Holiday Rentals in East European cities

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BELGRADE – Serbia holiday rentals

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. It has an urban population of 1.2 million, while the metropolitan area has more than 1.7 million people, making it one of the largest cities of South Eastern Europe. The countries located in the peninsula of the Balkans and its neighbours are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Its name translates to white city. Full details on Wikipeadia

BUCHAREST – Romania holiday rentals

In December 1989, Romania was reborn as a free nation. Now this multifaceted country is welcoming tourists to enjoy a wonderfully varied heritage of traditional culture, scenic splendour and leisure opportunities. A resurgence of endeavour and enthusiasm is reinvigorating the country’s tourist facilities to create a holiday destination unique in southern Europe.

Located in Eastern Europe, Romania is bordered by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia (Serbia), Hungary, Ukraine, and Moldova. The Carpathian Mountains comprise a third of its area, while the rest is covered by fertile plains and hills.

The capital Bucharest lies on the Wallachian plains, amidst the Carpathian foothills and beside the Danube. However, bombings during World War II and, later, bulldozing by Ceausescu’s men obliterated much of its beauty. The 12-storey House of the People, built by Ceausescu, is one of the largest buildings in the world. The George Enescu Museum houses the personal belongings and manuscripts of music maestros while the Old Court Church contains beautiful frescoes of the 16th century.

BUDAPEST – Hungary vacation rentals

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary and is a beautiful city with a lively nightlife. Known as the Paris of Eastern Europe because of its monuments, broad avenues and well-laid parks, the city is best explored on foot. The Castle District and the Royal Palace are frequented by travellers almost throughout the year, while the Óbuda area has some Roman ruins and the Kiscelli Museum. A cruise along the Danube is a great option while visiting the city.

The Balaton Lake, situated around 100 km from Budapest, is one of the largest in Europe and has several high-rise hotels and beaches along its shore. An important city lying between the Danube and the Dráva rivers is Pecs, known for the paradoxically named Mosque Church built by the Turks.

Located in central Europe, Hungary is bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Apart from its quality wines and Baroque towns, its strategic location in the continent also attracts thousands of tourists to the country.

The city is often referred as the Paris of the east, and deserves this name. It bears some resemblance to Vienna, but slightly smaller and friendlier, not as grand. The picturesque setting on two sides of the Danube, the nine connecting bridges and the villa’s and public buildings from the fin-de-siècle era really make Budapest one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe.

DUBROVNIK – Croatia apartments

Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful cities on the Croatian coast. In the Middle Ages the Republic of Dubrovik was an important rival of Venice. Many buildings in the old city centre testify of this glorious past.

The walls of Dubrovnik girdle a perfectly preserved complex of public and private, sacral and secular buildings representing all periods of the city’s history, beginning with its founding in the 7th century. Particular mention should be made of the city’s main street, Stradun, the Prince’s Palace, the church of St Vlaho, the Cathedral, three large monasteries, the Custom’s Office and the City Hall. The Republic of Dubrovnik was the centre of a separate political and territorial entity, and was proud of its culture, its achievements in commerce and especially of its freedom, preserved down so many tempestuous centuries.

Today, Dubrovnik is also a very lively city, with many things to do, both at day and night times. The coast nearby offers all sorts of activities and the town has many restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

GDANSK – Poland holiday apartments

Poland is too large to be properly appreciated in one visit. There is too much to see. Discover central Poland, with its many wild national parks easily reached from Warsaw, or the north and the Baltic coast with the ancient port of Gdansk. In the western part you will find Wielkopolska, the cradle of the nation, and in the south Malopolska and the Tatry mountains easily reached from Krakow. In the southwest Silesia with its many old castles and mountains are worth a visit.

Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, at the centre of the country’s fourth-largest metropolitan area. The city lies on the southern edge of Gdansk Bay, of the Baltic sea nearby the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot,  which together form an area called the Tricity.  Gdańsk is the largest city in the Pomerania region of Northern Poland.

Gdańsk is Poland’s principal seaport as well as the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The city is close to the former late medieval/modern boundary between West Slavic and Germanic lands and has periods of Polish rule, periods of German rule, and extensive self-rule, with two spells as a free city. It has been part of modern Poland since 1945.

KIEV – Ukraine holiday apartments

Kiev or Kyiv; is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River.

Kyiv (Kiev) is one of the oldest Slavic cities and an ancient crossroads of trade. Now the political capital of Ukraine it is perhaps more important as a magnificent monument to the Russian Orthodox church. The city has seen many churches and monasteries built since AD 988 when the Byzantine wife of Kyiv’s ruler introduced Christianity to the region. The chief religious site in town is the golden-domed St. Sophia Cathedral. The 950-year-old structure is actually an enormous complex including a cathedral seminaries a bell tower and the Metropolitan’s residence (the Metropolitan is the Orthodox equivalent to a bishop).

