[edit]Cities

Central Europe has some of the oldest and best preserved cities on the continent. Below is a list ofnineof the most notable:

• Berlin- The capital of reunitedGermanysince 1990, it was divided by force for 45 years during the Cold War. It has emerged as a international cultural center and an area of rapid development since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
• Budapest- The capital ofHungaryhas a wealth of grand architecture, culture and its famous thermal baths, as well as one of the oldest metro systems in the world.
• Geneva- The largest city in FrancophoneSwitzerland. This wealthy urban banking center is home to many international agencies like the Red Cross and the United Nations.
• Kraków- The cultural center and former capital ofPoland. It is famed for its charming architecture and the largest medieval old-town market square in Europe.
• Ljubljana- The picturesque alpine capital ofSloveniais a charming baroque city with stunning architecture and dynamic night life.
• Munich- The well to do capital of the southern German federal-state ofBavaria. This gateway to the Alps is famous forOktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival.
• Prague- The world-famous capital of theCzech Republicis one of Europe's most attractive and well preserved large cities and has emerged as an expatriate melting pot since the opening of the Iron Curtain.
• Vienna- The elegant capital ofAustria. This imperial capital has countless classicist sights.
• Warsaw- The political and business center ofPolandwith a completely re-built old-town and castle square.

[edit]Other destinations

• Alps- probably one of the most important winter destinations in the world. Home to summer resorts too. Includes: France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Slovenia.
• Tatra Mountains- beautiful and unspoiled mountain range peaking at 2600 meters above sea level. Located on the Polish-Slovak frontier.
• Balaton- this scenic Hungarian lake is the largest lake in Central Europe and a year-round tourist hub.
• Baltic Sea- Germany and Poland share the Baltic Sea coast of Central Europe with hundreds of miles of sandy beaches and resorts.
• North Sea- Germany has many tourist islands in the North Sea.
• Black Forest- smaller mountain range in southwest Germany famous for its scenery and history.
• Hévíz- the world's second largest thermal lake in Hungary, a health tourism centre.
• Harz Mountains - low-lying mountain range in central Germany home to the legend of the witch.
• Aggtelek Caves - a magnificent complex of 712 caves in Northern Hungary and Southern Slovakia.
• Adriatic Sea- Slovenia has a relatively small, but beautiful coastline on the north-eastern tip of the Adriatic.
• Giant Mountians- Located along the Silesia-Bohemian frontier in Poland and the Czech Republic.

[edit]Understand

While ethnically different, the countries of Central Europe share a similar culture and history throughout the ages. Two of the most important political units in the region were the German and Austro-Hungarian empires. They were preceded in the Middle Ages by the Holy Roman Empire, a patchwork of states and statelets whose extent varied over time. Ethnic conflict was a major problem for hundreds of years in Central Europe and culminated in the horrors of the Second World War. With the peaceful reunification of Germany and the recent expansion of the EU to encompass the former Warsaw Pact states in the region, this problem finally seems to have been solved.

It is a common mistake by outsiders to label all the former Warsaw Pact states in the region as being inEastern Europe. Almost uniformly, inhabitants of Central Europe will be flattered and pleased if you correctly describe their countries as "central European" both geographically and culturally. Conversely, they may be upset if you lapse into Cold War stereotypes. East and West Germanywerecountries, so better to call it eastern and western Germany. Reunification is all but a thing of the past and seen in a more or less positive light by most there and in all of Central Europe so try to avoid labeling Germans by their recent past. Remember Germans are Germans but Austrians, Liechtensteiners and most Swiss and Luxembourgers allspeakGerman, but are not German! Czech, Polish or Slovakian may sound similar to Russian, but inhabitants of these countries will not take kindly to assumptions of cultural overlap. Lastly, keep in mind that the Czech Republic and Slovakia once shared a country as well and Slovaks in general are very proud of their new found independence.

While they are not currently considered part of Central Europe, the regions of western Ukraine,Kaliningrad Oblast(Russia) and Alto-Adige / South Tirol - province (Italy), are sometimes also considered Central European. This is due either to their current and or past ethnic makeup and/or previous political histories. The Kaliningrad oblast spent most of its history as a German speaking region and South Tirol remains a largely German-speaking region in northern Italy maintaining strong cultural ties to Austria. Even though Ukraine is predominantly an orthodox country, its westernmost part for the centuries was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later passed to Austria-Hungary which to some extent influenced it's unique culture.

[edit]Talk

Central Europe, because of its rich heritage of nationalities, likewise is home to many languages. Some languages enjoy national status and thus are taught in schools and used widely in the media. Others however are only regional languages or minority languages and thus are sadly in danger of eventual extinction even though efforts are underway to try to preserve them.

