Page 668 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

666  CENTR AL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Central and Eastern
Europe at a Glance

At the geographical heart of mainland Europe, Hungary,
Poland, and the Czech Republic have witnessed a huge
surge in visitor numbers since the end of Communism in Koszalin Gdańsk
the late 1980s and early 1990s. Despite the widespread
destruction caused by two world wars, their towns and
cities retain a wealth of historic monuments, many of
which have been painstakingly restored to their former Szczecin
glory. Fortunately, tourism has not destroyed the unique Bydgoszcz Białystok
cultural identity of these once little-known countries. Toruń
Poznań
Prague (see pp672–83), Warsaw
the capital of the POLAND
Czech Republic, is (see pp706–23)
a vibrant city with a
rich architectural and Łódź
cultural heritage. The Radom
hilltop castle complex Lublin
is dominated by the Wrocław
magnificent St. Vitus’s Ústí nad
Cathedral, whose Labem Liberec Częstochowa
treasures include
many royal tombs.
Karlovy Katowice
Vary Prague Krakow
Plzeň CZECH REPUBLIC Ostrava
(see pp668–89) Olomouc

Brno
České
Budějovice

Miskolc
Eger
Győr
Debrecen
Szombathely Budapest
Bohemia (see pp684–5) holds the greatest appeal HUNGARY
for most foreign visitors to the Czech Republic. (see pp690–705)
The region boasts elegant spas, fairy-tale castles Kecskemét
perched high on thickly wooded hillsides, and
many perfectly preserved medieval towns, such
as Český Krumlov in the far south. Szeged
Kaposvár
Pécs

Lake Balaton (see p700), a huge freshwater lake
in western Hungary, is the country’s most
popular summer vacation destination. Bordered
by dozens of resorts, it offers beaches, safe
bathing, and water sports, and also provides a
habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna.
View of Old Town from Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic

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