Capitals of Eastern Europe

Bucharest is Romania's cultural capital. Its original fortress, the first of many, was built to protect the Walachian state from the Turks. Today, it is a city of elegant French-style boulevards, lush gardens and green expanses, including the tranquil Bucharest Botanical Garden. The historic Lipscani district exudes the old-world charms of cobblestone alleys, inns and shops. The sprawling Palace of Parliament is the world's largest civilian building, said to contain 1,100 rooms.

Communism changed the face of Bucharest and has left in its wake a city brimming with imposing socialist architecture. Dotted among today's cityscape are wonderful art nouveau buildings, ancient churches and monasteries that were rescued from the bulldozer. From the 18th-century church Schitul Maicilor to the 16th-century Mihai Vodă Church, it is best to discover these treasures on foot. Bucharest is also home to an array of world-class museums, including the George Enescu National Museum, which features a beautiful oyster-shaped glass awning.

On the shores of the Black Sea lies Constanța, a city steeped in history. A pleasant stroll along its boardwalk offers views over the Old Town, along which sits the iconic art nouveau building of the Constanța Casino. The towering minaret of the Grand Mosque presides over the city and a climb to the top rewards visitors with spectacular vistas over the ocean. Nearby, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is inspired by Romanian-style architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, featuring a Greco-Roman style of pressed brick and a 114-foot-high tower.

Constanța is renowned as one of Romania's centers of art and culture; within the city's domain are several notable museums that are a delight to explore. The National History and Archeological Museum hosts a revered collection of vases and jewelry from the Greek and Roman periods. Just behind the museum lies a Roman floor mosaic, thought to be from the 4th century, as well as ancient Roman tombstones. At the Naval History Museum, models of Roman boats are displayed, along with exhibits that document the region's maritime history that dates back more than 2,000 years.

Pleven is surrounded by limestone hills in an agricultural region of the Danubian Plain. It was a stronghold of the Bulgarian Empire and has more than 450 places of architectural and cultural significance. It was a key fortress during the Ottoman Empire and became an important trade center from the 15th to the 19th century. Several museums and monuments in the town are dedicated to the Siege of Pleven, fought during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. Today, the town is a major economic hub and the third largest in Northern Bulgaria.

One of Bulgaria's oldest riverside towns, Vidin is home to the only entirely preserved medieval Bulgarian castle. Perched impressively on the riverbank, its striking pose, thick ring walls, stout towers and solid gates form a fortress known as Babini Vidini Kuli, which means Granny Vida's Towers. Around the castle rose a fairy-tale town of 25 minarets, domes and other charming architecture of the period. Though many of these features have been shadowed by today's city, Vidin retains its charms. Today it is largely an agricultural and trade center renowned for its wines.

The Serbian capital and former capital of the state of Yugoslavia, Belgrade is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its location at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers has long made it a contested region. Throughout its history, the “White City,” as its Serbian name translates, has been destroyed and rebuilt 20 times. Fortunately, the wide-reaching citadel remains, housing the Kalemegdan Fortress, Orthodox churches, Turkish baths and green parkland. Its Church of St. Sava is one of the largest Orthodox buildings in the world.

A European Capital of Culture, Novi Sad is Serbia's second largest city. The Petrovaradin Fortress dominates the skyline and offers stunning vistas over the city, while the nearby historic neighborhood of Stari Grad is home to many of the city's lively cafés, restaurants, museums and shops. Notable museums in Novi Sad include the Museum of Vojvodina, which houses collections and exhibits that showcase Serbian culture and life since ancient times. The Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection features one of the most extensive collections of 20th-century Serbian and Yugoslav art.

Mohács is home to the annual Busójárás Carnival, which marks the end of winter and features busós—mask wearing, fur clad townsmen—parading and dancing through the town in celebration of the arrival of spring. Mohács was also the site of one of the bloodiest battles in Hungarian history, the Battle of Mohács, following the Ottoman invasion of 1526. The Mohács Visitor Center tells the story of the battle, which saw more than 17,000 Hungarian soldiers, including several notable leaders, lose their lives. The site's mass grave was discovered during the 1970s and remains a poignant memorial to this day.

Riverside beauty and a vibrant cultural scene blend together in Budapest to form one of Europe's most rewarding cities. Hungary's enchanting capital straddles the banks of the Danube, with traditional hillside Buda on one side and modern Pest on the other. By day, stunning art nouveau buildings, stalwart castles and grand palaces set the stage for inspiring strolls and long soaks in thermal spas. By night, the shimmering lights of the Parliament building dance across the waters of the Danube, the Chain Bridge uniting it all as a dramatic centerpiece.

Budapest's old town is a fascinating medieval patchwork of narrow streets and colorful houses. In the Castle District, the Matthias Church soars in Gothic glory. Adjacent, the expansive wall and seven turrets of Fisherman's Bastion overlook the Danube, the graceful Chain Bridge and the Pest side of the river. The centerpiece of the district is the sprawling Buda Castle. Constructed in the 13th century and expanded to its current baroque splendor during the 18th century, this edifice was home to Hungary's kings for almost 700 years.

The Slovakian capital of Bratislava is filled with lovingly restored baroque city palaces and leafy squares. The Little Carpathians rise steeply in the north and the enormous hrad(or castle) perches 300 feet above the Danube, lending the city a picturesque setting. Below the castle, the Old Town boasts elegant mansions, art nouveau houses and gracious pedestrian zones. Eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens were crowned in St. Martin's Cathedral, today a concert hall that plays a central role in the city's rich cultural offerings.

Renowned as the “City of Waltzes,” Austria's capital city of Vienna is Europe's center of classical music. Strauss and Mozart composed many of their finest pieces here. Vienna's musical history is matched by the elegant, graceful architecture that lines the Ringstrasse, the wide boulevard encircling the Inner City. Baroque, neo-Renaissance, Gothic-Romanesque and other splendidly styled structures, from the Hofburg Palace to the Vienna State Opera, take the breath away with their grand facades. Vienna has a more intimate side too: inviting footpaths lead through green parks and its famed Viennese cafés sweeten any stay with coffee and the city's delectable Sachertorte.

Vienna is considered one of Europe's greatest cultural hubs. Its art scene has long been established with the Hapsburg's collection of fine art, now housed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Today, Vienna's modern side showcases street art murals that don the side of buildings along the banks of the Danube. Ingrained in local life is the long-embraced tradition of coffeehouses; UNESCO includes Viennese coffeehouse culture on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritages. It is considered one of life's pleasures to while away an afternoon over an Einspänner coffee and a pastry.

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