Ok....this can also feature in the series of Offbeat destinations since desis are most likely to give it a miss. But for those who would want to take the road less travelled, they should look out for the eastern bloc which comprises of Czech Republic, Slovakia, Macednonia and members of erstwhile Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia)
Prague is perhaps the most famous name of this region however there are many other less explored gems as well. For budget travellers, this region is a boon as it is dirt cheap compared to other parts of Europe. To begin with, Prague is famous for its home-made beers and has some beautiful architecture. There are some restaurants that serve very exotic delicacies and at really attractive prices. One restaurant that i would recommend has a virtual railway network that connects each table to the kitchen and each order is served on a wagon that plies on this rail network. You can also check out the country side of Czech Republic which is spell-binding. For adventure-lovers, you can do paragliding, bungee jumping, sky-diving, etc at unbelievable costs.
Moving to south, there is this small country called Slovenia which borders the north-east of Italy. It has some lovely mountains and country-side. While its capital Ljubljana is just like any other European city, though a bit on sleepy side, hill-side towns like Bled are worth a visit. There are many adventure companies that can organize various activities like rafting in Soca river, canyoning, skiing (in winter and spring), etc. There is this ski resort which is partly in Slovenia and partly in Italy.
Another gem is Croatia which till recently was out of Schengen Area and its visa had to be applied separately. However, now it is covered under Schengen Agreement which has made travelling in this region very convenient. Mind you, unlike its neighbours, Slovenia has Euro as its currency and is therefore pricier than them. You can hear lot of war-time anecdotes from the tour-guides in this region which was under Communist rule for a very long time. Croatia, too, is a great place for adventurous activities with a diverse topography. This region is inhabited by predominantly "Slav" people and each country has a separate language. But if you are regular traveller then this should not be an impediment as India itself has a wide linguistic spectrum.
You can 'look east' for a change.
Prague is perhaps the most famous name of this region however there are many other less explored gems as well. For budget travellers, this region is a boon as it is dirt cheap compared to other parts of Europe. To begin with, Prague is famous for its home-made beers and has some beautiful architecture. There are some restaurants that serve very exotic delicacies and at really attractive prices. One restaurant that i would recommend has a virtual railway network that connects each table to the kitchen and each order is served on a wagon that plies on this rail network. You can also check out the country side of Czech Republic which is spell-binding. For adventure-lovers, you can do paragliding, bungee jumping, sky-diving, etc at unbelievable costs.
Moving to south, there is this small country called Slovenia which borders the north-east of Italy. It has some lovely mountains and country-side. While its capital Ljubljana is just like any other European city, though a bit on sleepy side, hill-side towns like Bled are worth a visit. There are many adventure companies that can organize various activities like rafting in Soca river, canyoning, skiing (in winter and spring), etc. There is this ski resort which is partly in Slovenia and partly in Italy.
Another gem is Croatia which till recently was out of Schengen Area and its visa had to be applied separately. However, now it is covered under Schengen Agreement which has made travelling in this region very convenient. Mind you, unlike its neighbours, Slovenia has Euro as its currency and is therefore pricier than them. You can hear lot of war-time anecdotes from the tour-guides in this region which was under Communist rule for a very long time. Croatia, too, is a great place for adventurous activities with a diverse topography. This region is inhabited by predominantly "Slav" people and each country has a separate language. But if you are regular traveller then this should not be an impediment as India itself has a wide linguistic spectrum.
You can 'look east' for a change.
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