Sawasdee Krub! Today, we are going to introduce you a dream travel route in Eastern Europe with 6 Cities and 3 Countries. Our travel plan is from Austria - Czech Republic - Hungary or from Vienna - Hallstatt - Cesky Krumlov - Salzburg - Prague - Budapest respectively.

For those who are interested in our travel and would like to be updated with our journey, you can go to our site here.

Twin Traveller : Travel and Lifestyle.

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Our travel plan this time is not tight. We intend to go to certain places to take photos. We have also saved some spare times for each city in case of bad weather. So, we can spend those spare times hopefully for a better weather condition. As a result, we will stay in the major cities for 3 nights.

Travel Plan

14 April : Arrive at Vienna International Airport (VIE) at 11:25 AM

Check in into Apartment Nähe Reumannplatz at Erlachgasse 86 at 13,589 THB/ 1 apartment for 3 nights (6 persons), and wander around the city center in the afternoon

15 April : Wander around Vienna all day

16 April : Wander around Vienna all day

17 April : Check out from Apartment Nähe Reumannplatz in Vienna, travel to Hallstatt, check in into Cafe Restaurant zum Mühlbach at 13,189 THB/ 3 rooms for 1 night (6 persons), and wander around the town all day

18 April : Check out from Cafe Restaurant zum Mühlbach, travel to Salzburg, check in into ACHAT Plaza Zum Hirschen at 15,539 THB/ 3 rooms for 2 nights, and wander around the town all day

19 April : Wander around Salzburg all day

20 April : Check out from ACHAT Plaza Zum Hirschen, travel to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, check in into Pension Meandr at 4,396 THB/ 2 rooms with 3 persons in each room for 1 night, and wander around the town all day

21 April : Check out from Pension Meandr, travel to Prague, check in into ABC Suites at 15,267 THB/ 1 apartment for 6 persons for 3 nights, and wander around the town all day

22 April : Wander around Prague all day

23 April : Wander around Prague all day

24 April : Check out from ABC Suites, travel to Budapest in Hungary, check in into Piano Castle Hill Apartments at 10,791THB/ 1 apartment for 6 persons for 3 nights, and wander around the town all day

25 April : Wander around Budapest all day

26 April : Wander around Budapest all day

27 April : Get ready to go to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport to take a flight back to Thailand

Flight

We fly to Europe with Qatar Airways this time. We have got the tickets at promotional price for 13,500 THB per person only in economy class. This is totally cheap for 5-star airline so it is more than good value for money. However, the flight departs from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). That's why we need to fly from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur first and we have ended up flying with Lion Air. The ticket is around 1,500 THB.

The flight time is not bad. It departs from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) at 2 AM to Hamad International Airport. The flight duration is about 7 hours and a half. The transit gap is only 2 hours and 20 minutes which is great. We don't need to wait too long. Hamad International Airport is also beautiful and very convenient. We are very impressed.

DAY 1 - 2 - 3 Vienna ( Austria )

We are so ready to start off the trip with the very first city, Vienna. As Vienna is the largest city of Austria as well as the economic, and political center, it has high density of population. There is a variety of tourist attractions in Vienna and they offer different kinds of beauties. That's why this big city is very interesting enough for us to stay and explore for 3 nights. We don't want to run here and there either. We would like to spend good quality time at each of every tourist spots and have enough time to wander around the town. To travel through the town, subway, tram, and bus are available for you to choose from. If you are ready, let's go and see what Vienna has to offer!

1. St Stephen's Cathedral

We don't think it is wrong to say that St Stephen's Cathedral is the symbol of Vienna. It is a huge tall cathedral located right in the middle of the city. We are standing in front of the cathedral, looking up at the top of it and we realize how tall this cathedral is. The top of the tower consists of numbers of slender sharp poles which are Gothic form of the cathedral. It is very beautiful.

The interior is incredibly amazing. We never thought that Gothic architecture would be this beautiful and it is actually our first experience seeing this style of architecture. St Stephen's Cathedral has a long rich relationship with the locals. Moreover, the bell at the cathedral will be rung to mark the turning of a New Year and let people in the whole nation celebrate the New Year every year. This bell is actually the largest bell in the world as well.

