My movements in Europe are going to be quicker than before, so I’m blogging about several cities at once. To keep up with where I am daily, follow me on instagram: liz.meets.world

 

Budapest, Hungary

I am so glad my first stop was Budapest. I have to admit after skipping winter and following the warmth, my first days in cooler weather were a bit of an adjustment.

 

I arrived in Budapest and immediately fell in love with the architecture and warmth of the people. I started off by joining a free walking tour of the city. This turned out to be the perfect way to meet people, orient myself around the city, and learn the history of the area. Budapest is divided into two parts: Buda and Pest, which are separated by the river. Through my tour I learned a lot about the history of Hungary and some fun facts too. Did you know Mr. Rubik (inventor of the rubik’s cube) lives in the Buda part of Budapest? I also joined a second walking tour which covered the Jewish areas of Budapest as well as the history of the area.

 

 

The following day I visited Szechenyi, a famous bath house (spa) to relax and soak up the natural minerals found in the area. Hungarians believe this mineral water is important for good health, both to bathe in and to drink. I finished up the day at a festival with music and traditional food.  

 

Each night out in Budapest was a lot of fun. I visited clubs and ruin bars with my hostel roommates. Since a lot of the buildings in the Jewish quarter were ruined during WWII, some locals decided to create a bar and music venue in an old structure to bring life back to the area. It worked- and was so successful that more ruin bars were set up!

 

 

Vienna, Austria

Next, I took a bus from Budapest to Vienna. I quickly made friends with other hostelers and we decided to head out on a bar crawl. Since the crawl led us to the main areas of Vienna, I was able to take in the city at night, which was lit up and gorgeous. The night continued on with exploring different bars in the area.

 

The following morning, I somehow woke up with a hangover. After downing a lot of liquid, my new friends showed me the highlights of the walking tour. I visited the main buildings of the city and was again amazed by the architecture.

 

In Vienna, there are cafes lining the street everywhere. We saw lots of locals sitting at cafes and decided to embrace the laidback lifestyle grabbing coffee and crepes. We spent an afternoon at Schomburg palace. After climbing a hill behind the palace, we ate snacks, drank wine, and enjoyed a beautiful view. The following morning I took a bus to Krakow.

 

 

Krakow, Poland

My hostel in Krakow was more like a home than any other I have stayed in thus far. It was set up more like a shared house with family dinners and evening (drinking) activities. The people I met there were so much fun, and really made my stay. I hit up bars, clubs and even made it to Karaoke twice.

 

I did two walking tours; a main one to learn about the city, and a Jewish one which covered the Jewish district and ghetto. I learned so much about Poland and the beautiful city of Krakow. It was amazing to see where old city walls were build and how structures have evolved or collapsed over time.

 

 

Krakow is very close to Auschwitz and Birkenau, so on the second of the three days, I did a day trip to the concentration camps. As a Jew who lost family during the holocaust, this was especially difficult for me. I walked around Auschwitz which has been turned into a museum. I saw walked through the rooms and even a gas chamber. There were exhibits with thousands of articles left behind; shoes, glasses, suitcases.

 

I then took a shuttle over to Birkenau and was surprised by the size of the place- it’s huge! Most of the camp has been destroyed, but there is still a lot to see including a memorial. By the end of the day I felt completely drained; both horrified and numb. I didn’t cry until my shower that night.

 

 

 

Prague, Czech Republic

After a bus and train ride I made it to Prague, my last city in Eastern Europe. Similar to the last few cities, I joined a walking tour. I learned about the history of the country; from the name changes, to the castle, to the beer culture, and everything in between. I even got artsy when the tour stopped at the John Lennon wall where graffiti is legal.

 

 

At night I drank by the river with my hostel friends, most of whom had traveled from Krakow as well. We then danced the night away at a five story club where we saw lot of bachelor and bachelorette parties with funny themed costumes or matching shirts. The following morning I left Prague on a bus to Berlin, Germany.

 

 

While my time in Eastern Europe was short, I met a lot of wonderful people. Thanks to those who took an interest in me, my story, and yes, even my blog. It means a lot to me!