All have beautiful Byzantine architecture (onion domes and mosaics). Along the right bank of the Dnipro River is the Pecherskaya Lavra Monastery (Monastery of the Caves) and its associated catacombs. Inside are two antiques shops a folk art museum and displays from the monastery’s treasury. Other notable holy places include the Cathedral of St. Volodymyr Vydubich Monastery and St. Andrew’s Church. St. Andrew’s was designed by Rastrelli builder of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg Russia.

KRAKOW – Poland holiday apartments

Krakow – you can’t miss it when visiting Poland!

Krakow – Capital of European Culture for the year 2000 – is almost everybody’s favourite Polish city-this 1000-year-old former capital is the only large urban area in the nation that escaped World War II without serious damage. Coupled with Krakow’s physical beauty is its standing as the country’s cultural centre making it a truly must-see destination. You can take a fast train between Warsaw and Krakow-it makes the journey in just over two hours. If time permits drive there from Warsaw; while the journey can take as few as four hours allow the better part of a day so you can stop and soak in the beautiful farmland rivers and towns along the way. You can also get there by the plain to Balice Airport.

In the centre of Krakow is the largest medieval square in all of Europe Old Market Square called Rynek. It’s lined with historic buildings and in the centre of the square are two important structures: the 13th-century Cloth Hall now home to souvenir and crafts stalls and the Town Hall Tower which hosts a summertime tavern in the cellar (a vast improvement over its original use as a torture chamber). On the east side of Rynek you’ll see St. Mary’s Church – three-aisled basilica, completed in 14th century, with two towers of unequal height. Every one hour, from the telelr tower sounds the “mariacki” bugle-call. Its beautiful melody stops short suddenly as it did when a legendary guard playing this melody in order to warn the city was shot by a Tartar arrow. Inside the church is the famous altar – the work of Wit Stwosz (try to be there at noon when the altarpiece is opened)
Within walking distance and west of the square are the Gothic 14th-century buildings of Jagiellonian University (the second-oldest university in Eastern Europe-its Collegium Maius houses Copernicus’ instruments).

MINSK – Belarus holiday apartments

Minsk is the capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers. Minsk is also a headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Minsk, the capital of Belarus, has a rich history. It has stood for over 900 years, however most of Minsk has been built since World War II. The center of the city is where most of the action and attraction is. The main roads, Skoriny and Masherova are the cleanest and busiest in Minsk. The city is also much safer than one would imagine. Many people hear bad things about Minsk, and Belarus in general, but the streets are quite safe. This is probably due to the huge amount of police and soldiers that can be found throughout the city. Don’t be afraid to get out and meet the friendly people of Belarus.

PRAGUE Czech -Republic holiday apartments

We think Prague is one of the prettiest cities in the world. Built on seven hills and divided by the pretty Vltava (Moldau) River this capital city is unique among Eastern European capitals: It survived World War II nearly intact. As a result it has beautiful architecture ranging from Romanesque and Gothic to Renaissance and baroque. For younger travelers Prague is very much the place to be in Europe and many foreigners have moved in attracted by the city’s beauty and commercial opportunities.

Most of the city’s attractions are in the center known as Stare Mesto or Old Town and can easily be seen on foot. There is also a trolley service and a clean efficient subway.

East of the Old Town Square is the glittering art-nouveau Obecni Dum or Municipal House Prague’s most ornate building. Its exterior has been likened to a Victorian Easter egg and the cafe and restaurant flanking the main entrance are among the highlights of the city with art-nouveau flourishes down to the doorknobs. The Dum also houses Smetana Hall the city’s largest concert space (although beautiful to look at the acoustics are not outstanding).

Some of the best shopping in the Old Town is on Celetna Ulice—where you’ll also see the House of the Black Madonna the country’s best example of Cubist architecture.

The centre of modern Prague can be found at Wenceslas Square which was the site of the demonstrations that led to the overthrow of the Communists. A number of fast-food restaurants have found their way onto the square but we prefer the wonderfully threadbare cafe in the art-nouveau Hotel Europa. The square has some decent shopping although a better selection of crafts and glass can be found in Old Town. At the top of the square is the disappointing but architecturally interesting National Museum.

RIGA – Lativa holiday rentals

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia, a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltics, and an important seaport, situated on the mouth of the Daugava. plain.

Riga’s historical centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) architecture, which UNESCO considers to be unparalleled anywhere in the world. see wikipedia.

SOFIA – Bulgaria holiday rentals

Bulgaria has a large number of travel destinations, but independent travel is not really common, although there are relatively few restrictions and costs are very low. The country offers beautiful mountainous scenery as well as sandy beaches on the Black Sea coast. You will find ski resorts, deep forests, ancient monasteries, greek and roman remains and the fascinating capital Sofia is a must for Bulgaria travelers. Veliko Turnovo, the ancient capital, is a young and vibrant city that deserves a visit as well.

Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, is quite a nice city. It has a few very beautiful churches – the Nevski and the St. Sofia are the best known, a few good museums and nice parks to relax. Since the fall of communism new restaurants and bars have come up that cater for all tastes.

