2022 East/Central Europe

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Summer 2022: Germany>Austria>Slovakia>Hungary>Croatia>Slovenia>Italy

Germany /Munich

This is our second visit to Munich, and also, we were in Munich to attend a conference. Therefore, we did a limited amount of sightseeing while in Munich. When we did, we were re-tracing our previous trip.

Marienplatz- It is in the heart of old town, a pedestrian square surrounded by old and new. The impressive Neo-Gothic New Town Hall built in the late 1800s is the main attraction. The Newtown Hall is famous for its glockenspiel, where at 11 am, 12 noon, and 5 pm, colorful figurines come out of the balcony to spin and dance to music. The show depicts a noble wedding that took place on the square in 1568.

Frauenkirche- The twin domed gothic church is the symbol of the city of Munich. At the entrance, there is an unusual tile containing a footprint, which is said to be Devil’s footprint. Legend says that the architect who built the church made a deal with the devil that the Devil will produce funds to complete the cathedral as long as it remained in the darkness where no windows were allowed to be seen in the building.

The Residenz and Hofgarten and English Garden - The Residenz is the Castle of the ruling Wittelsbach family and is divided into a Museum, Treasury, and a Theater. Hofgarten built by the Wittelsbach family as a backyard to the Residenz is a delightful open space for everyone to enjoy. Rennaissance style temple in the middle is the centerpiece of Hofgarten. From Hofgarden, it is an easy walk to the English Garden where locals surf in the river that flows through it.

Austria/Vienna

Austria’s capital Vienna is a mixed bag of old and new. Schönbrunn Palace is the No. 1 sight in Vienna! Wonderful historical immersion into the history and culture of the Habsburgs, not to mention the beautiful art and architecture. The park and gardens surrounding the palace Schönbrunn reminded us of Versailles gardens. The beautiful and vast rose garden was full of blooms during our visit. The gardens were very symmetrical keeping with the surrounding structures and ponds.

Slovakia/Bratislava

Formerly part of Czechoslovakia, the Slovak Republic became an independent sovereign state in 1993. The first stop was the Devin Castle. It is set atop a cliff overlooking the junction of the Danube and the Morava rivers. From the top portion of the ancient ruins of Devín Castle views across Austria, with the Alps in the distance were spectacular. I was particularly fascinated watching the water flow in the Danube in one direction and the flow of water in Morava in another direction.

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. It lies on the Danube and borders Austria and Hungary. Bratislava Castle is the centerpiece of the city. Even to date, the castle is used for weddings and other receptions. The day we visited; they were hosting a reception for cyber security conference participants. The deck of the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising (Most SNP) – also known as the UFO bridge – offer panoramic views across Bratislava. The iconic and distinctive structure was considered an engineering marvel when it opened in 1972.

Primate place is considered one the most beautiful buildings in Bratislava for its pale pink and white exterior. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the interior.

Hungary/Budapest

Budapest, Hungary's capital is divided into two, the hilly Buda district and the flat Pest by the Danube River. The 19th-century Chain Bridge and eight other bridges connect the two districts. The Parliament Building, located directly on the banks of the Danube, is one of Budapest's most beautiful landmarks. Margaret Island in the Danube is located between the two halves of Buda and Pest and is connected to both by the Margaret Bridge in the south and the Árpád Bridge in the north. We took a sightseeing cruise along the Danube to see this vast and beautiful city with a stopover at Margaret Island. This motor-vehicle-free island provides a beautiful green space for relaxation.

The Gellért Hill is in the district of Budapest. It was named after Giorgio de Sagredo, Saint Gellért, who fell to his death from this mountain. The Budapest Buda Castle also called the Budapest Castle, are the largest building in Hungary and a tourist attraction in the capital Budapest. It occupies the entire southern part of the castle district on the castle hill.

Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial in Budapest designed by Gyula Pauer and Can Togay to commemorate the Arrow Cross pogroms against Jews in Hungary during World War II. It was very emotional to imagine the Jews who were asked to leave their shoes behind before being killed.

On our drive towards our next destination, Croatia we stopped at Lake Balaton. Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in western Hungary and an important holiday region. The hilly north coast is a wine-growing region. There is also the Balaton Uplands National Park with protected wetlands and various hiking trails. The shimmering, nearly 50-mile-long lake offers aquatic delights for all comers and we spent quite a bit of time watching the sailboats and wildlife.

Croatia/Zagreb, Zadar, Split

Usually, when driving from one European country to another, there is no border control. However, we faced very strict border control when we drove to Croatia from Hungary. They asked us to drive to the side of the road and wait without giving any explanation. They took our passports and asked only a few questions, so we were very confused. After almost an hour, without any explanation, they did let go our way. However, from them looking at the car registration and car rental agreement carefully we assume that they were worried about a car with German tags traveling to Croatia.

Our first stop after arriving in Zagreb is Curry Bowl, a Sri Lankan restaurant. After not having had any Sri Lankan food for close to two weeks, we were eager to taste the food and were not disappointed. We enjoyed the food and the conversations with the owner and chefs who were originally from Sri Lanka. Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, is mainly divided into two parts Gornji grad (Upper Town) and Donji grad (Lower Town). The Zagreb Cathedral with its twin spires is the most well-known landmark of the city.

Zadar, a coastal city was our next stop. Zadar offers a fascinating combination of old roman ruins with modern contemporary architecture. There are two unique installations along the promenade of Zadar’s old town. One is the sea organ where seawater coming through the installation makes organ-like music (similar to a blow hole). The other is what is called “Greetings to the sun”, a massive 22-meter diameter circle, with photovoltaic solar modules underneath. Lighting elements installed in a circle turn on at night, and produce a light show. Zadar’s Roman Forum includes Roman ruins and St Donatus Church, the bell tower, and the pillar of shame.

Croatia’s second-largest city, Split was our next destination. The historic center of Split is built around the remains of this Roman palace, Diocletian's Palace. It is known to be the best-preserved Roman palace in the world with well-preserved streets. Today Diocletian’s Palace is a whole neighborhood filled with shops, restaurants, and hotels. This UNESCO world heritage site represents more than half of the old town of Split!

Slovenia- Ljubljana and Lake Bled

Slovenia is in the heart of Europe and a green country literally and figuratively surrounded by the Alps but also borders the Mediterranean Sea. Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia in the 20th century, and it has integrated economically and politically with western Europe in the 21st century.

Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia. The Castle of Ljubljana was built in 1144 on a hilltop overlooking Ljubljana. The capital city is also home to many excellent examples of Baroque architecture.

Lake Bled is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Slovenia. In Lake Bled, a glacial lake fed by thermal springs, there is an island with a church that belongs to the town of Bled, and there is a medieval castle on the lake shore. It was a picture postcard perfect glacial lake and we spent quite a lot of time admiring the beauty of the lake and surroundings from many vantage points around the lake.

Italy- Portipiccolo- Trieste

Nestled in northeastern Italy and close to the border with both Croatia and Slovenia, Trieste is a city at the crossroads of cultures. Evoking an Italian Riviera. Falisia is a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa nestled in a private bay in the Gulf of Trieste on the Adriatic coast. This was our last stop on our east European tour. Coming by car, you drive into the underground car park in the mountain and have no reason to leave (except in our case, we had to leave to get the Covid tests done as at the time, the US required negative test results from incoming passengers). A fantastic little village with magnificent views, a beautiful beach, and a marina was a hidden gem. We enjoyed our last stop immensely in this serene environment.



We flew out of Milan at the end of the trip, after a harrowing traffic-laden drive (due to construction) from Portopiccolo to Milan. Fortunately, the flight back was on time and restful.

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