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Eastern Promise Backpacking in Eastern Europe For the backpacker in Europe, the East is undoubtedly where it’s at. A cornucopia of jaw-droppingly beautiful sights, bouncing nightlife at every turn, and some (still just about) favorable prices… What’s not to love? What’s more, for the budget traveler, things are on the up and up. The old youth hostels have changed significantly in recent years. These days, you’re far more likely to find yourself bedding down in a gorgeous old mansion decked out with all the very latest mod-cons than the draughty fleapit of yesteryear. Despite being in four different countries all of the below cities – Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Vienna and Budapest – are easily reachable by train if you get that European travel staple, a Eurrail pass.
	Starting off in Warsaw Where to stay: Bright and breezy Hostel Helvetia’s a good place to lay your bones down for the night. Then there’s always that giant of the Eastern European hostel scene: Nathan’s Villa... Where to drink: Although it’s a bit more spread out than the compact scene of Krakow, Warsaw nightlife ripples with all the excitement of a thriving city. There are plenty of bars (ranging from the achingly trendy to the more down-to-earth) at Trzech Krzyzy Square and on and around Foksal Street. What to see: Not quite as beautiful as its delectable cousin, Krakow, Warsaw’s nevertheless an intriguing place. Its Stare Miasto and Nowe Miasto are both full of impressive sights like St. John’s Cathedral and the striking Old Town Square. Where to wander: Top tip for the city is to explore the grittier urban landscape of Praga. Over on the other (eastern) side of the river, with its massive, sprawling market to the fore, it’s an appealingly authentic slice of the real Poland.
	Moving South to Krakow Where to stay: Krakow hostels are, quite frankly, up there with the very best in the world. Take your pick from any one of Goodbye Lenin Hostel, Nathan’s Villa or the sumptuous flashpacking hostels, Mama’s Hostel and Greg Tom Hostel. It’s a tough ‘un, alright. Where to drink: Over to the south of the city center, the Kazimierz District (around Plac Nowy) is a shoe-in for nightlife. Starting slowly with a louche, laidback, bohemian vibe it slowly, almost languorously, raises itself up for a wild ending.   What to see: A few sights stand out, from the fantastic Rynek Glowny (the biggest square in Europe), to the city walls that hold in the Old Town. But best of all, perhaps, is the imposing Wawel Castle, and the absolutely stunning cathedral it contains.   Where to wander: Wherever takes your fancy – the Old Town is universally eye-catching. That said, the Jewish Cemetery of Remuh is a particularly atmospheric place for a stroll.
	The Pull of Prague Where to stay: Like Krakow, Prague, for some strange reason, is just lifting with great budget places to stay: There’s the effortlessly chic, Miss Sophie’s, closely followed by the Czech Inn and Sir Toby’s Hostel, amongst a number of other great Prague hostels. Where to drink: Escape the drunken rutting of the stag parties and head out to Narodni and the Nowe Mesto (New Town). Down to the south of the center, a different scene altogether prevails over towards the river with chic little cafés mixing with great pubs serving superlative-splitting Czech beer. What to see: A slightly less well-known (and more gruesome) sight, about an hour’s drive from the city is the bone church of Kutna Hora. Visiting a place whose walls are lined with human bones is more one for the ‘dark tourist’, maybe… Where to wander: Prague ’s got some magnificent parks and green spaces. On a summer’s day, climb up to the top of Petrin Hill and watch the city glinting in the sun below, like something out of a fairy tale.
	On to Vienna Where to stay: Wombats City Hostel is a great choice of hostel in Vienna, while Meininger City Hostel & Hotel and Hostel Ruthensteiner aren’t exactly too shabby either! Where to drink: Up in the north, Nussdorfer Strasse and Josefstadter Strasse are home to much of the city’s alternative nightlife. But in all honesty, you can’t really beat kicking back in the ‘heurigen’ or wine bars (a Vienna specialty) that dot the Grinzig. What to see: In terms of sheer scale, the massive Hofburg Palace stands alone. The city’s Museum District is also unmissable. But for something a little different head out to the utterly weird and wonderful Hundertwasserhaus apartment block. Where to wander: To the west of the center, both the Rathaus Park and the (adjacent) Volksgarden are a great place to while away a balmy summer afternoon. A little to the north of the city, though, the Danube Island is a 21km space of woods, paths and places to lounge around drinking in the sun.
	And finally… Budapest Where to stay: Home Made Hostel and Central Backpack King are both right up there with the best hostels in Europe, while Madragora Hostel is beautifully decorated with an endearingly hippy vibe. Where to drink: The only way to party in a city as ancient as Budapest is in one of its decaying mansions. ‘Kerts’ may be a bit hard to find, but once you’re through the door, a wonderfully atmospheric (and generally jumping) night’s in store. What to see: Budapest is littered with big-name monuments. Really, though, when it comes to sights, you can’t beat hot steam rising off a thermal bath. The city has some amazing bathhouses from seriously lavish, palatial affairs (like the Szechenyi and Gellert), to more humble – and cheaper – places, it’s the quintessential Budapest experience. Where to wander: In a city as beautiful as Budapest, it might seem a bit perverse to want to head underground… But creeping hesitantly through the eerie warren of tunnels under the castle is an absolutely essential experience. On the evening tour, they even shut down the lights and let you wander through the gloom with a lantern!

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