Australians visit Western Europe in swarms, especially when the Aussie dollar is high, but seem curiously unfamiliar with the eastern half of the continent.
However, there's a whole other Europe over there, with the same things that Western Europe is famous for — art treasures, fascinating castles, great food and wine, and character-packed villages.
And there are two big bonuses in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Firstly, they're cheaper to travel in than the West. And secondly, they're dotted with weird and fascinating remnants left over from the "reds under the beds" era.
Here are five unexpected places to head east to, next time you're in Europe...
Fairytale castle from central casting, Lithuania
The world's most famous fairytale pin-up castle may be Neuschwanstein in Germany, but Trakai Island Castle could give it a run for its money. This beautiful 15th century red-brick edifice has it all: circular turrets with attractive tiled pointy roofs within which you can imagine princesses being held prisoner by wicked stepmothers.
On top of this, the castle is located on an island in the middle of a placid lake. You can make the crossing to this medieval vision by sailboat, pedal-boat or on foot across a long timber bridge.
In the Middle Ages, Trakai was an administrative centre for Lithuania's Grand Duke. That power ebbed away over the centuries, however, and nowadays the small town makes a picturesque day trip by rail from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. In addition to the island castle, there are the ruins of a second, peninsular castle to explore.
Trakai is also home to the diminishing Karaim ethnic group, a Turkic people whom a 14th century Grand Duke brought home with him from the Crimea. Take an outdoor seat at a lakeside restaurant, and enjoy the castle view with a Lithuanian beer in one hand and a Karaim kibinai (a crescent-shaped lamb-filled pastry) in the other.
Bison in the mist, Poland
If you'd assumed that bison were only spotted in old Western movies, stampeding across the prairies and causing our cowboy heroes no end of bother, think again. On Poland's eastern border with Belarus lies Bialowieza National Park, the last place you can see European bison in the wild.
Not that you're necessarily likely to see them, as the shy herd roams within a strictly-policed UNESCO Biosphere within Bialowieza Forest, the last remnant of the primeval forest which once covered Central Europe. Either way, the atmospheric woods are well worth visiting (in the company of the compulsory guide) for a glimpse into the leafy past.
You can, in addition, guarantee bison sightings by heading to the Bison Reserve outside town, whose open zoo layout contains bison, wolves, and tarpans, curious horse-like creatures from the distant past.
Hot baths and cool cake, Hungary
As the joint capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century, Budapest shares many similarities with its former partner, Vienna. Try these grand coffee houses for their spectacular cakes and fine food:
- Gerbeaud, serving renowned sacher torte within its mirrored interior;
- New York Cafe, a baroque extravagance once the haunt of writers and now part of the lavish Boscolo New York Palace; and
- Lukacs, a glamorous cafe favoured by members of the secret police during the communist era. In fact, their nearby former HQ is now a museum of communist rule known as the Terror House.
Beyond cake and historic reminders, Budapest's most distinctive attraction is its collection of thermal baths, a tradition that's a legacy of 16th century Turkish rule. One of the most impressive is the Gellert Baths in an art nouveau building on the Danube's edge.
Hiking with altitude, Slovakia
The Tatra Mountains that run along the border between Poland and Slovakia are the tail end of the mighty Carpathians, which curve in an arc all the way from Romania. In winter there's skiing here, but in the summer months the foothills are ideal for hiking.
The Tatras' lower slopes are dotted with small towns linked by an electric railway. From Tatranska Lomnica, a cable car lifts visitors to Skalnate Pleso, 1751m above sea level. From here you can catch a second cable car right up to the peak of Lomnicky Stit, one of the highest points of the range at 2634m. Or you can follow the marked red hiking trail south along a mountain ridge with fantastic views over the plain below.
Along the way the trail descends past trees and waterfalls to the refuge Zamkovskeho Chata, where sausages and beer can be consumed among the good natured hiking fraternity. Then it's upwards again through the forested path that leads to Hrebienok, from where a funicular railway sets the hiker down gently at the pleasant town of Stary Smokovec.
Rocking the barracks, Slovenia
If the generals of communist-era Yugoslavia could look forward in time and see what became of their austere barracks after Slovenia became independent in 1991, they'd be horrified. After the troops departed, this collection of military buildings in the Metelkova district of the capital Ljubljana was claimed by squatters and artists, who created an edgy artistic quarter.
Nowadays Metelkova is an artistic hub by day, with cutting-edge galleries, outlandish statues and street art. By night it's a lively alternative entertainment zone, with nightclubs and bars of a grungy, arty type, a place known for its good-humoured energy.
To fully immerse yourself in the Metelkova vibe, stay in the Celica Hostel, once an army prison. Its former cells are now rooms for two. They still have bars on their doors, but each cell's interior has been decorated by a different artist. Pick of the bunch is Cell 116, beautifully painted in shades of blue, with mystic characters depicted on its walls — and a circular bed two metres above the floor, reached by stepladders.
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Tim Richards visited Budapest courtesy of europenethotels.com.
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