Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Central Eastern Europe at a Glance

At the geographical heart of mainland Europe, Hungary,

Poland and the Czech Republic have wit nessed a huge

surge in visitor numbers since the end of Communism

in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Major cities such as

Budapest, Cracow and Prague have been painstakingly

restored after the ravages of two world wars and offer

a stunning variety of art, historic architecture and rich

cul ture. The region is also abundant in natural attrac-

tions, with forest-cloaked mountains in the north ern

reaches of the Czech and Slovak republics, the farm-

stead-dotted flatlands of the eastern Hungarian plain,

and the dramatic Tatra Mountains. Despite fast-

growing tourism, the unique cultural iden tity of these

once little-known countries remains well preserved.

166 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

České Švýcarsko (see pp266–7), otherwise known as

“Bohemian Switzerland”, in the Czech Republic, is an

area of extraordinary sandstone formations, with wea-

thered pillars of rock towering above dense green forests.

The landscape is best characterized by Pravčicka Brána –

the largest natural rock bridge in Central Europe.

Vienna (see pp398–409),

the capital of Austria,

is a beauti ful city with

a rich architectural

heri tage, exquisite art

collec ions and an illus-

trious musi cal tradition.

Its Naturhistorisches

Museum (see p403) has

one of the finest col lections

of its kind in Europe. The

star attraction is its much-

visited dinosaur hall.

VIENNA

(see pp398–409)

CZECH REPUBLIC

(see pp226–295)

View of the Bridge Tower from Charles Bridge at dawn, Prague

CENTRAL

EASTERN

EUROPE

EASTERN AND

CENTRAL EUROPE