Belarus
The hamlet of Khatyn, 55km north of Minsk, was burned to the ground by the Nazis on 22 March 1943. Of a population of 149 (including 85 children), only…
Must-see attractions in Eastern Europe
Black Sea Coast
This nature reserve is located 10km south of Sozopol, along the main road to Primorsko. Visitors can hike or picnic, but most come for a 30- to 40-minute…
Moscow
Occupying the entire block of Novaya pl, this giant museum showcases the history of Russian science, technology and industry. Indeed, it has claimed to be…
Braşov
Old Braşov was once enclosed by mighty fortified walls, 12m high and more than 3km-long. Built in stages between 1400 and 1650, these walls and defence…
Sibiu
Thirty-nine towers, each protected by different guilds, watched over medieval Sibiu. See the remaining handful by walking north up Str Cetăţii past the…
Bay of Kotor
The overly poetically named Ostrvo Cvijeća (Island of Flowers) is accessed by an unlikely looking road that heads behind the airport and through a rundown…
Moscow
Though this renowned Russian author is more closely associated with St Petersburg, Fyodor Dostoevsky was actually born in Moscow, where his family lived…
Gorki Leninskie Museum-Reserve
Moscow
In Lenin’s later years, he and his family spent time at the Morozov manor house, set on lovely wooded grounds, 32km southeast of the capital. The estate…
Petrovac
Apart from the beaches, Petrovac’s most interesting attraction is also its least heralded. In 1902, the foundations of a Roman building complete with…
Klaipėda
The castle museum is spread across four exhibition spaces around Klaipėda's castle – two of these are located in atmospherically lit tunnels and deal with…
North Macedonia
Framing Skopje to the south, Vodno's towering mass – pinpointed by the 66m Millennium Cross – is an enduring symbol of the city. A popular (shaded) hiking…
Sarajevo
Somewhat misleadingly named, this small yet engrossing museum occupies a striking, still partly war-damaged 1960s socialist-modernist building originally…
Minsk
This excellent museum in one of Minsk's iconic buildings (built in 1939) includes definitive works by Soviet social realists and Russian masters,…
Northern Montenegro
'Castle' may be pushing it, but this beautifully restored 19th-century stone complex certainly commands awesome views from its vantage point overlooking…
Bulgaria
In hilly Tyulbe Park, a 15-minute walk northeast of Kazanlâk's centre, stands one of the archaeological finds of the 20th century: a brilliantly frescoed,…
Berat
They might be fairly small, but these waterfalls, which from a distance appear to disappear in and out of the rocks, have a rare beauty and make for a…
North Macedonia
Bitola's Stara Čaršija boasted about 3000 clustered artisans' shops in Ottoman times; today, only about 70 different trades are conducted, but it's still…
Herceg Novi
Named after Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, this peaceful monastery enjoys wonderful coastal views from its location on the town's eastern…
Niš
One of the best-preserved Nazi camps in Europe, the deceptively named Red Cross (named after the adjacent train station) held about 30,000 Serbs, Roma,…
Krk Island
The tiny island of Košljun contains a 16th-century Franciscan monastery built on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine abbey. Taxi boats wait at Punat…
Bulgaria
Outstanding clifftop views compete with murals by renowned painter Zahari Zograf at this serene monastery, 7km north of Veliko Târnovo. It was officially…
Bosnia & Hercegovina
In a deep, thickly wooded valley, the River Bosna turns abruptly almost 180 degrees creating a sharp ridge on which this little 15th-century fortress sits…
Moscow
Part Russian Revival, part neo-Renaissance, this red-brick beauty was built in the 1890s as the Moscow City Hall and later served as the Central Lenin…
Lahemaa National Park
Completed in 1753, this pretty pink-and-white baroque mansion is surrounded by glorious gardens (which are free to visit), encompassing a lake, numerous…
Zagorje
This whitewashed fortress, a gem of medieval defensive architecture housed inside the Stari Grad (Old Town), is surrounded by a manicured park…
Lithuania
Deemed an ‘exceptional testimony to 10 millennia of human settlements in this region’ by Unesco, which made it a World Heritage site in 2004, Kernavė is a…
Western European Russia
Set over 50 hectares, photography buffs will love this huge, gorgeously creepy graveyard, with hundreds of telegenic tombstones slowly being devoured by…
Lithuania
First built by Duke Kristupas Radvila in the late 16th century, Biržai Castle was largely restored in the 1980s, having been twice destroyed. Its huge,…
Sveti Stefan
The main point of coming to Sveti Stefan is to spend as much time horizontal as possible, with occasional breaks for a cooling dip. The water here gets…
Krk Island
This imposing 12th-century Romanesque structure was built on the site of Roman baths and an early Christian basilica. Inside, note the rare early…
Central Montenegro
King Nikola must have kept the country’s builders busy as there’s yet another of his palaces here (adding to those in Cetinje, Podgorica and Bar). Now…
Transylvania
Precipitous Turda Gorge (Cheile Turzii) lies 8km west of town (as the crow flies), and it makes a stunning, if leg-stiffening, half-day hike. The canyon…
St Petersburg
The new epicentre of creativity on the Fontanka River is this mazelike complex of shops, bars, cafes, beauty salons, tattoo parlours, galleries and even a…
Diocletian's Palace Substructure
Split
The Bronze Gate of Diocletian's Palace once opened straight from the water into the palace basements, enabling goods to be unloaded and stored here. Now…
Bosnia & Hercegovina
Jajce's impressive 21m-high waterfall forms where the Pliva River tumbles abruptly into the Vrbas. A viewing platform (adult/child 4/2KM) has been built…
Curtea de Argeş Cathedral & Monastery
Wallachia
This cathedral and monastery complex is considered one of the country's most important ecclesiastical sights. The church was originally built by…
Sveti Sofronii Vrachanski Ethnographical & Revival Complex
Bulgaria
This interesting museum complex consists of four National Revival–era buildings displaying traditional costumes, instruments, toys, domestic interiors and…
Latvia
Finely manicured and with great views of the waterfall, Kuldīga's park has multifaceted appeal. Moody castle ruins from the 13th century are watched over…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Pöide, 3km south of the main highway, was the Saaremaa headquarters of the German Knights of the Sword and this fortress-church, built in the 13th and…
Mali Lošinj
The largest branch of the three-headed Lošinj Museum (the others are in Osor and Veli Lošinj), this grand mansion houses a trio of distinct collections: a…
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