From Sofia you can make excellent day trips to the mountains nearby. The Rila Monastery which is not too far from the city is a must see for any traveler and a highlight of Byzantine art and culture.

TALLINN – Estonia short-stay rentals

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and since the colapse of the Soviet Union the city has rapidly developed from a small town in a big empire to the biggest town of a small country.

The Old Town is a compact maze of cobblestone streets, historical buildings and greta views. The Old Town of Tallinn has a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Many of the old buildings have been renovated, but generally speaking in quite a good way. The Old Town is easy to cover on foot. Start near the Townhouse square (Raekoja Plats), head your way up to the Pik Jalk, to the Castle Square. On Castle Hill you find Toompea Castle and the 19th-century symbol of the Tsar’s power in Estonia, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. To fully get a grip on medieval Tallinn, you might consider walking around the walls and fortifications. The city used to have 66 towers (!) of which 19 remain. Some are restaurants or shops, others are offices. The three oldest towers, Nunna, Sauna and Kuldjala, can be visited in summer.

Tallinn is full of museums, covering a range of fields from history and nature to art and architecture. For art lovers, museums show a range of established artists, but the city’s art scene is also alive with constantly changing exhibits in galleries and halls. Paintings, sculpture, graphic art and applied art by lesser-known names and new talent from Estonia and abroad are shown in many venues throughout the city, giving a better taste of what’s happening now.

VILNUIS – Lithuania holiday rental flats

Lithuania is situated on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea and the length of coastline is 99 km. The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius. It is situated 300 km East of the Baltic seashore at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnele rivers surrounded by beautiful forested hills. The geographical centre of continental Europe lays in Lithuania,approx. 24 km north of Vilnius.

Vilnius was first mentioned as the capital of Lithuania in 1323, in the letters of the Grand Duke Gediminas to the Roman Pope. An old legend tells us that Grand Duke Gediminas got tired after hunting fell asleep and had a dream. The Iron Wolf was standing on the hilland howling loudly. In the morning Gediminas asked the senior pagan priest what the dream meant. The priest said: “You will build a city at the place where the wolf was howling and the fame of the city will spread as the howling of the wolf. So this was the beginning of Vilnius. But archaeologists say that people were living here as early as the 5th century. Gediminas, the first famous Vilnius ruler, invited craftsmen and educated people from all over Europe to come and enjoy the city and to stay here. Vilnius became one of the largest trade, industrial and cultural centres of Europe in the 16th century.

Vilnius developed into a centre of European culture and opened itself to the nations of the East and West. Eventually, it became home for Polish, Russian, Jewish, German and Karaime communities. The houses, squares and churches of Vilnius sustain the spirit of a once-powerful state and its rulers. Though invaded, destroyed and burnt down many times, the town would always recover. The historical centre of Vilnius, its 360-hectare old city, is among the largest in Eastern Europe. In 1994, the old city was included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Cities.

WARSAW – Poland holiday rentals

The first impact with Warsaw may be disappointing for the tourists. Especially so for those who arrive from Okecie airport: in fact the city appears as long rows of anonymous residence buildings rather grey and gloomy. You need to keep in mind that Warsaw, which was one of the most lively and cosmopolite cities in Europe before the 2nd World War, was destroyed in 1945 and 90% of it was completely dilapidated. You can then feel a deep respect and a great admiration for its surviving citizens who have been able to make Warsaw arise again from its ruins like Phoenicia arose from its own ashes.

Warsaw is the national centre of culture and learning. It hosts the Polish Academy of Science, 13 higher education institutions, about 27 museums and 20 theatres, the national philharmonic, and opera and operetta companies. Warsaw plays host to several important cultural events, including the International Chopin Piano Competition every five years, the annual Warsaw Autumn Modern Music Festival in September, the International Book Fair in May, the International Jazz Jamboree Festival in October and the Warsaw Poetry Autumn. Warsaw is also Poland’s largest industrial centre, though factories and industrial enterprises are certainly not what tourists like best.

ZAGREB – Croatia holiday apartments

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and its most important city. Although the city is not as popular with tourists and travellers as the Dalmatian coast, it still offers a few attractions that make it worthwhile to stop over for a few days.

The city is divided into three parts: the thousand-year old upper town (Gornji grad) which contains the Presidential Palace, the historic church of St. Mark’s, the Croatian parliament, museums and galleries which are all set in cobbled streets lit by gas lamps; the 19th century lower town (Dolnji grad) with its shops, restaurants, cafes, theatres, parks; and the modern post-war (WWII) part of Zagreb (Novi Zagreb) which is full of high-rise buildings and basically has nothing to offer to tourists.

Zagreb is called a city of museums as there are more of them per square foot than any other city in the world. But this doesn’t mean that there is nothing else for you to do if you are not a history buff. One of the many pleasures that many Zagrebcani enjoy is sitting in one of the numerous cafes, watching the world go by. In the evening, you can visit one of the many restaurants, sampling one of the delicious Croatian dishes, and finish the day in the one of the bars or clubs. Whatever you choose to do, you are guaranteed to have a good time!

 

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