Germanhas the largest number of native speakers in the region and acts as the single "official" language of Austria, Germany and Liechtenstein. In Switzerland, German is the mother tongue of 2/3 of the population and the dominant language of the four official Swiss languages (German, French, Italian & Romansh). There is a small German speaking minority to be found in Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary. It is also spoken outside Central Europe in eastern Belgium and France, and northern Italy (mainly in the region of South Tyrol/Alto Adige). German can be very diverse and appears in many different colorful dialects particular in the Southern German-speaking world (Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol) were tradition and dialect remains strong.

CzechandSlovakare very closely related and are mutually intelligible. TheSorbianlanguage(s) spoken in eastern Germany near the Polish frontier is also a close relative.

Polishis the dominant language in all regions of Poland and in a tiny border region of the Czech Republic. Kashubian, a regional Slavonic language, is spoken in the region around Gdansk in Pomerania in northern Poland.Silesianis a regional language/dialect, (depending on who you ask) found in southwest Poland.

Hungarianis one of the most difficult languages for other Europeans to learn, as it originates from a different language family and is related to Finnish and Estonian. There are 5 million Hungarian speakers living outside Hungary in neighboring countries such as Romania (Transylvania), northern Serbia, eastern Austria and southern Slovakia.

FrenchorItalianare spoken by the majority of the population in the southern and western regions of Switzerland, while Swiss German is commonly taught as a second language. French plays a historic role in alpine northern Italy in the French border regions.

In the Swiss Canton of Graubünden or Grison,Romanshis spoken as a regional language. Almost all Romansh speakers speak either Swiss German and/or Italian as well. It is closely related to Ladin which is spoken in a few mountain valleys of northern Italy and is another endangered regional language. Sadly it is being replaced by German or Italian.

Slovenianis the official language of Slovenia, but it is also spoken by the Slovenian minorities in southern Austria, northeastern Italy and western Hungary. There is also a smallCroatianminority in Austria's Burgenland. Sorbian, Frisian and Low German are Germany's three native minority languages with exception of Roma. Sorbian is related to Polish and Czech and can be found spoken in both the eastern states of Saxony and Brandenburg. All Sorbs speak German as well and the current Minister President (Governor) of the German federal-state of Saxony is even Sorbian! Frisian is related to English and Dutch and is spoken by tiny minority communities in Schleswig-Holstein and Niedersachsen and neighboring communities in the Netherlands.

Lastly, Low German is spoken by rural communities or as a second language by a few in most federal states of northern Germany and still has a significant role to play in the city states of Bremen, Hamburg and Luebeck and in the states of Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein and particular in the eastern federal-state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. All three German minority languages are endangered languages. Efforts are underway to preserve the languages and their culture but it is seemingly a losing battle.

Finding people who speak and understand English is not a problem in most regions of Central Europe, especially in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. In Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, English is widely spoken in the larger cities and by younger people; German and Russian are also spoken and understood by many older people in these countries.Russian, since the end of the Cold War and the unification of Europe is in steady decline. Today German remains important, more for financial and economic reasons instead of cultural or political reasons, as was the case in the past. Slovenians and the Swiss by far lead the region in their ability to speak many different tongues.

[edit]Get in

Central Europe is very well connected within Europe and with the rest of the world. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are particularly renowned for efficient and fast transport infrastructures that make it possible to travel quickly to even the smallest villages usually by modern bus but sometimes even by train!

[edit]By plane

The largest gateway for air travel isFrankfurtMain airport in central Germany, which offers connections to all continents and to most airports in Europe.Zurich,MunichandViennaairports are a lot smaller but provide good connections to selected regional and intl. destinations.

A difference between flag carriers anddiscount airlinesis discount airlines may fly to an airport some distance from the city it serves. Flag carriers usually fly to nearby airports, such as Frankfurt/Main, while no-frill airlines like Ryanair fly to Frankfurt-Hahn airport, which is two hours away from Frankfurt city and actually closer toTrier.

[edit]By train

Central Europe has a dense high-speed train network:

• InterCityExpress (ICE) trains offer connections across Germany, but are also run in partnership with the Danish, Austrian and Dutch railways.
• The French TGV connectsFrancewithGeneva,Berne,BaselandZurich. Also there are connections toKarlsruhe,StuttgartandFrankfurt.
• Thalys trains connectColognewithBrusselsandParis
• RailJet conects Vienna with Zurich, Munich and Budapest.
• Pendilinos are run in Slovenia and the Czech Republic with connections to neighboring countries.

In addition, there are numerous night- and other express and regular trains that connect Central Europe with the rest of continental Europe, and travel as far asIstanbulorMoscow. Check the homepage of the Deutsche Bahn[1], which has an excellent overview of the European rail system.

[edit]By car

The motorways in Central Europe are excellent and offer fast connections across the region. The European Union has spent vast amounts of money to improve transport connectivity. Check individual country pages for details of routes and suggested itineraries.

[edit]Get around

All of the countries located in Central Europe are now signatories toSchengen Agreement, which means that you can cross the borders unimpeded, save for random police checks. However as a visitor to the EU on a tourist visa you are limited to a 3-months total stay in all the countries in the region.

