Unique cultures attract visitors
DESPITE the increasing
number of Eastern
European countries
joining the European Union,
each continues to retain its
unique essence.
Inge Dobihal, owner of
Austria Connection, an
expert on Eastern European
travel, says visitors need
not fear a dilution of identity
in the individual countries
of the region. The union,
she points out, is rst and
foremost an economic and
political alliance, and has not
affected the diverse cultures
and lifestyles of Eastern
Europeans.
Concerns that afliation
to the EU makes Eastern
European member countries
more difcult to access
from a visa point of view,
are also unfounded, says
Inge. Romania, Bulgaria and
Croatia, for example, have
all joined the EU but are not
signatories to the Schengen
Agreement and have their own
visa application processes.
Furthermore, Europe-bound
travellers who are including
any of the three countries
in their itineraries and have
a Schengen visa in place,
can gain entry without a
second, country-specic visa
application (see box).
If your clients have a Schengen visa…
For travellers with a valid,
multiple-entry Schengen
visa:
Croatia can be visited
for any length of time,
provided the Schengen
visa covers the full period
of the Croatian stay.
Visitors can spend
ve days in Romania
and Bulgaria without a
separate visa. Romania
can, in fact, be visited for
ve days without any visa.
Bosnia can be visited
for seven days, provided
the traveller is entering
Bosnia from an EU
country. This is of
particular interest to
pilgrimage travellers
wanting to visit Medjugorje
in Bosnia, easily
accessible from Croatia.
Top spots for 2014
Poland
“Poland is picking up nicely
and is, in my opinion,
underrated,” says Inge. She
describes the country’s cities
as magnicent. “At their
heart there is always a huge
market square surrounded
by buildings of the 15th
and 16th centuries. With
Poland being a very modern
society with a vibrant Western
lifestyle, nowadays these
ancient structures house jazz
clubs and pubs,” she says.
Slovenia
Inge names Slovenia as the
country to watch in 2014.
The size of Swaziland,
it luxuriates in stunning
countryside with Alpine
vistas and Mediterranean
towns all thrown into the mix.
Geographic features such
as the Postojna Caves and
Lake Bled have captured the
attention of world travellers.
The caves are a vast
network of tunnels, accessed
by a train, followed by guided
walks. The lake, some 35km
from the capital, Ljubljana
surrounds Bled Island. The
country is also the home of
the village of Lipica where the
famous Lipizzaner horses are
bred.
Croatia
Still topping many tourists’
wish list is Croatia, a popular
sailing destination in the
European summer, when
spectacular coastal scenery,
a crystal-clear sea and
affordability combine to make
excellent cruising. It also has
inland attractions and Inge
highlights the Plitvice Lakes –
a series of 16 lakes linked by
innumerable waterfalls. Set in
a national park, they attract
over a million visitors annually,
lling up three hotels in the
reserve.
While Eastern Europe is no
longer the bargain it once
was, its countries remain
less expensive than Western
Europe and research will
yield great value-for-money
products.
St Petersburg – a cruise highlight
REGENT Seven Seas Cruises,
represented in South Africa
by Encore Cruises, includes a
number of Eastern European
ports on its Northern Europe
and Baltic Cruise itineraries.
St Petersburg, capital of
the Russian Empire for 200
years, is a major highlight of
many of these programmes.
Cathedrals, palaces and
fortresses are on the touring
menu there, along with a night
of traditional Russian dance
or ballet. Sochi, venue for the
upcoming Olympic Games,
Murmansk, Sevastopol, Yalta
and Odessa are other Russian
ports featured.
The medieval town of Tallin,
gateway to Estonia, often gets
passengers’ vote for charm.
Walking through the Old Town,
a Unesco World Heritage Site,
where ancient buildings now
house trendy restaurants and
boutiques, is an atmospheric
experience. Other stops in the
Baltic states include Klaipeda,
Memel or Riga in Lithuania.