2. The Belvedere ( Museum - Art gallery & World Heritage Site )

This summer palace is also known as Belvedere Palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Prince Eugene is a general of the Imperial Army who successfully led the armed forces of the Habsburg Monarchy against the Turks. To visit Belvedere Palace, you can choose to enter from the Upper Belvedere or Lower Belvedere. The admission to visit the garden is free but not the palace.

This is the Lower Belvedere where there is a huge palace garden connecting the two buildings. We would suggest you to come and visit the garden in the late afternoon. The garden is very fascinating during this time. You can even see the heart of the city from here especially St Stephen's Cathedral.

This huge garden is in French garden style with fountains and amazing sculptures. This is a perfect place to walk around while watching the sunset.

3. Hofburg Imperial Palace

Hofburg Imperial Palace used to be a palace where the royal family of Austro-Hungarian Empire lives. However, it is now a residence of the President. There are many tourist spots around the area as well.

You can also take a horse drawn carriage tour through the town which is available in front of the palace. But the fare is very expensive for not even 1-hour tour.

Once you enter the palace, you will see a beautiful statue of Franz Joseph I in the middle of the palace.

If you walk further in, you will see the new palace which is now known as Neue Burg Museums exhibiting ancient instruments. There is a statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy in front of the museums and this statue looks magnificent.

If you look backward from the museums, you will see a huge square with a park where locals and tourists come and chill during the day.

4. Marian and Holy Trinity Column

Garben is a shopping street where you can find a lot of stores including the brand name ones. That's why it is pretty crowded all day long. There are also many restaurants on the street where you can have some proper meal or just a glass of beer.

5. St. Peter's Church ( Peterskirche )

There is a very beautiful church on Garben Street called Peterkirche. You may just walk pass it so don't forget to pay attention all along in order not to miss it. This church is located in a jungle of buildings. The admission is also free.

6. St. Charles's Church ( Karlskirche )

The last tourist attraction in Vienna I would like to recommend is this St. Charles's Church. It is so pretty here. There is also a large pond in front of the church. Once you approach the pond, you will see the amazing reflection of the church on the water surface.

This is one of the corners in Vienna during the sunset. The light during this time is magical and goes along so well with people, buildings, and the classic tram.

DAY 4 Hallstatt ( Austria )

Hallstatt is known as one of the most beautiful towns by the lake in the world. It is also a very popular tourist destination in Austria. Therefore, if you are in Austria you shouldn't miss to come and visit Hallstatt for any reasons. Hallstatt is located on the way from Vienna to Salzburg so not many tourists would rather skip it. This lakeshore town offers a variety of tourist attractions so tourists can choose to come for a day trip, 1-night stay, or even more. The longer you stay, the more you have a chance to explore the town deeply. You would also have a chance to visit over 7,000-year old salt mine by taking the cable car.

The weather seems to be very nice today along the way to Hallstatt. However, it is mostly cloudy when we arrive the town after taking the ferry. There are still some lights coming through the clouds and we think this is good enough as we know that Hallstatt is in the middle of the valley.

The walk by the shoreline is about 2-kilometer long. In other words, you can walk throughout the town within half a day. Along the walk, you will find many souvenir shops, nice-ambiance restaurants, and good-to-chill cafes.

Along the walk, you will see that one side is the lake and another one is the mountain by the lake. There are houses building up at the foot of the mountain in different levels and they are so pretty. We are not sure whether those are hotels or not but if yes, they must have a room with fantastic view.

If you would like to see Hallstatt in wide angle from a bit higher up, we recommend you to go to Pfarre Hallstatt. Pfarre Hallstatt is a viewpoint that is not too high but you can see the whole picture of the town more clearly. And if you would like to see Hallstatt from the higher level, you need to take the cable car up in the mountain where it is also the way to the old mine.

We will stay in Hallstatt for one night. Even though the hotels here are totally expensive, we guess it is worth it to be able to see the town at night. We also would like to capture Hallstatt during this time into memorable pictures.