[edit][add listing]See

• TheEnglish Gardenand the hugeDeutsches MuseuminMunich
• The massiveDominCologne
• The modern architecture ofBerlin'sPotsdamer Platz
• The modern skyline ofFrankfurtandWarsaw
• The natural skyline of thealpsinInnsbruck
• The natural beauty of Lake Constance and its three national shorelines

[edit]Itineraries

[edit][add listing]Do

• Ascend theReichstagDome inBerlin
• Hike the mountainous areas of "Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland" south ofDresdenalong the Elbe/Labe
• Walk around historicRothenburg ob der Taubercomplete with city walls
• Visit abeer hall, theOlympic Park, BMW museum and don't forget the colorful central pedestrian zone inMunich
• Visit Hitler's infamous Eagles Nest inBerchtesgadenin the Bavarian Alps with a good museum on the Nazi Crimes
• Tour theBlack Forestand maybe buy a cuckoo clock or just eat a torte!
• Cruise theRhineRiver and enjoy the world famous wine
• Ride the post-modern monorail inWuppertal
• Stroll through the old town center ofSalzburgand visit the imposing fortress of the Archbishop
• Float down the river with the locals in the swiss capital ofBerne
• Ride a cable car up toGimmelwald, eat at the Piz Gloria restaurant, go out on theJungfrauglacier, see a churning waterfall, or hike one of the countless Swiss mountain ridges
• Stroll through historicViennaand visit thePraterdistrict
• Go skiing or snowboarding in Switzerland, Austria or Bavaria a
• Go upCastle Hilland admire the view of the river and city inBudapest
• Relax in aHungarianTurkish style spa
• Visit the world's largest castle complex and tour the old and new towns ofPrague
• Visit the historic and elegant port city ofGdanskand it surrounding Baltic resorts
• Spend a night camping under the stars and moonlight on the German Baltic island of Ruegen
• StrollWarsaw's old town and old Jewish Ghetto, and take a glance at the Soviet inspiredPalace of Culture and Science
• Tour the historic old town and castle ofKrakow, and visit the Soviet worker's suburb ofNowa Huta
• Be moved by a visit to a Nazi concentration camp and memorial such asAuschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau or Treblinka
• Tour the Old Town ofDresdenand see the reconstructed "Frauenkirche" a symbol of peace and reconciliation
• Visit the historic spa town ofKarlovy Vary(Carlsbad) in Bohemia in the Czech Republic and "take the cure"
• Experience the wild nightlife inBerlin,Prague,MunichandBudapestuntil the wee hours of the morning if you can!

[edit]Events

• Jazz fans will enjoy two big jazz festivals in Poland:
  • "Jazz nad Odrą" inWroclaw
  • "Jazz Jamboree" inWarsaw

• Germany:
  • Dixieland FestivalDresden
  • OktoberfestMunich

See also:

[edit][add listing]Eat

[edit][add listing]Drink

• Beer-The golden beer drunk throughout the world was developed in this region, and arguably it is here that it is still at its best. TheCzech Republichas a grand brewing heritage andPilsenis the place were the technique was pioneered, creating the Pilsner style that is reproduced around the world. The low cost of beer in the Czech Republic makes it easy to get a taste of many of the fabulous beers, from the well known Pilsner Urquell, Budvar (Budweiser) and Staropramen, to local favorites such as Kozel, Bernard and Gambrinus. Many have a few different varieties and a Cerny Pivo (Black Beer) these can be as good if not better than the standard beer.Slovakiahas many beers of high quality with Zlaty Bazant being highly regarded.Hungary,Poland, andSloveniaall have very good national examples sometimes on a par with those from the Czech lands.Germany,AustriaandSwitzerlandhave a similar brewing heritage, but can throw in several different types of beer. Weissbier, (Wheat Beer) is a refreshing style popular in summer but drunk year round. There are a huge amount of varieties and local specialties are nearly always worth seeking out. Generally, the further north one travels in Germany, the more bitter or hoppy the beer becomes adding to the north-south cultural divide.Bavaria, "the Holy Grail of Brewing", located in southern Germany, has over 600 breweries alone and even more accompanying beers to sample!

• Wine- The region produces a wide range of wines from superb world famous regions, down to inexpensive local plonk. Possibly the finest region in the area isTokaj, world-renowned for its sweet dessert wines as well as more standard whites. Germany has several wine regions theRhine, andMoselleValleys are well known for their fragrant white wines. Saxony in the east even is home to a small wine growing region on the riverbanks of the Elbe. Austria and Switzerland also produce some very high quality products. In the other countries like Hungary and Slovenia local wines can throw up some very good varieties and it is always worth investigating local produce.

• Vodka- A Polish specialty, the quality of Polish vodka is amongst, if notthe, best in the world. The high quality product can be very different to the industrial stuff you may buy in your local shop and is well worth a try. Zubrowka is a variety of vodka flavored with a cinnamon-like grass and is delicious when combined with apple juice. Some claim it to be so good it produces no hangover!

[edit]Stay safe

[edit]Get out