The Best of Central Europe: Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague

What stays with me the most is the music. I was not familiar with some of the composers I learned about and whose work I heard performed. It was wonderful!

The Central Europe tour will be remembered as one of my very favorite RS trips! It was exceptional in the depth of learning about this part of the world. There was a perfect balance, in my opinion, of lectures, museum visits, other excursions and experiences. Free time allowed for exploring on our own or just resting up. The activity level was appropriate, very active on many days, but bus rides between cities allowing for some downtime, as well as a glimpse of the countryside.

What a wonderful trip! Well organized with excellent guides and lecturers. One warning: It's long. Going to four different hotels is a lot. I think the trip might be better if it were shorter; just do Krakow, Budapest and Vienna - over 2 weeks. Going for 18 days is a packing challenge! But if you have the stamina for it, this is a GREAT adventure.

The Best of Central Europe was a true learning experience. The history of the region goes back thousands of years. From pre-Roman times, the Rise of Christianity, the Holy Roman Empire, hundreds of years of religious wars and barbarian invasions, the rise and fall of the Habsburgs, who ruled an Empire on which the Sun never set. The Reformation, the 30 Years War, WWI and WWII, the Holocaust, Communism. Arts and Music - Chopin, Mozart, Liszt and Strauss, Gustav Klimt. Extraordinary religious and contemporary architecture And these countries continue to be at the forefront of current cultural and political forces. This program did a good job of honestly and intelligently weaving together these historic events and showing how they influence the issues facing the countries today.

The history & culture of central European countries are scarcely taught in the US. It's not differentiated from that of western Europe. Despite whatever history lessons we've had & even after spending a lot of time in western Europe I hadn't a feel for how differently our "shared" histories impacted these countries. The effects of repeated regime & boundary changes, the differences in languages, how differently they view rulers & events.... I'm very grateful for the experiences & insights I gained ont this trip.

This was my eleventh trip with Road Scholar and the best trip overall. It was well organized with interesting lectures, a good balance of free time to scheduled activities, life enriching experiences and excellent guides. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants a better understanding of Central European history and its impact on today’s political climate.

Had a wonderful time. Even though I was traveling solo, others on the tour were warm, welcoming and friendly. Great historical, cultural, art and music experiences. Highly recommend.

Awesome trip 5+ Stars This is an awesome and 'must do' trip. Our group leader for the entire trip, Anna Pivankova, is BEYOND excellent! She's well organized, very knowledgeable, and fun to be around. I'd like to do another trip with her. I learned SO MUCH on this trip. I would like to put a flash drive in my brain so I could download everything I saw and learned. Klara Pogatsa the local guide in Budapest and Lucie Vitkova the local guide in Prague were great. When you visit the Otto Wagner church at the Otto Wagner hospital in Vienna be sure to ask about the Nazi T4 euthanasia program that occurred at the hospital site. The Vienna guide Lucas Husa glossed over this point which was disappointing. The T4 program is infamous. Krakow is a fun city to hang out in. Vienna is a city of museums and palaces on steroids. I really enjoyed the lecture in Budapest with the political science professors. Budapest is a great city to hangout along the river. Prague has the 'best vibe' of any city I've traveled to - so upbeat. Go to the grocery store and grab some things for lunch, eat lunch in the plazas and watch / interact with people. Every person I encountered on this trip was friendly. I would love to do this trip again.

This was a rigorous but very rewarding trip! It was exactly what I was looking for: tour of the best of the architecture and art of these great cultural cities, and the addition of classical music performances and lectures made it ideal! Lots of walking on cobblestones and climbing hills but well worth being able to see the sights close up. I do wish a few buildings on the Ring Road tour of Vienna we actually stopped at, and I was disappointed that we didn't take the extra time to see inside the great Secession Building by Otto Wagner with its Klimt Beethoven frieze. This should be added in the future. Otherwise, well organized and exciting trip! It was gratifying to see the homeland so to speak that my grandparents came from, as well as the great art and architecture I have studied and taught for decades. The guest lectures were excellent, and most of the city leaders were learned and excellent guides. Our group leader Robert was attentive, helpful, knowledgable, and fun-- really kept us going. I highly recommend this trip for those interested in the rich culture of these great European cities.

