historic walled city of Kotor, see the impressive coastline and mountains, and enjoy the beaches around the fortified island village of Sveti Stefan before pressing south into Albania.

After exploring Tirana, a mountain-shrouded, ramshackle capital, make an excursion to the Unesco-listed town of Berat, before taking a bus into little-explored North Macedonia, ending up in sublime Ohrid. Spend at least two days here, enjoying the ancient churches and swimming in the eponymous lake. Make your way to Skopje, North Macedonia’s capital, where an abundance of gleaming, modern Italianate structures are redefining the city for the 21st century. Take the train to Pristina, Kosovo’s cosmopolitan capital, from where it’s an easy hop to Prizren, a mosque-filled old town.

To reach Serbia’s capital Belgrade, you’ll need to backtrack to Skopje and board the international train. Don’t miss the city’s ancient Kalemegdan Citadel and the hip restaurant and clubbing scenes. Take a detour to laid-back Novi Sad with its neoclassical buildings, outdoor cafes and Danube views.

A cross-border bus or train will take you into Bulgaria. Head east to Veliko Târnovo, the ancient capital with a dramatic, river-wrapped setting. From here it’s an easy bus to Varna by the Black Sea, complete with beaches, Roman ruins and open-air clubs.

Itineraries

On the Edge

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3 WEEKS

Covering the easternmost edge of the region (before Russia), this itinerary balances pretty towns and fortresses with time-trapped Belarus and border anomaly Transdniestr.

Start in one of Romania’s underrated westerly cities: either lively Timişoara, with its history of anti-Ceauşescu revolt, or edgy Cluj-Napoca, harbouring avant-garde nightlife and coffee spots. On day three, head east to elegant Sibiu, before pressing on to Braşov on day four. Allow three days to traipse Braşov’s forested hills, meander medieval laneways and day-trip to bear country or dramatic Bran Castle.

Start week two by entering lost-in-time Moldova. Spend a day or two exploring gritty but green capital Chişinău; excellent local wine is plentiful and cheap. Allow a day to visit the stunning cave monastery at Orheiul Vechi, and another to time-travel into Transdniestr, a country that doesn’t officially exist. Little appears to have changed in the ‘capital’ Tiraspol since the Soviet era.

Entering Ukraine on day 11, make a beeline for Odesa, which is only two hours by train or bus from Tiraspol, to enjoy the seaside setting of Ukraine’s Black Sea resort. Next, head north and devote around four days to the country’s dynamic capital, Kyiv. An ancient seat of Slavic and Orthodox culture, it’s a modern metropolis that played a starring role in the 2014 Maidan Revolution. Don’t miss the Pecherska Lavra complex and St Sophia’s Cathedral, as well as ousted ex-president Viktor Yanukovych’s opulent mansion Mezhyhirya.

The final stop takes you to Belarus, Europe’s so-called ‘last dictatorship’. To avoid having to arrange a Belarus visa, fly from Kyiv to monolithic Minsk, a city dominated by Stalinist avenues and Soviet memorials. Minsk is generating buzz for its scintillating nightlife, centred around the up-and-coming arts quarter vul Katrychnitskaya. End your journey with a trip to the provinces. Check out the castle in Mir, then experience provincial life in Nyasvizh with its ancient churches and 16th-century castle.

Itineraries

The Ionian to the Baltic

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4 WEEKS

This eight-country odyssey extends from the Ionian to Baltic Seas, darting between sea-facing fortresses, mountainous vistas and undiscovered towns.

Arrive in Albania by ferry at the port of Saranda, and head to the ruins in Butrint. Continue through Albania to Unesco-listed Gjirokastra, whose stone-and-slate Old Town is Albania’s loveliest. Press on to the capital Tirana for a couple of days of colourful cityscapes and inventive museums, before journeying on to Montenegro.

Move first to Budva with its atmospheric Old Town and beaches and then discover ancient, walled Kotor. Head north to the cliff-face-hugging Ostrog Monastery and on to Durmitor National Park for hiking, rafting and canyoning.

