Travel planner - EAST BOUND

Travel planner - EAST BOUND





Baltic architecture, WWII imprints & Balkan vistas -untried eastern circuits are the way to go

A Europe break usually means two things for Indian travellers ­ the Big 5 (France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain) and summer months. For some unfathomable joy, people travel all the way to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with more people in busy streets and jostle for tables at roadside cafés when the better time to visit the continent is autumn, post the mad summer rush. Also, there is this vast swath of Europe still not raided by travel junkies. Culturally opulent and great bang for your buck, East Europe should be on your radar this fall season.

BALTIC BELT

To fully experience the Baltic flavour, one has to visit all three Baltic nations ­ Latvia, Lithuania and Esto nia. Surprisingly contrasting, yet united by their common histo ry, the capitals of these countries usu ally serve as the base for travellers scout ing this side of Eu rope to enjoy unmatched views. Highlights have to be the old walled city of Tallinn (Estonia) dotted with cafes, museums and concert halls, bars and nightclubs of Riga (Latvia) and Baroque beauty of Vilnius (Lithuania). The icing on the cake remains considerably cheap, local and intra-country transport and accommodation costs that make it more affordable than even some popular Asian destinations such as Singapore and Dubai.

HISTORY HAS IT

History, culture, economics, food and nightlife, there are very few tours that allow you to tick all these boxes. And a visit to the three bor der-sharing na tions -Poland, Belarus and Ukraine -is one of them. Holocaust sites such as Krakow, Poland, are your emotional trip down dark chapters of WWII history, the KGB headquarters and Stalinist architecture of Minsk are reminiscent of Belarus' Soviet past, while Orthodox Churches of Kiev, Ukraine are a visual treat. From Gothic churches, classical palaces, Soviet blocks to modern skyscrapers architecture in these countries is a reflection of their glorious past.

WONDER LUST

If Euro rail travel sits high on your bucket list, then you need to take the train tour of the Balkan wonderlands. A Balkan Flexipass lets you travel through unexplored natural sights. Enjoy Roman ru ins and Ottoman era mosques in the Bulgarian capital Sofia; communist era buildings and buzzing nightlife in Bucharest, Romania and amazing sights on way to Belgrade, Serbia on this route. Needless to mention, Montenegro ­ one of the most natural settings in the world.

Nausheen Tareen

TL3SEP17