The program is very fast paced and offers a good balance of learning and sightseeing. Experiencing the various cultures and the impact of WW2 on these countries was eye opening. Seeing the opulence of the past as well as the impact of communism, socialism and democracy was fascinating. The concerts were wonderful and the visits to palaces, museums and places of historic interest made for a robust and well rounded trip. For those questioning the activity level I would add each day of the trip involves a lot of walking, like 15,000 steps or 5 miles or so daily and lots of stairs.

A visit to Central Europe is an eye-opening experience for someone from the US. Compared to a thousand years of history found there, and deeply informs peoples' lives in a way that I found profoundly different than life in the US.

This trip's itinerary provides the opportunity to explore, experience and delight in four magnificent cities. The guides were excellent. Please note the activity level, and out of respect for others, be honest with yourself about your ability and stamina.

A wonderfully comprehensive excursion through centuries of European history!

Overall outstanding in content. The director and guides were informative and knew their subjects.

Great cultural experience! Thoroughly capable, competent, and informative Group Leader and Tour Guides. Just in my opinion from my experience, I would not recommended for solo travelers.

This is a great trip. Central Europe is a hidden gem that you should not miss. All the cities are wonderful, clean and easily walkable places to visit. You must go to Auschwitz for yourself. Documentaries and books cannot give you the same experience.

Wonderful trip!! These four cities are beautiful, and having four days in each allows you to get immersed in each one.

We had an exceptionally wonderful time. Timmie, our leader throughout the trip, was responsible, dependable, and a great communicator and problem solver. She really helped make this trip a success. Additionally, the separate country tour guides were very knowledgeable. This was our first time to any of these countries -Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Czechia. We learned so much about the remarkable history of each country and its people, particularly about the time during WWII, the plight of their Jewish citizens, and later, life under communism. The lectures were outstanding with high quality speakers who reviewed history, arts, and culture of each country. The emphasis on music was so enjoyable, we had numerous concerts during the trip. The food, for the most part was very good, just a little heavy on meat. Our fellow travelers were great, friendly and thoughtful. Wear good walking shoes as we did 15,000 steps a day, many times on cobblestones and old stairs. But it was so worth it. If stairs are hard for you ask about an elevator when you arrive at the tour site. The staff will accommodate. Our only complaint was about the Penta Hotel in Vienna. This was not a hotel for seniors (geared towards college students and partying) with a less than helpful front desk. We have sent our concerns to Road Scholar. The weather was on the cool side 60s which was great with us for walking. Best trip we have ever taken!!!

Great trip! Local and tour guides were awesome. There is something for everyone. The history is amazing.

This program was excellent. It was a bit more vigorous than Keep the Pace, but we all were capable of keeping up. The comparison of the various cities is a fascinating exercise, and the many concerts and lectures were truly interesting.

Wonderful!

The experience was very rewarding for me. I enjoyed our group participants and felt comfortable with each. It seemed as though I had much in common with many of the participants in the group.

This tour was an outstanding experience with exceptional instructors and group leader. We don’t know any other way we could have enjoyed such a rich and varied experience in these four major cities and countryside. We had planned to do this trip on our own but decided to try Road Scholar. This trip far exceeded our expectations!

We were thoroughly impressed with all aspects of the Road Scholar tour of Central Europe. Tour leaders, hotels, subject matter experts all exceeded expectations. We "kept the pace", saw much, learned much and experienced the warmth of gracious people in each of the cities. I want to return!

This is the best program I’ve found to put together people with similar interests who are striving to learn more about those interests. It makes for a homogeneous group who are most likely to enjoy each other and make friends along the way.

I am sure that visiting Central Europe, especially the cities included in this program, would be a wonderful experience. But visiting during this most critical and historically significant time is remarkable. You can't leave this trip without having a new understanding of the historical significance of this region and the role that these cities and countries are playing in the dynamic political and cultural upheaval today. From an historical, political, artistic and cultural perspective this program should be high on the list for anyone who wants to understand how past history has shaped current events and is likely to shape the future.

I loved this program. Learned a great deal about the 4 big cities of Central Europe. I made great friends that I hope to stay in touch with or possibly visit in the near future.

A wonderful program that encompasses the devastation of warfare on the people of this region as well as the heights they have achieved in art and music. Squarely deals with the Holocaust as well as having great museums exploring the Communist Era.