From Montenegro’s capital Podgorica, catch an overnight train to vibrant Serbian capital Belgrade. Stroll the citadels and drink by the Danube, then continue north to convivial, Austro-Hungarian-influenced Novi Sad and explore the Fruška Gora monasteries and vineyards. Cross into Hungary at culture-crammed Szeged and head for Lake Balaton. Keep surging north into Slovakia, aiming for plucky Bratislava, to spend a few days hopping between cafes and castles. Venture onward to chilly gorges and cascades in high-octane Slovenský Raj National Park.

Crossing the Tatra Mountains into Poland, travel to cultural hive Wrocław, spending a few days admiring street art and edgy galleries before dropping in on pastel-coloured Poznań. From here, head for the Baltic coast: Gdańsk is a thriving port where WWII broke out. From here, make day trips to beaches and to Malbork, famed for Europe’s biggest Gothic castle.

Next up is the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which combines elements of Prussia, the USSR and modern Russia. Return to the coast to travel through Kaliningrad’s Kurshskaya Kosa National Park and cross into the Lithuanian section of birch-forested Curonian Spit, aiming for Klaipėda, Lithuania’s main port. End your trip in many-steepled Vilnius.

Albania

Tirana

Central Albania

Berat

Gjirokastra

The Albanian Riviera & the East

Saranda

Ksamil

Himara

Shkodra

The Accursed Mountains & the North

Valbona

Theth

Albania

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Pop 2.93 million

Why Go?

Closed to outsiders for much of the 20th century, Albania has long been Mediterranean Europe’s enigma. Until fairly recently its rumpled mountains, fortress towns and sparkling beaches were merely a rumour on most travel maps. But, with the end of a particularly brutal strain of communism in 1991, Albania tentatively swung open its gates. The first curious tourists to arrive discovered a land where ancient codes of conduct still held sway and where the wind whistled through the shattered remnants of half-forgotten ancient Greek and Roman sites. A quarter of a century after throwing off the shackles of communism, Albania’s stunning mountain scenery, crumbling castles, boisterous capital and dreamy beaches rivalling any in the Mediterranean continue to enchant. But hurry here because as word gets out about what Albania is hiding, the still-tiny trickle of tourists threatens to become a flood.

When to Go

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Jun Enjoy the perfect Mediterranean climate and deserted beaches.

Jul–Aug Albania’s beaches may be packed, but this is a great time to explore the mountains.

Dec See features and shorts at the Tirana Film Festival, while the intrepid can snowshoe to Theth.

Best Places to Eat

A Onufri

A Pasta e Vino

A Met Kodra

A Otium

A Mrizi i Zanave

Best Places to Stay

A Stone City Hostel

A Rose Garden Hotel

A Trip’n’Hostel

A Hotel Mangalemi

A Hotel Rilindja

A B&B Tirana Smile

Entering the Country

Albania has good connections in all directions: daily buses go to Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Greece. There are no international train routes to/from Albania. The southern seaport of Saranda is a short boat trip from Greece’s Corfu, while in summer ferries also connect Himara and Vlora to Corfu. Durrës has regular ferries to Italy.

ITINERARIES

One Week

Spend a day in busy Tirana, checking out the various excellent museums as well as the Blloku bars and cafes. On day two, make the three-hour trip to the Ottoman-era town of Berat. Overnight there before continuing down the coast for a couple of days on the beach in Himara or Ksamil. Make sure you leave time for Butrint before spending your last night in charming Gjirokastra and returning to Tirana.

Two Weeks

Follow the first week itinerary and then head north into Albania’s incredible Accursed Mountains. Start in Italian-flavoured Shkodra, from where you can get transport to Koman for the stunning morning ferry ride to Fierzë. Continue the same day to the charming mountain village of Valbona for the night, before trekking to Theth and spending your last couple of nights in the beautiful Theth National Park before heading back to Tirana.

Essential Food & Drink

Byrek Pastry with cheese or meat.

Fergesë Baked peppers, egg and cheese, and occasionally meat.

Midhje Wild or farmed mussels, often served fried.

Paçë koke Sheep’s head soup, usually served for breakfast.

Qofta Flat or cylindrical minced-meat rissoles.

Sufllaqë Doner kebab.

Tavë Meat baked with cheese and egg.

Konjak Local brandy.

Raki Popular spirit made from grapes.

