Central and Eastern Europe

Central and Eastern Europe is a region where cultures and civilizations blend and where the particularities of Turkish and Russian impact, following centuries of domination, is still felt, especially in the Balkans (Turkish) and in the countries of the former Soviet Union (Russian). Overall, you can expect some of the most beautiful natural sceneries in the world, as well as some corners of life where the impact of modernism and new technologies are still not felt. The downturn of this is that you will have to watch out for peasants’ riding in their wooden carts in the villages, but the plus is that you can see this as a primitive way of life that remains purer than in the Western world.

Hospitality is indeed a virtue that many of the peoples in the Central and Eastern European countries share. Their availability and openness to talk with strangers and offer directions, for example, is amazing, if you consider that these states were separated from the rest of the world through an imposed Iron Curtain from which they have only emerged 20 years ago. However, keep in mind that these countries were active in Europe’s history through medieval and modern centuries, whether in the form of the Bohemian Kingdom or of the Principality of Transylvania. This means that once they came out of the Soviet dominance, they were eager to rejoin the European family they were part of – in 20 years or less, they were members of the European Union, enjoying many of the benefits of other European citizens and bringing their own contributions to the construction of the EU.

Enjoy both the cultural and natural landmarks in all these countries, because they bring hundreds of years of history and traditions, along with some of the incredible landscapes that the Carpathian Mountains have to show for, rivaling so many of their Western counterparts.

Enjoy the food, because it will likely be a mixture of different cuisines in the region. You will find the borscht in Russia and Ukraine, but also in Romania, just as much as the mici are not only a traditional Romanian barbecue with a combination of minced meats, but also found throughout the Balkans.

Enjoy the people and their hospitability, not least because their courage has brought about some of the most important changes of the 20th century, showing that no Empire of Evil can withstand the will of the people.