The kids spend a few weeks away at camp each summer, at least they did during their early teenage years. It was a an awesome experience for them and a great time for us as well. In the summer of 2017 we decided to take a more adventurous trip and check out some eastern European countries. We put together a week trip including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. As with most of our trips we tried to get off the beaten path and use public forms of transportation which led to some interesting trip experiences.
Planning
As with many of our other trips we anchored this one around our start and end points. We had heard many great things about Budapest so that was a must for us and our starting point. We also had never been to Prague and was another must visit so that defined our ending point. With those two anchors we set out planning the itinerary. The most common itineraries that include those cities also include Vienna or Brataslava. It makes a lot of sense when you look at the map.
That route, however, looked too much to be the beaten path. In researching the area we were drawn to two other areas, circled in red in the above map. The first was Eger which is a wine region within Hungary known for ‘Bull’s Blood’ wine. More wine is always more better so that attracted our attention. The second was a mountain range called the Tatras which is just north of Poprad on the map. The prospect of some mountain hiking in Slovakia further drew our attention. Of course these areas were not the most efficient way to get between our start and end points. They likely would add an element of complication to our planning which increased our interest in the route.
After researching we booked our accommodations in Budapest (3 nights), Tatras (3 nights) and Prague (3 nights). Our flights took us direct into Budapest and home from Prague.
Budapest
We loved Budapest. It’s a city with a rich history that offers visitors some great dining, historical sites and some cool cultural experiences. The city itself is split by the Danube river, the right bank is the Buda side while the left side is Pest. Previously these were separate towns which combined make Budapest. The city is very walkable, especially around the downtown core and we got lots of steps in. The highlights for us included the following areas.
- Castle Hill – Located on the Buda side Castle Hill features the Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. There is an old town there with shops and restaurants. Great views over the river and the rest of the city.
- Hungarian Parliament Buildings – Guided tours are available for the buildings which we found interesting.
- Wandering the City Core – We wandered a lot within the city and found lots of neat areas and parks to walk through.
- Baths – Budapest has a number of public bath houses that take advantage of natural thermal waters. We spent most of a day at the Szechenyi Baths. The water was warm and although it was busy we had a relaxing day.
- Ruin Bar – One of our coolest experiences in the city was going to a Ruin bar. Ruin bars sprung up as a result of gentrifying urban decay of the city’s 7th District. These eclectic and cobbled together spaces quite literally hijack ruins including abandoned warehouses, empty parking lots, historic buildings. We spent an evening at Szimpla Kert. While we’ve read it’s more of a tourist attraction now it was a lot of fun. I’m sure you can find a list of ruin bars to visit with some searching.
Eger
Eger is a short day trip from Budapest. It’s about a 2-hour train ride and there are trains that depart regularly. The central tourist spot is the Valley of the Beautiful Women which has a number of wine stores and restaurants. It’s a quant area and a nice place to wander. The featured wine in the area is Egri Bikaver or Bull’s Blood. We wandered around the valley for a few hours as well as the town. In our wandering we found the Kovacs Nimrod winery and did a tasting there.
From Eger we then continued on towards the High Tatras which is a mountain range in Northern Slovakia. Getting there from Eger was one of the more challenging and interesting aspects of our trip. We needed to take a combination of buses and a train to get there via Miskolc, Kosice and then Poprad. Eger to Miskolc was easy but then the bus we needed to get at Miskolc was late, really late. We also bought tickets online and couldn’t be certain if we got tickets for the right bus. After some hours of waiting the bus arrived, our tickets were good and we set off. However, our train connection in Kosice was tight. When we finally got to Kosice we sprinted to the platform only to find, in a good way, the train was also late leaving. All good and we finally could relax on the train.
High Tatras
We had never heard of the High Tatras mountain range before and did not know what to expect. It’s a mountain range that lies in the northern part of Slovakia and southern part of Poland. We recognized quickly the feel of a European ski area. There are a series of small villages at the base of the mountain connected by road and train system. The villages include Tatranska Lomnica, Vysoka Tatry and Strbske Pleso amongst others.
When in the mountains during the summer we hike and the High Tatras didn’t disappoint. The hiking trails were easily accessible from the villages and the train system allowed us to easily get around without a car. We did two full day hikes. The first day was more casual but we pushed it the second day. The second day’s hike culminated in a climb to a pass using anchored steel chains. Going up was relatively easy but coming down was painful and our feet were incredibly sore at the end of the day. The beer and goulash we had after the hike was done was very satisfying.
Prague
We were excited to see Prague albeit it was the end of our trip. We had heard so many great things about the city and had read a lot about it. The sites lived up to expectations but if we’re being honest the city was overrun with tourists and we were constantly in crowds. We felt like we were ten years too late to the city, it was on the beaten path. We’d still recommend going but think it would be a better experience in shoulder or even off season.
We hit the major highlights while in the city and had some great meals. The city really has a great feel and would have been awesome without all the people. Some of the highlights we visited that you’ll find in most tour books include:
- Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral – Huge castle with impressive architecture. Well worth touring the area.
- Old Town Square – European old town square with the world’s oldest operating astronomical clock.
- Charles Bridge – Visit the bridge first thing in the morning if you’re looking to avoid the crowds. Otherwise it’s a very busy place. Great views of the Vltava river.
- Great food – We found some great cuisine in the city, it was probably the best part of our visit.
Magic Moment
We still to this day smile when we recall our high Tatras hike. We were enjoying the hike so much that we kept pushing higher to get to a mountain pass. We weren’t disappointed as the last stretch to the pass involved some scrambling and some anchored steel chains. Here Cmac is skillfully navigating the scramble. The hike featured some incredible mountain & valley views. It was a very tiring day and at the end our feet were in bad shape. Nevertheless it’s a day that stands out in all of our travels.