Raki mani Spirit made from mulberries.

AT A GLANCE

Area 28,748 sq km

Capital Tirana

Country Code icon-phonegif %355

Currency Lek (plural lekë); the euro (€) is widely accepted.

Emergency Ambulance icon-phonegif %127; Fire icon-phonegif %128; Police icon-phonegif %129

Language Albanian

Time Central European Time (GMT/UTC plus one hour)

Visas Nearly all visitors can travel visa-free to Albania for a period of up to 90 days

Sleeping Price Ranges

The following price categories are based on the cost of a double room in high season.

€ less than €40

€€ €40–80

€€€ more than €80

Eating Price Ranges

The following price categories are based on the cost of a main course.

€ less than 500 lekë

€€ 500–1200 lekë

€€€ more than 1200 lekë

Albania Highlights

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1 Accursed Mountains Doing the wonderful day trek between the isolated mountain villages of Valbona and Theth and experiencing some of Albania’s best scenery.

2 Berat Exploring this Unesco World Heritage–listed museum town, known as the ‘city of a thousand windows’.

3 Albanian Riviera Catching some sun at just one of the many gorgeous beaches on the Albanian Riviera.

4 Tirana Feasting your eyes on the wild colour schemes and experiencing Blloku cafe culture in the plucky Albanian capital.

5 Gjirokastra Taking a trip to this traditional Albanian mountain town, with its spectacular Ottoman-era mansions and impressive hilltop fortress.

6 Butrint Searching for the ghosts of Ancient Greece and Rome among the forest-dappled ruins of one of Europe’s finest archaeological sites.

Tirana

icon-phonegif %04 / Pop 557,000

Lively, colourful Tirana is where this tiny nation’s hopes and dreams coalesce into a vibrant whirl of traffic, brash consumerism and unfettered fun. Having undergone a transformation of extraordinary proportions since awaking from its communist slumber in the early 1990s, Tirana’s centre is now unrecognisable from those grey days, with buildings painted in primary colours, and public squares and pedestrianised streets that are a pleasure to wander.

Trendy Blloku buzzes with the well-heeled hanging out in bars and cafes, while the city’s grand boulevards are lined with fascinating relics of its Ottoman, Italian and communist past – from delicate minarets to loud socialist murals. Add to this some excellent museums and you have a compelling list of reasons to visit.

07-tirana-eeu16

Tirana

1Top Sights

1 National History Museum B2

1Sights

2 Bunk’Art 2 C3

3 House of Leaves B3

4 National Archaeological Museum C5

5 National Gallery of Arts C3

2Activities, Courses & Tours

6 Tirana Free Tour C2

4Sleeping

7 B&B Tirana Smile A2

8 Green House C4

9 Tirana Backpacker Hostel A2

10 Trip’n’Hostel D1

5Eating

11 Era B4

12 King House B5

13 Met Kodra D2

14 Otium B4

6Drinking & Nightlife

15 Komiteti Kafe Muzeum C4

16 Radio B4

1 Sights

The centre of Tirana is Sheshi Skënderbej (Skanderbeg Sq), a large traffic island with an equestrian statue of the eponymous Albanian national hero at its centre. Most of the city’s sights are within walking distance of the square.

icon-top-choice oBunk’ArtMUSEUM

( icon-phonegif %067 207 2905; www.bunkart.al; Rr Fadil Deliu; 500 lekë; icon-hoursgif h9am-4pm Wed-Sun)

This fantastic conversion – from a massive Cold War bunker on the outskirts of Tirana into a history and contemporary art museum – is Albania’s most exciting new sight and easily a Tirana highlight. With almost 3000 sq metres of space underground spread over several floors, the bunker was built for Albania’s political elite in the 1970s and remained a secret for much of its existence. Now it hosts exhibits that combine the modern history of Albania with pieces of contemporary art.

icon-top-choice oNational History MuseumMUSEUM

( map Google map; Muzeu Historik Kombëtar; www.mhk.gov.al; Sheshi Skënderbej; 200 lekë; icon-hoursgif h9am-7pm)

The largest museum in Albania holds many of the country’s archaeological treasures and a replica of Skanderbeg’s massive sword (how he held it, rode his horse and fought at the same time is a mystery). The lighting might be poor but fortunately the excellent collection is almost entirely signed in English and takes you chronologically from ancient Illyria to the postcommunist era. The collection of statues, mosaics and columns from Greek and Roman times is breathtaking.

