Central Europe Interrail
Seeing some of the highlights of Central Europe by combining city trips with hiking in the Tatra Mountains.
Trip Recap
- Day 1: Taking the train from Amsterdam to Praha.
- Day 2: The first day in Praha, seeing and eating our way around.
- Day 3: Casemates, museums and more food in Praha!
- Day 4: Visiting the castle in Karlštejn by train.
- Day 5: The last morning in Praha before taking the train to Brno.
- Day 6: Spending a lot of time underground in Brno!
- Day 7: Travelling to Znojmo and having a relaxed afternoon there.
- Day 8: Touring the castle in Znojmo and having a picnic along the river.
- Day 9: Taking the train from Znojmo to Kraków.
- Day 10: A full day of sightseeing and eating in Kraków.
- Day 11: More castles, museums and history in Kraków.
- Day 12: Hopping on a Flixbus to cross the Tatra Mountains.
- Day 13: Hiking in Slovak Paradise.
- Day 14: Hiking in the High Tatras.
- Day 15: Walking around Kvetnica Lake near Poprad.
- Day 16: A restful day in Poprad.
- Day 17: Hiking in the Low Tatras.
- Day 18: Travelling to Bratislava and sipping tea in an underground bar.
- Day 19: Walking around the Old Town in Bratislava.
- Day 20: A short journey to Wien and seeing Schloss Schönbrunn.
- Day 21: Admiring Wien's architecture and parks.
- Day 22: Taking the train from Wien to Bruxelles.
- Day 23: A morning in Bruxelles before taking the Eurostar home.
Highlights
The vegan food in Praha
Sleeping in a bunker in Brno
Relaxing in Znojmo
Walking along the river in Kraków
Hiking in the High Tatras
The tea bar in Bratislava
Donaupark parkrun in Wien
Day 1
The trip starts by travelling from Amsterdam to Praha by train, with a change in Berlin. I went together with my sister.
You can read more about the route here: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/amsterdam-to-praha-by-train/
Day 2
Exploring Praha! We mainly walked around and had good food. I can highly recommend a visit to Grébovka Park and the Grotta hidden there. The Old Town Square was extremely busy as always and is worth avoiding as much as possible. The surrounding neighbourhoods are nicer and equally pretty!
You can read more about my experiences here: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/everything-i-did-in-praha/
Day 3
We headed to the south of Praha on this day to tour the casemates and Gorlice Hall at Vyšehrad, which is definitely worth your time. You do need to book in advance, but you can wander around Vyšehrad anytime and see the Rotunda. In the afternoon, we went to our new favourite museum: the Mucha Museum. Lastly, in the evening, we attended a classical music concert in St. Salvator Church. Make sure to book this with the official event organiser and avoid GetYourGuide!
Day 4
Time for a short train ride to Karlštejn Castle. The village itself was very quiet with it being pre-season, but it was a good trek up the hill. It's worth walking along the river for good views, too.
Day 5
Before taking the train to Brno, we spent our last morning walking around Pražský hrad. Even better was strolling throuhg the nearby Royal Gardens, which are free to enter.
In Brno, we checked in at our hostel, located in a bunker! Bunker 10-Z is certainly a unique place to stay. We ended the day with an informative visit to the Museum of Romani Culture, which left a deep impression.
Day 6
Making the most of our 1 full day in Brno, we of course went into Špilberk Castle. There was a good amount of information to take in, particularly about the prisoners held there. The afternoon we spent in the underground labyrinth under the market square. In the evening went to a show at the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, but most of it was in Czech!
Day 7
Time to travel to a cute village further south. We took the train to Znojmo, with a change in Břeclav. We checked into the hotel and had a chill afternoon writing in our journals and enjoying the sun.
Day 8
It was quiet, so we had a private tour around Znojemský hrad. After lunch, we headed to the river and followed a trail through the trees to a nice picnic spot.
Day 9
Time to say goodbye to my sister and take the train to Kraków. With only one change in Břeclav, it was a smooth journey.
Day 10
On this full day in Kraków, I wanted to see and do quite a lot. After checking which attractions were free on this day of the week, I went underground again to learn more about the city in Rynek Podziemny. After many steps wandering around the green belt, I climbed the Barbakan and city walls. I ended the day with a run along the river.
You can read more about the amazing hotel I stayed at here: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/aparthotel-plantonia/
Day 11
After a short gym session in the hotel, I headed to Wawel Castle. I specifically went into the Crown Treasury and Royal Gardens. I also went around Katedra Wawelska and saw the old bells. The day ended with a visit to the fragment of the Ghetto Walls and Muzeum Banksky.
Day 12
Time to move on to the next country! I took a Flixbus across the Tatra mountains to get to Poprad to meet a friend for a few days of hiking.
Read more about the route and my experiences here: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/tatra-mountains-by-coach/
Day 13
Time to go hiking! We took a bus to Hrabušice for a moderate hike in Slovak Paradise. The hike was initially well signposted, but we ended up on a boring road on the way down.
My full review of hiking in different national parks in Slovakia can be found here: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/hiking-in-slovakia/
Day 14
Our second hike was a longer and much more beautiful one in the High Tatras. We took a bus to Tatranská Kotlina, hiked up past 2 mountain huts and made our way back down to a bus stop near Kežmarské Žľaby.
Day 15
To recover, we did a small walk to see the bright blue Kvetnica Lake. A bus brought us to Kvetnica, so we could walk through the forest and back to Poprad.
Day 16
Due to bad weather and tiredness, we stayed in Poprad and explored it limited food scene. We did find a vegetarian restaurant and a nice bookstore cafe!
Day 17
Our next hike was deeper into Low Tatras wilderness. We hopped on a train to Liptovský Mikuláš and took a bus from there. After seeing a wild animal (wolf or lynx), we got a bit scared and turned around. Not the most successful day, but we tried! Back in Poprad, I paid a visit to the Tatra Gallery.
Day 18
Today we boarded a train to Bratislava. In the evening I met some friends at a very cool and funky tea bar.
Day 19
Our full day in Bratislava my friend and I spent exploring the Old Town and gardens around Bratislavský hrad.
Day 20
After a short 1-hour journey, I made it to Wien by Flixbus, whilst my friend went back home to the Netherlands. I checked in to the hostel and used the remainder of the afternoon to pay a visit to Schloss Schönbrunn.
Day 21
I started the morning with a parkrun in the Donaupark. After a shower it was time to go to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. Afterwards, I wandered around the city, admiring the amazing and grandiose architecture.
Day 22
The next part of the journey was getting from Wien to Bruxelles by train.
You can read more about the route here: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/wien-to-bruxelles-by-train/
Day 23
I had a morning in Bruxelles before taking the Eurostar to London and an onwards train home.
Anything you would add or do differently?
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Taking the night train from Amsterdam to Praha, rather than trains during the day
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Avoiding activities booked via GetYourGuide
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Doing more hikes in the High Tatras rather than Low Tatras and Slovak Paradise
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Avoiding national holidays in Slovakia and Poland
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Dedicating a full holiday to exploring Wien