This is one of the most popular spots for taking photos in Hallstatt at night and we have made sure not to miss it as we wish. It is totally magical at night and even more romantic compared to the daytime. There are not many people either. hahaha Those travel with your loved one, we highly recommend you to come here at night for an unforgettable romantic moment.

DAY 5 - 6 - 7 Salzburg ( Austria )

Salzburg is another town that we have dreamed of and would like to see with our own eyes for once in our lives. Salzburg is the 4th largest city in Austria and is where Baroque architecture has been well kept. The Old Town has also been recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO. In addition, Salzburg is the hometown of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the world-renowned classical music composer.

We love this town very much. There is a river separating the Old Town and the New Town and there are walkways along the river on both sides. This walkway includes bicycle lane as well. You can see people running all along and they have the view like this in front of them.

Although the town is big, it is pretty clam and quiet here. Cars run quietly and people live peacefully with no rush. Salzburg this time is very colorful with all the flowers. These flowers have also enhanced the nice atmosphere, nice weather, and good romance.

There is so much to see in the Old Town including beautiful houses and buildings, bakery shops, and fascinating churches. One of the churches that you shouldn't miss is this Salzburg Cathedral. It is magnificent.

We are sorry that we accidentally delete some of the photos taken in Salzburg. Therefore, some details of tourist attractions in the town have gone. What a pity! We only have the view of the town at night left. If you have plenty of time to kill when in Salzburg, we recommend you to walk up the hill. It is not hard and where it leads will surprise you. Mönchsberg will let you see the true beauty of Salzburg at night.

If you walk further up, you will be able to view the town panoramically and it is truly marvelous.

DAY 8 Cesky Krumlov ( Czech Republic )

From Austria, we have crossed the border to Cesky Krumlov, a small town in the South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic. Cesky Krumlov is famous for its architecture. Once you arrive, you will see a lot of buildings with the well-known roofs in orange color all over the town. If you can't see them, that mean you are not here yet. The weather is very nice today as the weather forecast has told us that the sky will be clear today and tomorrow. Well, we plan to stay here for one night so our trip in here completely relies on the weather. And we are fortunate enough to have this kind of weather which is perfect for our mission of taking photos in the town !!

The main tourist attraction in the town can't be anywhere else but Český Krumlov Castle. Inside the castle is very charming and there is a lot to see. You will also find many corners where you can get a good photo shot of the town since the castle is located up in the hill. The castle does offer you the panoramic view of the town as well.

If the view you get from the ground level of the castle doesn't please you enough, you can get up to the top of the castle tower right away. Although the admission is not free, the ticket is not expensive. And you sure will get some nice photos from up there especially on a clear sky day. After you visit the castle, don't forget to turn back and take another photo of the whole Český Krumlov Castle. There you will see how huge it is.

If you walk further outside the town, you will see a new fine angle of the tower. There are not many tourists either so you could wander around peacefully. Watching the sunset here ( GPS : 48.810755, 14.319693 ) is also amazing and very romantic.

Even we just take a photo of the ordinary houses, the photo is totally appealing. This is unreal !! hahaha It has been a wonderful day here in Cesky Krumlov. We don't feel tired at all. Furthermore, those who would like to travel to here, we recommend you to at least stay for one night. The hotels are not expensive and there are many of them to choose from.

DAY 9 - 10 - 11 Prague ( Czech Republic )

We have finally arrived at the main destination of this whole trip, Prague. Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic.The historic center of Prague has also been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. That's why we guess that Prague must have something very interesting to see. Prague offers a variety of tourist attractions including charming architecture, old fascinating buildings, winding streets, historic center, and attractive atmosphere. If you are ready, let's go and see what are truly interesting in Prague!

1. Charles Bridge (Karluv Most)

Charles Bridge is an old bridge in Prague. The best time to visit the bridge is in the early morning because there are not many tourists and the view is uniquely nice. We recommend you to come here around 5.30 AM to welcome the new day as well as the first sunlight. You will feel totally relaxed and ready for the day.

1.1 Lesser Town Bridge Tower

There is a tower at the end of both sides of Charles Bridge. These two towers are different but both of them are beautiful. You can walk up to the top of both towers for a view as well. Even though they are old towers, they are very well-kept.