National Gallery of ArtsGALLERY

( map Google map; Galeria Kombëtare e Arteve; icon-phonegif %04 223 3975; www.galeriakombetare.gov.al/en/home/index.shtml; Blvd Dëshmorët e Kombit; adult/student 200/60 lekë; icon-hoursgif h9am-7pm)

Tracing the relatively brief history of Albanian painting from the early 19th century to the present day, this beautiful space also has temporary exhibitions. The interesting collection includes 19th-century paintings depicting scenes from daily Albanian life and others with a far more political dimension including some truly fabulous examples of Albanian socialist realism.

The ground-floor part of the gallery is given over to temporary exhibitions of a far more modern and challenging kind.

Bunk’Art 2MUSEUM

( map Google map; icon-phonegif %067 207 2905; www.bunkart.al; Rr Sermedin Toptani; 500 lekë; icon-hoursgif h9am-9pm)

The little cousin to the main Bunk’Art, this museum, which is within a communist-era bunker and underground tunnel system below the Ministry of Internal Affairs, focuses on the role of the police and security services in Albania through the turbulent 20th century. While this might not sound especially interesting, the whole thing has been very well put together and makes for a fascinating journey behind police lines.

House of LeavesMUSEUM

( map Google map; icon-phonegif %04 222 2612; www.muzeugjethi.gov.al; Rr Ibrahim Rugova; 700 lekë; icon-hoursgif h9am-7pm May–mid-Oct, 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-2pm Sun mid-Oct–Apr)

This grand old 1930s building started life as Albania’s first maternity hospital, but within a few years the focus turned from creating new life to ending lives as the hospital was converted to an interrogation and surveillance centre (read: torture house). It remained as such until the fall of the communist regime. Today, the House of Leaves is a museum dedicated to surveillance and interrogation in Albania.

Mt Dajti National ParkNATIONAL PARK

Just 25km east of Tirana is Mt Dajti National Park. It is the most accessible mountain in the country, and many locals go there to escape the city rush and have a spit-roast lamb lunch. A sky-high, Austrian-made cable car, Dajti Express ( icon-phonegif %067 208 4471; www.dajtiekspres.com; Rr Dibrës; one-way/return 500/800 lekë; icon-hoursgif h9am-10pm Jul-Aug, to 9pm May-Jun & Sep-Oct, to 7pm Nov-Apr), takes 15 minutes to make the scenic trip (almost) to the top (1611m).

National Archaeological MuseumMUSEUM

( map Google map; Muzeu Arkeologjik Nacional; Sheshi Nënë Tereza; 300 lekë; icon-hoursgif h10am-2.30pm Mon-Fri)

The collection here is comprehensive and impressive in parts, but there’s only minimal labelling in Albanian and none at all in English (nor are tours in English offered), so you may find yourself a little at a loss unless this is your field. A total renovation is on the cards, but as one staff member pointed out to us, they’ve been waiting for that since 1985 – so don’t hold your breath.

T Tours

Tirana Free TourTOURS

( map Google map; icon-phonegif %069 631 5858; www.tiranafreetour.com)

This enterprising tour agency has made its name by offering a free daily tour of Tirana that leaves at 10am year-round. In July, August and September a second tour is offered at 3pm. Tours meet outside the Opera House on Sheshi Skënderbej (look on the website for a photo indicating

Reviews for Lonely Planet Eastern Europe

[debbiemccauley-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is not geography that defines Eastern Europe, but rather 40 years of communist rule. The Iron Curtain was ripped down in 1989 and since then the countries of Eastern Europe have experienced rapid upheavals as they embrace democracy and join organisations such as the European Union (EU). This ‘New Europe’ has opened up for travellers, a region that ‘mingles rich cultures, wild natural beauty and incongruous post-communist quirks’ (p. 23). A comprehensive 1044 pages of information, this 10th edition includes events calendars, itineraries, directories, maps, a health section, a language section and an index.