Eastern Trekker

by Maxine Bates
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet! Having landed in Prague at 9.30pm and researched how to make our way to Plus Prague Hostel beforehand, my partner Andy and I were dismayed to find that information was wrong and the airport bus into the city centre actually stopped running at 9.10pm and the night service didn’t start again until midnight. Not understanding a word of the local language we managed to find a bus that went to an underground terminus then purchased a 24 hour travel card that enabled us to take the metro to within a few minutes walk from our accommodation. The journey took longer than expected, but saved us huge amounts of money as Czech taxis are expensive and public transport is not.

Using our travel card the next day, we explored all the famous sights of Prague. The astronomical clock in the Old Town Square chimes on the hour when the apostles perform a little show, but beware your possessions as you watch as this is prime pickpocket territory. Wenceslas Square can be difficult to spot on a map as it’s actually a boulevard rather than a square! The statue of King Wenceslas on his horse sits at the top end and now overlooks the numerous souvenir shops and fast food outlets that line the square. We lunched on traditional Czech food and drink at the Peklo restaurant which is located in a 12th century wine cellar near St Vitus cathedral. Despite its religious location the name translates as “Hell”!

In the afternoon we walked to Petrin Hill and climbed Petrin Tower which was built in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition and is a 60 metre high replica of the more famous Eiffel Tower. From atop the tower, there are wonderful views over the whole city and beyond. Well worth the 299 steps up and 299 steps down! The tower is open from 10 am daily but closing times depend on the season, as early as 5pm in mid winter and as late as 10pm in midsummer.

Joining our tour the following morning, we departed Prague and our first stop was the UNESCO listed town of Kutna Hora. The Sedlec Ossuary in the town is nicknamed the “bone church”, as inside there are up to 70,000 human bones which have been arranged into chandeliers, coats of arms and vaults. Somewhat of an interesting but creepy tourist attraction! Then eastward to the university town of Olomouc which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also has an astronomical clock. As part of our walking tour we visited a wine bar, where the local wine was ridiculously cheap at only a few pence per glass.

Next we crossed the border into Poland and spent half a day visiting Auschwitz. I suspect a concentration camp is not high on most people’s holiday highlights, but it was a moving experience. It is well worth paying extra for a guided tour. Photos are not permitted inside the buildings in respect of the thousands who died there. Some buildings have exhibitions, others huge displays of shoes, hair, glasses and other items that were confiscated from the Jews. You are allowed to walk through the gas chamber – which prisoners were led to believe was a shower room with mock shower heads in the ceiling – in silence and where an eternal flame glows. The tour also included a visit to nearby Birkenau (Auschwitz II), which was a much larger operation where prisoners entered via a railway line and were sent straight to the gas chambers.

We spent two nights in the beautiful city of Krakow, although not shown at its best on a Saturday night as the place is now a stag night capital of Europe, and it was embarrassing to see British guys getting completely drunk and being taken away by the police. For this reason the cost of alcohol is gradually rising to try to deter the drunkenness. The two main squares both had live music, but luckily we managed to find a quiet Italian restaurant. By now we were getting a little fed up of copious amounts of meat and dumplings at every meal! On a sunny Sunday morning the city appeared in a whole new light and we were able to explore the castle, river and Jewish quarter either on a guided bike tour or walking at leisure. In the afternoon the majority of our group caught a mini-bus to the Wieliczka salt mines which lie 10 km to the south east of Krakow, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tours in English depart at 10.00am, 11.00am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.45pm, 3.00pm and 5.00pm and cost 63 zlotys. The chapel of St Kinga is the largest subterranean part of the mines carved out of rock salt with salty statues, including one of Pope John Paul II, where the temperature is a constant 15C. Although our group found it all impressive I personally was a little disappointed as a Polish friend had led me to expect more.

We travelled south to the town of Zakopane in the Tatra mountains but unfortunately the planned hill walking was off the agenda due to heavy rain, although some of our group got wet at the indoor water park opposite our hotel instead. In the evening our guide had arranged a visit to a traditional restaurant. Like the rest of Eastern Europe the menu consisted of hunks of meat with potatoes and dumplings. One of our group was a strict vegan. I suspect he returned home to Ireland much thinner after his travels, as Eastern European countries do not really cater for vegetarians, let alone vegans!

