10 travel tips for Eastern Europe

The blue Adriatic winds its way inland over 30 kilometers (18 mi) like a fjord, past the rugged cliffs all the way to the World Heritage town of Kotor. There is little room on the coast, so it tries to attract an exclusive clientele rather than mass tourism. But when sea cruisers dock the tranquility of the medieval alleyways in the town is very much broken.

An increasing number of tourists are discovering the beauty of the Romanian capital, which is also known as the "Paris of the East." Still evident are remnants of its communist past, but visitors tend to find this mix is part of what makes Bucharest so interesting. The old town center with its bars and restaurants is most definitely worth a visit.

Europe's second longest river passes through ten countries before it empties into the Black Sea. The Danube Delta is one of the last wildlife reserves in Europe, which offers a habitat to thousands of animal and plant species. The Delta can be explored on a guided tour or individually by canoe or houseboat.

The Ukrainian capital was in the limelight, when it hosts the Eurovision Song Contest or ESC in May 2017. International tourists still avoid this interesting city which is well worth seeing. The reason is the fighting in the eastern part of the country, which is a good 800 kilometers from Kyiv.

The golden city on the River Vltava is a top travel destination. Four million visitors stroll through the alleyways of the old town center every year. They admire the magnificence of the churches, listen to the Glockenspiel at the old Town Hall, sample some Czech beer and dumplings and stroll across Charles' Bridge to the impressive Prague Castle.

A mix of medieval and art deco charm, embellished with maritime flair - Riga is rightly known as the pearl of the Baltic. The Latvian capital, located on the Baltic Sea, was founded in the 12th century by German traders. In the old town center they built proud churches and residential buildings. Equally magnificent is the New Town's art nouveau district which boasts no less than 800 buildings.

Young people love this time-honored city of Polish kings as it is now an exciting nightlife hot spot. Around the historical market place (pictured) there are cool restaurants and jazz bars. The Jewish quarter is home to a vibrant alternative youth scene.

An hour's drive from Kraków is the start of the world's smallest alpine mountain range, which stretches far into neighboring Slovakia. This untouched mountain world reaches heights of up to 2,600 meters (8,530 ft.). Embedded in this mountain range is the Štrbské pleso mountain lake (Slovakia) - an ideal starting point for numerous hiking routes.

The nights are hot, the drinks are ice-cold and the prices unbeatably low - the long sandy beaches on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast are a party hotspot. Sunbathe during the day and then party the night away - this combination attracts many young visitors from across Europe.

Party people also like to move on to Belgrade to enjoy the floating nightclubs on the Danube. But Serbia's capital also has a lot to offer for those interested in culture- like the Cathedral of Saint Sava. With its dome measuring 35 meters across it is one of the largest churches in the world, reminiscent to Istanbul's Hagia Sophia. Only that this one is a lot younger - construction began in 1935.