This program gives you valuable insights on former Soviet-block countries. I saw outstanding art from artists we don't learn about in our Western-oriented culture. Also, there were many enjoyable music lectures & events.

A perfect tour of the beauty, culture and history of Eastern Europe's famous cities. Road Scholar hit a home run!

excellent program with a variety of places to see.

This trip was wonderful. It was so nice to spend time in each city and see many places with small amount of time traveling between cities. I personally found it to be interesting to explore countries that had been under Nazi, Communist, and now Republic forms of government and to be able to talk to people who had lived through this,

Everyone needs to got to Auschwitz & Birkenau in their lifetime! It is never too late.

This program is a value-packed, comprehensive look at the people, history and culture of four great cities of central and eastern Europe - not to be missed!

Loved staying 4 nights in each city at really well located hotels. The highlight for me was going to a performance in Vienna that featured ballet, orchestra and opera...what an enchanting evening.

I loved this trip. It was my first Roadscholar trip and I was quite impressed. I learned quite a lot and am very happy. Things were well organized and the hotels and meals were great.

Learn about a part of Europe that was closed off for decades by the USSR and what that experience was like. Each city/country has a unique culture but an overlay of the same history, rulers and wars. Also learn about our country's positive contribution to their recent history. Outstanding leaders, lecturers, field-trips and performers will dazzle you.

The Best of Central Europe: Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague is indeed an excellent introduction to four less-well-known central European cities and countries. It includes an excellent background in the histories (and religious backgrounds) of these four areas (both distant and recent), as well as music, culture and architecture using excellent guides in each city. A major plus is that 3+ days were allowed for each city with some free time for exploration.

My Roads Scholar program, The Best of Central Europe: Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, was delightful, educational, well done and changed my view of the world. It was excellent.

Five Stars! This was an outstanding tour, a fascinating revelation of a world rich in history and culture that for much of my life was hidden behind the Iron Curtain. Road Scholar has put together a terrific program that while often sobering was equal parts revelatory, entertaining and fascinating. And I must say our group leader for the entire trip, Michala Posarova, was a treasure. We couldn't possibly have been in more capable hands. In general, the presentations by local experts were highly informative and interesting. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the talk on great composers in Vienna by Eddy Kudlak, retired violinist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. What a treat that was, and what an honor to meet such an accomplished musician! While I won't say I "liked" our visit to Auschwitz, it was certainly an unforgettable, gut-wrenching experience and I am grateful to Road Scholar for taking me there. Otherwise, every day was packed with marvelous sights and encounters that will remain with me for the rest of my life. And I must say the visit to Strahov Monastery was a fine way to end the trip. If I thought there was nothing left to see in Central Europe that could amaze me further, this excursion put that notion to rest. I definitely recommend this remarkable tour to anyone interested in European culture and history. It was an eye-opener for me.

I would rate this trip as 5 stars. It was an excellent tour of the four cities. Peter, our trip guide, as well as the individual local city guides, were all excellent. The history, culture, art, and music presentations were excellent as were the accommodations and dining. It was not as active a trip as some of those we have previously taken with Road Scholar but it was just as advertised. The day at Auschwitz was sobering but has long been on our bucket list and did not disappoint. Getting used to four different public transportation systems was a challenge yet fun. Except for Austria the way the other three countries have transformed from former Soviet satellites to participating members of Western Europe illustrated how little history of that region I was aware of. The only downside had nothing to do with Road Scholar or our guides. The night before we were to leave for the Prague airport for the flight home I had the misfortune of coming down with a severe stomach virus making traveling impossible. With Peter's and local guide Theresa's assistance our flight reservations were cancelled, a doctor was called to hotel (an English speaking Czech physician) who diagnosed it correctly as the 24 hour flu. We had the RS extra insurance so our situation was put in the hands of the RS contractor. Long story short, neither the insurance contractor nor the RS travel assistance office was of much help. We scheduled our own flight home for the next day. Subsequent calls with RS and the insurance carrier were cordial and professional and provided assurance that our experience should not have occurred and should not be repeated. We recently received reimbursement checks from the insurance for any medical expenses not otherwise covered and our flight home. Two lessons: don't get sick and do get the additional trip-interruption insurance. It was a wonderful trip and deserves to be cited as a RS favorite.