2. Old Town Square

This Old Town Square has been used as the main public square of Prague since the 10th century and as the main market square since the beginning of the 20th century. It is a common place for people to come and chill during the sunset and this is when the restaurants around the square start to open for dinner. Therefore, we guess this place is a good choice to come and relax after walking the whole day through the town. You can even come for the dinner with a glass of wine or good beer.

3. Stronomical Clock (Prague Orloj) & Old Town Square

The Astronomical Clock is on the southwestern of the Old Town Square. This is where tourists are able to see a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Twelve Apostles which is available from 9 AM - 9 PM. No wonder why this Astronomical Clock is another spot where all tourists would come and take a photo with when in Prague.

4. St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral is the most important church in terms of history in the country. It has been with the country for thousand years located in the middle of Prague Castle complex. Prague Castle together with St. Vitus Cathedral is extremely huge so they can be seen from anywhere in the town. And for your information, the admission is free.

5. Charles Bridge Tower

Going up to see 360-degree panoramic view of Prague at the top of Charles Bridge Tower is a must to do. The best time would be during the sunset. You will be truly impressed with the view like we do.

The time that we have been waiting for has arrived, the time during twilight. This is the best time to capture the view of the town at night.

You can also see St. Vitus Cathedral from this Charles Bridge. It is entirely stunning in golden color as if we were dreaming.

Prague is superb, no doubt why it has been considered as the World Heritage Site. We have such a good time here for the last three days. Furthermore, the cost of living in Prague is quite cheap compared to other cities we have visited earlier. A meal at a restaurant is comparable as in Thailand. Those who want to stay under the budget and have a kitchen at the accommodation, you can go straight to the supermarket and cook for yourself. It is even cheaper this way but don't forget to bring some seasonings from Thailand though.

DAY 12 - 13 - 14 Budapest ( Hungary )

If you ask us that which city is our favorite in this entire trip in Eastern Europe, our answer would be Budapest, Hungary. We like to study about history personally and Budapest is rich in history as well as you can walk around admiring the beauty of what has been left from the history in the town. The brief history of Budapest is as follows. Hungary chose to be with Germany in World War II, therefore; Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids. After the war had ended, Hungary was declared a "Communist People's Republic". This was the same time that an anti-Soviet revolt started to go against Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Red Army and the communist party. The fight kept on going until 1990 when the last Soviet troops left Hungary.

Nowadays, Budapest is one of the oldest cities in Europe with a long rich history. Therefore, Budapest is worth a visit to see the beauty of the town and the vestiges of the war.

1. Fisherman's Bastion

Fisherman's Bastion is situated on the bank of the Danube River and we are wondered why this bastion has a weird name because it should be a soldier's bastion normally. It turns out that this bastion did actually belong to the fisherman in the past. In addition, traveling was commonly through the river and fishery was very prosperous in the old days.

We can say that Fisherman's Bastion is our main destination in Budapest. The bastion is stunning in white color in unique architectural style. We truly love it here. hahaha Every towers is also known as a good view point. You can get a very good photo shot from all of them.

If you look through the gaps carefully, you will see the view of Danube River and the city on Pest side. You can even see the Parliament of Budapest or also known as the Hungarian Parliament Building.

This area is where the statue of King Istvan, the first King of Hungary, is located as well. It is totally outstanding.

2. Chain Bridge (Szechenyi lanchid)

Chain Bridge is known as one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe. It was built over Danube River. Chain Bridge can be considered as the highlight of Budapest. It is very fascinating including the l ion sculpture on the bridge. Moreover, the bridge will be beautifully lit up at night and the view from the bridge is magnificent.

You can also see the Hungarian Parliament Building from the bridge. It is already so pretty during the day, we wonder how beautiful it would be at night.

One thing we would like to recommend you to do here in Budapest is riding the tram. There is one tramline that runs along the shoreline of Danube River. You could pick the time that the tram is not busy so you could chill and enjoy the view along the way. The fare is not expensive either. The color of the tram and its classical design are going so well with the town. We love it.

