Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
White Nights, or anytime, involves
perching yourself on the quay at 2am
to watch the city's bridges unfold in
careful rhythm to allow ships through
the Neva.
•
Kraków's Old Town (Kraków,
Poland).
Few cities have the sheer
knockout attraction of Kraków. And
the Old Town is where it delivers the
TKO. And the charms are not just
skin deep. The Old Town is choked
with stunning cafes and restaurants,
student clubs, galleries, and shops.
Take the day and explore. See p. 427.
•
D
l
uga (Gda
^
sk, Poland).
Amber-
philes will think they died and went
to heaven. It's hard to imagine a more
beautifully restored pedestrian main
street than Gda
^
sk's main drag. See
p. 456.
•
Auschwitz-Birkenau (O
1
wi
7
cim
,
Poland).
Words cannot convey
what a deeply shocking and moving
experience it is to visit what was the
largest of the Nazi extermination
camps. Plan to spend some time and
visit both camps (just a couple of
miles apart). Auschwitz is undeniably
horrible, but it's at Birkenau where
you really grasp the scale of the
tragedy. See p. 435.
•
Walking in the High Tatras (High
Tatras, Slovakia).
Follow the red-
marked Magistrale Trail from one
end of the Tatras to the other for
some of the most jaw-droppingly
beautiful mountain scenery you're
likely to see anywhere. The Tatras are
not particularly high (most of the
peaks are in the 2,400m/8,000-ft.
range), but the rocky, snowcapped
tops are highly inspiring. The Magis-
trale takes you around the mountain
faces at just above and below the tree
line, with incredible views both up
and down. See p. 632.
2 The Best Hotel Splurges
•
Hilton Imperial (Dubrovnik, Croa-
tia).
Rather than build a hotel from
scratch, Hilton had the wisdom to
restore what was salvageable from
Dubrovnik's historic 19th-century
Imperial and graft a modern hotel
onto the base. Every detail has been
addressed here, and whether you hail
from America or Azerbaijan, you'll
be treated as an honored guest. See
p. 141.
•
Diamant (Pore
c
, Croatia).
Though
it looks like an impersonal '70s pack-
age-style hotel from the outside, it
is much more—management has
thought of everything, and the hotel
has an activity to match guests' every
whim. The Diamant deserves special
kudos for its efforts to accommodate
guests with disabilities. Every part of
the hotel can accommodate wheel-
chairs, even the pool and locker
rooms. See p. 175.
•
Hotel Aria (Prague, Czech Repub-
lic).
A new luxurious hotel opened in
the heart of Malá Strana just around
the corner from the St. Nicholas
Cathedral. Its melodious theme will
especially please music lovers. See
p. 224.
•
Four Seasons Hotel (Prague, Czech
Republic).
The best luxury Old Town
hotel with the best view of Prague
Castle and Charles Bridge. If price isn't
a concern, choose a room at this new
addition to the luxury-hotel list with
its unbeatable location. See p. 225.
•
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace
(Budapest, Hungary).
The splendid,
sprawling hotel is Hungary's foremost
hotel. The Art Nouveau architecture
is exquisite, and the customer care
and attention to detail will leave you
feeling pampered. See p. 296.
•
La Residenza (Timi
@
oara, Romania).
One of the most stylish and least