We passed through Slovakia stopping for a picnic lunch – purchased in Poland - in the Donovally area thus eliminating the need to exchange local currency. Then onward to the capital of Hungary for a two night stay.

On my last visit to Budapest I had found navigating the city very difficult, due to the lack of English speakers, and remember walking miles back to our hotel as there was no ticket office at the underground station, and the machines only accepted exact coinage which we didn’t have. On this visit things seemed much more tourist friendly and we were able to purchase a day travel card which made life much easier. A sign at the ticket office was in English so we just had to point! Again we had done some research beforehand and found there were guided tours of the parliament building at 10am, 12 noon and 2pm which are free to EU citizens (otherwise 2640 Hungarian forints). Remember to carry your passport as proof. The tours last 45 minutes and cover three rooms including the main debating chamber and the Magayan crown jewels display. The parliament building has very similar architecture to Westminster, minus Big Ben, and tour tickets can be obtained from gate X which is at the rear i.e. the side furthest from the river.

In the evening our group visited the Szecheyni thermal spa. There are dozens of spas in the city, though several are men only or ladies are only admitted at certain times or some are a hang out for gays. Having read how difficult the spa system can be, it was good to have our guide show us the ropes. You pay an admission fee (approx. £8) and if leaving within two hours you can claim a small refund which decreases every hour thereafter. Both the male and female changing rooms are downstairs with dozens of locker areas, so remember your locker number. The complex has outdoor pools of various temperatures; one for swimming, one for lounging, and one with a current to float around in and fountains to splash under. The elegant baroque building contains whirlpools, steam rooms, plunge pools (very cold) and saunas (very hot). You can even play a floating game of chess! 

Next stop was Lake Balaton where we were supposed to go for a dip, but only the foolhardy did so as it was raining and cold and the lake was rather choppy. Our final country on this whistle-stop tour of Eastern Europe was Croatia. There was a brief stop at the open-air Balkan War Museum to see planes and tanks. Not really worth a detour, but it was free and we got a great group photo climbing all over a tank.

We stayed overnight in tiny wooden chalets near Plitvice National Park meaning we were first to enter this UNESCO site the following morning. This beautiful park contains 16 lakes ranging in colour, due to the quantity of minerals in the water and the angle of sunlight. The lakes are surrounded by beech, spruce and fir trees and are connected, due to their various altitudes, by a series of cascading waterfalls. The park is also home to at least 126 species of bird. A regular ferry links the two major lakes and you cross over others via specially constructed wooden walkways. The entrance price increases from 55 kunas in winter to 100 kunas in peak summer with the money being used for the upkeep and protection of this natural wonderland.

Our final destination was Split where we were able to relax. Although a coastal resort, there is really only one beach within easy walking distance of the town centre and that was littered with cigarette ends, although there were ample opportunities to laze on rocks along the sea. Apart from the 4th century Diocletian’s Palace – another UNESCO site – there was not really much else to see in Split. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and a lively nightlife with lots of people-watching along the lovely harbour. The airport bus costs 30 kunas and doesn’t appear to run to a timetable unless you are connecting with a Croatian Airlines flight. It’s definitely worth checking buses with the tourist board if you have an early EasyJet flight like us.

It is always worth trying to learn a few words in the language of the country you are visiting, but we were told many Eastern European languages are similar and saying “nice driveway” means “cheers” in the places we visited!¦

 Eastern Trekker is a company now entering its fourth season of operation and does exactly what the name implies; specialising in tours of Eastern Europe. The tours are aimed at the 20-40 age range and the majority of travellers are young people from Australia and New Zealand taking a year out to live and work in Great Britain. Depending on the itinerary, the company use 8, 15, 32 or 52 seater mini-buses or coaches all with panoramic windows, comfy seats and an on-board bar. My partner Andy and I took their Classic Rhapsody Trek in July 2008.

First published in VISA 83 (Feb 2009)