We guess if Budapest doesn't have this tram, it would be a bit boring. So please make sure to get a ride if you have time because it will also take you to many tourist spots in the town ( Budapest Map Transport : http://goo.gl/nXuFSP).

3. St. Stephen's Basilica

Let's go and have a look at the fine church that has been with Budapest for ages, St. Stephen's Basilica! Whoever travel to Budapest always have this place noted down on their travel itinerary. There are buildings with shops and restaurants on both sides of the way to get to the church. So, once you get to this street that direct you there, you will see the magnificent church standing amazingly right in the middle in front of you. We shout "Wow!" as well when we first see it. It looks also mysterious to us.

St. Stephen's Basilica is totally huge. We are almost not able to capture the whole church at once. We recommend those who plan to come here to come in the morning when there are fewer tourists. The weather is also very nice during this time. The admission is free as well.

The interior of churches in European is pretty similar to each other. The difference is only a few things such the sculptures as an example. However, they are all amazing.

4. Liberty Bridge (Szabadsag hid)

We are going to Gellért Hill. We take the tram and get off in front of Hotel Gellért Budapest. This is where you can find another bridge that connects Buda and Pest. Liberty Bridge is in a charming design in green color.

The tram in orange color contrasts so well with the green bridge. It seems to us that everything here is beautiful and every moment is enjoyable. After this, we are going to the biggest market hall in town.

5. Central Market Hall

This is another spot that has not been listed in any travel blogs. We have done some research before coming on this trip and we have found that Central Market Hall is a big and old market hall of Budapest. This market hall is appealing both interior and exterior. One reason we list this place in our travel plan is that we have plenty of time to spend in Budapest. We have 3 nights in total.

We recommend you to take the main entrance right in front of the building, then take the escalator up to the 2nd Floor right away, keep walking straight to the middle of the hall, and you will find this view as you can see from photo above. There you will realize how huge and beautiful this market hall is. You can buy souvenirs, some local foods, fresh products, and spices from here. More importantly, the souvenirs here are cheaper than those sold at the main tourist attractions. Therefore, if you are interested, it would be great to put this place at the end of your travel plan so you could buy stuffs back home conveniently.

6. Great Synagogue in Budapest

We have come to the last interesting tourist spot in Budapest and it is this Jewish house of worship. When we searched for some information about this place, we were surprised that there are Jewish people living in Budapest. Anyway, we would like to come and see this Great Synagogue in Budapest with our own eyes. It turns out that Great Synagogue doesn't disappoint us. The interior of this place is totally amazing.

When talking about churches in Budapest, St. Stephen's Basilica is not the only popular place to visit but also Great Synagogue which is known as the largest Jewish house of worship in Europe. You will be amazed with the beauty of its architecture both inside and outside. And as you may guess, to get in is very strict. You need to go through all kinds of security controls but trust us, it is worth it. Those who would like to see something unique and different in Budapest, Great Synagogue would be a great choice.

7. Buda Castle

If you don't come up to see the view from here at night, it is like you have never been to Budapest at all !! A place where you can view amazing Budapest at night with no charges would be this Buda Castle. Buda Castle is opened 24/7. The view you get from here is totally magical. We love it so much. The atmosphere is nice as well.

The view is a 180-degree panoramic view. You can see the long Danube River and the magnificent lit-up-town at night.

This photo shows you Chain Bridge and Hungarian Parliament Building clearly.

We would like to confirm that with this photo. You can completely view Budapest in a wide angle with all main tourist attractions from here.

8. Hungarian Parliament Building

Hungarian Parliament Building is number 1 highlight in Budapest. The Parliament Building will be lit up at night and it is incredibly stunning. It is one of many places that we are truly impressed. To sum up, Budapest is the place we love the most in this whole trip in Eastern Europe. In addition, Budapest is another city that is safe and the cost of living is cheap as same as Prague. We also have a lot of fun here and have got loads of nice photos as we wish.

We have finally come to an end of this journey. We hope that this travel blog would be useful to you one way or another especially to those who are planning to go to Eastern Europe or those who don't know where to go for your upcoming vacation yet. Lastly, if you have any suggestions or questions, you can contact us right away. Thank you for all your kind supports, Kob Khun Krub.

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