Many people would ask which side of Europe do I prefer? Eastern or Western? My answer to this question is Eastern Europe. Reason being, Eastern Europe is more beautiful and also cheaper as compared to western Europe.
If you don’t have few months to explore you may want to consider taking the below summary itinerary as a reference. It took me about 12 days but you can stay longer if you want to.
Below is a summary itinerary of the places in Eastern Europe. Countries include :
Berlin Germany -> Dresden Germany -> Prague Czech Republic -> Krakow Poland -> Budapest Hungary -> Vienna Austria -> Salzburg Austria -> Eagle Nest Germany.
Eastern Europe – Day 1 & 2 – Berlin, Germany
- Berlin’s Sony Center
- Berlin Wall – famous grafitti “The Kiss” (picture above)
- Brandenburger Gate
- Berlin Cathedral Church
- Pergamon Museum in Berlin
- Reichstag Building – New German Parliament
- Checkpoint Charlie
Please also look for these little icons while in Berlin!
- Ampelmann – little traffic light men – look super cute
- Trabi/Trabant Classic Cars
- Germany Sausage
Eastern Europe – Day3 – Dresden & Bestei, Germany
- Dresden Frauenkirche
- Brühl’s Terrace
- Elbe River
- Fürstenzug -the largest porcelain artwork in the world (picture above)
- Zwinger mit Semperbau – old Palace Museum
- Theaterplatz and the Semperoper – public square
- Bastei Bridge – 1.5 hour from Dresden
Thing you should try :
- German Pork Knuckle Lunch
Eastern Europe – Day 4 – Prague, Czech Republic
- Prague Castle – largest ancient Castle in the world
- St Vitus Cathedral – most important Church in Prague, Czech Republic
- Golden Lane – narrow street with colorful tiny cottages
- Wenceslas Square – oldest Square in Prague
- Statue of Wenceslas I of Bohemia, nicknamed the good king.
- Prague Astronomical Clock – 3rd oldest astronomical clock in the world
- Charges Bridge – a stone bridge crosses the Vltava river in Prague.
- Saint John of Nepomus – most famous statue in Charges Bridge (picture above)
Things you may want to explore :
- Private Cruise Lunch – breathtaking scenery along the Vltara River
- Shopping – Luxury shopping at Parizska Street and local souvenirs shopping at Wenceslas Square
Eastern Europe – Day 5 – Krakow Salt Mine, Poland
“Wieliczka” Salt Mine in Krakow, Poland – Unesco site
- Wooden stairs – few hundred steps below underground
- Salt Mine Rehabilitation Clinic
- Legend of the Salt Mines – Princess Kinga & Statue of King Casimir III (picture above)
- Scary tunnels in the mines
- Little salt statue dwarfs
- Horses and Horse Stable
- St. Kinga’s Chapel
- Rock-salt statue of Pope John Paul II
Things you should not missed while in the Salt Mine Krakow :
- Salt for bath scrub in the Gift shop – must buy!
Eastern Europe – Day 6 – Krakow Poland – Part 1: Wawel Castle & Main Market Square
- Wawel Royal Castle
- – -Inner Courtyard of Wawel Castle (Picture above)
–Sandomierska Tower in Royal Castle – Fire Tower with dungeon - Ulica Kanonicza – Krakow’s Most Scenic Street
- Main Market Square
- St. Mary’s Basilica Church – largest wooden altarpiece in the world
- Cloth Hall, Krakow
- Town Hall Tower -Focal Point in Main Square
- Jaqiellonian University
Things to look for :
- Winged Hussars -Polish Warrior in Main Square
Eastern Europe – Day 6 – Krakow Poland – Part 2 : Jewish Quarter & Auschwitz Concentration Camp
- Jewish Quarter – Jewish neighborhood
- Auschwitz Concentration Camp – Death Camp
– Gas Chamber (picture above)
– Museum
Thing you may want to know before :
- Mentally prepared as not many people can handle the camp but it is a great tour to learn about the past!
- Watched these two movies if you have no background of the history – The Pianist ( true story) & Schindler’s List
Eastern Europe Day 7 – Budapest, Hungary
- Highway from Krakow to Budapest 6 Hours drive
- Orava Castle in Slovakia
- Lunch at Donovaly Slovakia
- A night of culture : Folk Dance Dinner
- Budapest Danube River Cruise Tour
- Budapest Parliament Building (picture above)
- Beautiful Chain Bridge -connecting Buda and Pest
Things you should not missed :
- River cruise during sunset. You get to see the sky turn dark and how the surrounding buildings changes and dress up with stunning lights.
