Lauren and her husband, Evan, traveled to Central Europe for two weeks last month.  The highlight was visiting Lauren’s daughter and global citizen, who is now living and working in Prague.  The trip also included Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Paris!

Thanks to the Holy Roman Empire, much of Central Europe has a shared history. These countries also have very different pasts and very different presents.  Like many places in Europe, there is an abundance of Jewish and World War II history.  Travel between cities is easy by train or with a private driver or a combination of both.  Lauren trained from Prague to Vienna and took the car service, Day Trip, from Vienna to Budapest with a two hour stop to explore Bratislava.  She flew onto Paris from Budapest.  Each city was beautiful in its own way with lots of castles, river views, museums, historical sights, gardens and plenty of charm.

Prague is a friendly and inexpensive city as it is not on the euro.  The city’s highlight, the Prague Castle, offers their own hour long, guided tours.  Lauren enjoyed the excellent guide.  There are so many different churches, government buildings, gardens, halls, villages, shops and more in this massive complex that it would be easy to spend an entire day there and its location affords great city views.  On the other side of the river, a visit to the Vysherad Fortress complex included beautiful churches, the cemetery for famous Czechs, gardens, sculptures and awesome views.  The Jewish Museum complex in Prague is also outstanding with several synagogues, cemetery, ceremonial halls and one of the largest collections of Jewish artifacts in the world.  Prague is easy to explore on foot and this way Lauren saw many of its unique bridges, buildings, theaters, museums, government buildings, street markets and more.  Special street fairs were in abundance in celebration for the Easter holiday which provided lots of local food and handicrafts.  Her stay at the boutique Emblem Hotel near the Jewish Quarter and Old Town Square with the famous Astronomical Clock was ideal.  Small rooms, but the hotel offered several lounges, nice spa and gym, evening wine and cheese along with a delicious breakfast buffet included.  The staff went out of their way to please.

Lauren’s time in Vienna centered around its Imperial history with visits to government palaces, library and burial sites with a knowledgeable private guide from Tours by Locals.  A group tour offered by the Vienna Opera House was a treat with a backstage tour as well as time spent in Vienna’s Jewish Museums.  The main market was a bit of a disappointment except for the array of restaurant choices!  A stay at the Vienna Marriott with a view overlooking the Stadtpark was very comfortable and a good location for getting around Vienna on foot.  It also offered an extensive fitness and wellness center with indoor pool.

A short time in Bratislava included time to enjoy its quirky street art, walk through its Old Town and up to its palace for great view of the city and Danube. The Slovakian driver from Day Trip was not a licensed guide, but offered up plenty of interesting details about life in her country and its history.

Lauren truly enjoyed her private Jewish tour of Budapest from long time supplier Private Tours Budapest where she also learned a lot about this country’s current political issues and desire to rewrite its history.  It’s worthwhile to read about before a visit.  This city is also quite inexpensive and not on the euro.  Like Prague, this city is vibrant on both sides of the river.  Walking up to the Buda Castle complex over the Chain Bridge was fun and the funicular was a nice way to return.  This castle complex included the Fisherman’s Bastion and beautiful Matthias Church.  Easter street fairs were also prevalent with many tasty treats!  A lovely Danube River cruise with Legenda in one of their bubble boats provided excellent views of the city sights, bridges and Margaret Island.  Lauren’s stay at the New York Palace Hotel was very comfortable and included a meal at their famous cafe where many writers and poets spent their days at the turn of the century until the communists took ownership of the building.

The last stop in Paris included time in the Louvre, a trip to the top of both the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, wine tasting and a lovely stay at the Raffle’s Le Royal Monceau.  Not a huge fan of the quirky and mismatched Philippe Starck decor, but the location down the street from the Arc de Triomphe, the fitness and wellness center with indoor pool and awesome service levels were terrific.

Overall the trip provided an expansive view and history of Central Europe.  Visiting 5 countries in two weeks was a bit of a whirlwind, but was done with relative ease with just two people.  Critical was preplanning tours, entries and activities as all the cities are very popular with tourists from around the world.