Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic

When we first set out on our trip it felt like Europe was an impossibly distant dream. For a while it felt like we would never be able to escape the heat and chaos of Asia, but somehow we made it. Although it feels like we haven't had a minute to spare since we entered Europe in May, we feel much less tired then we did during the first part of our travels. There is an easiness to travelling in Europe that we hadn't expected. 

We've had a very busy itinerary for the past 2 months. This is mostly due to the fact that we only have a 90 day visa and the list of countries we want to see is a bit greedy. Because of this, some of the places we've been have become a bit of a blur. It doesn't help that the Eastern European countries we went to all looked similar and had mostly the same cuisine. 

While in Eastern Europe we visited more castles then we can count. Most of them look quite modern and usually still house royal families. Our favourites, though, are the ancient castles that are barely standing up on top of a hill.


Our first stop was the city of Budapest in Hungary. The city is actually divided into two major districts, Buda and Pest which are separated by the Danube River. It was very easy to get around on foot, the only time we took a train was to get in from the airport. Other than Greece, this was the first European country we had been to and we were amazed by the architecture. It was also our first taste of European prices... ouch. In Asia we became use to living like Kings with a small amount of money. As soon as we set foot in Hungary we felt out budget suffer, and it's actually a cheap country by European standards. 

Churches are everywhere in Europe and the best thing about them is that they are usually free. We love looking at the elaborate stained glass windows that are incredibly well maintained. It's really amazing to see that these delicate works of art were able to survive years of war and carnage.

A beautifully decorated dome in Budapest's Basilica. 

One of the amazing buildings that seem to be everywhere around Budapest. This one was in the middle of a park where a Renaissance fair was being held. 

An elaborate fountain in the palace on Castle Hill. 

Budapest's Parliament building seen from the top of Castle Hill. 

Mattias' Church was my favourite attraction in Budapest. I loved that it looked like a Disney castle. 

A beautiful tribute to victims of horrible violence. Shoes representing innocent people who were killed on the Danube river. 

A typical Hungarian snack food. Fried dough topped with garlic, sour cream and cheese. I managed to eat half of it before giving the rest of it to a very happy Aaran.


The next stop on our itinerary was Bratislava, Slovakia. The trains and buses make getting around Europe so quick and convenient. Being from Canada and Australia, it's always amazing to us that you can get to another country with such minimal effort. The transport also ended up being a bit cheaper than we had expected. Bratislava quickly became one of our favourite cities. This is mainly due to their great beer and coffee. The city felt really young and had a great vibe.

Aaran quickly became a huge fan of the artisan coffee scene around Europe. Most of the times the brewing process looks more like a science experiment than anything else. 

There was a lot of beautiful graffiti around Bratislava. This old church was livened up by paintings placed in its boarded up windows. 

The very unique Blue Church was close to our hostel and was a refreshing sight after seeing cathedrals that always look exactly the same. 

The main square in Bratislava is full of these unique statues. This is one of the things that makes this city special. 

One of the best things about being in Europe is being able to buy groceries. Hostels usually have shared fridges where you can store some food. We wouldn't have survived if we were forced to eat in restaurants at every meal.

On our last day in Slovakia we took a bus to Devin Castle. Although it is mostly in ruins, its beautiful location on a hilltop makes it look spectacular. 

A reconstructed part of the Devin Castle ruins. 

Next on our list was Prague, Czech Republic. Once again the main attractions were castles and churches. We did, however, manage to find an amazing museum that helped change the pace a little. Because it was National Children's day, it was also free! The title of the main exhibit was Noah's Arch. The huge room we entered had every animal we could possibly think of, all organized by continent or geographical area. 

Part of the Noah's Arch exhibit.

Another day, another pub meal. What the picture doesn't show is the 1 litre of beer Aaran ordered.

All the buildings are so amazing it's hard to know what to look at.

We became addicted to special artisan coffee and all the cute coffee shops around Prague. 

The colourful streets of Prague. I love how all the buildings are so different. 

Another day, another church. The line to enter was so long that we contented ourselves by walking around the outside. 

Something new! A giant astronomical clock in one of Prague's busy squares.

After spending time in Western Europe we now realize how cheap and relaxed Eastern Europe was. We probably didn't quite appreciate this fact at the time. The cities were beautiful but there was no pressure to see 100 sites before leaving. Another great thing was that the tourist areas weren't too crowded. Looking back, these countries really had the ideal travelling conditions. This is something that we desperately needed after being completely exhausted by the harshness of Asia.