Eastern Europe Day 8 – Budapest, Hungary
- Hero Square
- Millennium Monument -Unesco Site
- Chain Bridge
- Funicular ride to go up Castle Hill
- Castle Hill Ruins near Buda Castle
- Buda Castle/ Royal Palace
- Beethoven Concert Hall In Budapest
- Matthias Church
- Fisherman Bastion (picture above)
- Gellert Hill
- St. Stephen’s Basilica
Thing you may want to try :
- Metro in Budapest – public transport
Eastern Europe Day 9 – Vienna, Austria
- Schonbrunn Palace – Unesco Site – Summer Palace
— go look for Empress Sisi
–Rose Garden In Schonbrunn Palace (picture above)
–The Gloriette in the Schonbrunn Palace Garden
–Neptune Fountain in Schonbrunn Palace - Rathaus – Town Hall Vienna
- St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna
- Hofburg Palace – Winter Palace
- Heldenplatz – Hero Square
–The statue of Archduke Charles in Heldenplatz - Outer Burgtor – Historical Gate near Hofburg Palace
- Kunsthistorisches Museum – Largest Fine Arts Museum in Austria
Thing you may want to see :
- Ballet and Opera Concert In Vienna
Eastern Europe Day 10 – Salzburg, Austria
- Lunch with Alpine Surroundings
- Mirabell Palace and Gardens – Sound of Music – Unesco
- Makartsteg bridge (picture above)
- Mozart’s Birthplace at 9 Getreidegasse
- Mozart’s Residence
- The Residenzplatz/Residence Square
- Barogue Fountain at Residence Square
- Mozartplatz & Mozart Monument
Things to observe :
- Trolleybuses in Salzburg
- Street performance
Eastern Europe Day 11 – Kehlsteinhaus, Eagle Nest Germany -Hitler’s Holiday Home
- Kehlsteinhaus – Eagle’s Nest in Germany – Hitler’s Holiday Home
- Check out the view at Bavarian Alps (picture above)
- Tunnel leads to the elevator up Eagle Nest
- Restaurant with 360 degree of Alpine view
Things you should observe :
- The Gold elevator – experience the luxury atmosphere for few seconds while it brings you up to Eagle Nest & check out the mirror too.
Eastern Europe Summary Itinerary covering 6 countries and 9 cities.
Berlin Germany -> Dresden Germany -> Prague Czech Republic -> Krakow Poland -> Slovakia -> Budapest Hungary -> Vienna Austria -> Salzburg Austria -> Eagle Nest Germany.
You may like nearby other attraction
I have affiliate program with the following booking website, so please click at your preference booking website here to check the hotels or airbnb you like to stay for your Eastern Europe trip.
Booking Resources :
17 comments
wow… looks like you had a great time and got to see a lot of stuff in a decently short amount of time. when i finally make it across the pond I’ll have to try this out!
Dear Amy,
You are right about it, my trip is too short! I would recommend to spend more time at least 3 weeks to 1 month if possible to get such long leave from work!
How do you do it? You always seem to plan trips that take you all over and highlight some fantastic places. This one sounds exceptionally interesting.
Dear Cia,
Thank you for your comment. One drawback of this I spend too little time in Eastern Europe. It would be better if I have a longer time frame so that I can explore slowly.
Wow!! Such a beautiful place to explore. We’ve been there last year and we really enjoy the beautiful scenery of Europe. Hope I can revisit this place soon.
Dear Candy,
Thank you for your comment. Re-visit is a great idea and one can never get tired of Europe!
Your trips looks nice but next time you should go to the proper Eastern Europe as well. You were more in Central this time. Romania, Greece, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Bulgaria are amazing countries that are both cheap and offer a lot of authentic experiences.
Dear Joanna,
You are so right about it. The real Eastern Europe are still in my bucket list. I can’t wait to check Romania, Greece, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Bulgaria and I glad to learn these countries are even cheaper. Thank you for the info and suggestion. 🙂
Amazing travel! Eastern Europe looks like it’s filled with excitement and of course, lots of history!
Currently in Prague and LOVE it sooo much! Hope to get to Budapest on my next trip to Eastern Europe, looks like you had a busy and fun trip!
Dear Noelle,
Since you are in Prague then I am sure you enjoy every fun bit of the city. Words can’t describe how beautiful Prague is. It has almost everything and unique with its own way!
Such a great itinerary, absolutely amazing. This would be so helpful for the trip I am planning this year to Eastern Europe, you have included the places which are on the top of my bucket list, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Salzburg. All the pictures look lovely, I am glad you enjoyed it.
Dear Preet,
I hope you have a great time in Eastern Europe and do enjoy shopping in Budapest and Prague but in Berlin and Salzburg things get more expensive. Buy whatever thing you wanted to get in Budapest and Prague!
It looked like you had an amazing time. You have packed so many fun things to do in this guide, there are so many places mentioned that I would love to visit too, especially Budapest!
What a wonderful trip! I was planning a trip on 4 Eastern Europe cities for Spring, but decided to change my plans. Our children are really young and we thought it would be wiser to wait unil they grow up a little more.
Oh, it’s so great to read that you’ve visited Hungary, too! Although being a Hungarian myself, I might be biased, but I think that Budapest has some of the most beautiful attractions ever. The Parliament, for once. Have you tried any traditional meals at the dinner? 🙂
Dear Flora,
I love Budapest landscape so much, especially the stunning Parliament House. One must see it at night when the building is light up! Simple amazing view and every Hungarian should be very proud of! I did try the traditional dinner and also enjoy the traditional dances a lot. I still remember the dancers put the wine bottle on their head and dance, the lady dancer do have a very good balancing skill! I have a wonderful in Hungary!!