Uncover the allure of central Europe
Take a culture-packed romp through Austria, Slovakia and Poland, with cooking, hiking and a nod to the communist past
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Trip Highlights
Viennese cuisine
Whip up apfelstrudel, wienerschnitzel and more in a hands-on cooking class with a local chef
Hiking hit
Hike the beautiful Low Tatras Mountains, keeping a look-out for wild brown bears
Al fresco bathing
Wallow in the world-famous Bešeňová springs, known for their healing qualities
Retro wheels
Drive through Kraków’s Nowa Huta district in an iconic Eastern Bloc Trabant
Beers and a bunker lunch
Knock back ale in a Bratislava beer tasting and tuck into a communist-style lunch in a Polish nuclear bunker
Moving history
Step back in time and feel the legacy of the Holocaust at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
What's included
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7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners and a Viennese cooking class
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7 nights’ accommodation in twin room hotels
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All activities, from beer tasting to hiking, included. Local Flash Pack guide and driver
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Max 14 Flashpackers
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Private airport transfers anytime on Day 1, country travel in private minibus
About the trip
We’ve plenty of idyllic beach escapes but this adventure to Central Europe isn’t one of them.
Taking in Austria, Slovakia and Poland, this eight-day romp is for those keen to uncover the allure of old-world Europe before heading to the peaks of a snow-capped mountain range. Kicking off in Vienna, we’ll marvel at the grandeur of baroque buildings, fill our camera roll exploring the heart of the city on foot, and dive into a masterclass in Viennese cuisine.
We’ll bus it to Bratislava for a taste of craft beer. We’ll mosey on over to Bešeňová and bathe in its hot springs, then hike the Low Tatras Mountains. Then it’s onto Kraków, paying respects en-route at the moving Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Get up close with the City of Polish Kings, drive through Kraków’s Nowa Huta district in an Eastern Bloc Trabant, and tuck into lunch in a nuclear bunker.
Grab your suitcase, the adventure is just beginning…
Where you will stay
Rubinstein Hotel, Krakow
Converted 15th-century townhouse in Old Kraków
The sights of Kazimierz, Kraków’s Old Jewish Quarter, are on your doorstep at this beautifully restored townhouse with original timber ceilings.
Why we stay here
The Rubinstein comes with a library, jacuzzi and restaurant serving hearty Polish cuisine – plus, there are bicycles to hire here. But the real highlight is its roof terrace Sky Bar, with panoramic views of Wawel Castle.
Hotel Devin, Bratislava
Traditional and centrally located hotel overlooking the Danube
Soak in evocative views of Old Bratislava from this plush hotel with a French restaurant and heated indoor pool.
Why we stay here
We love the character of this elegant hotel: the à la carte restaurant is an ode to old-school opulence. Meanwhile, the spa, with a Finnish sauna and steam room, is a lovely place to hang out in after exploring Slovakia’s capital.
The Flash Pack Promise
Here at Flash Pack, we’re committed to unique adventures that deliver great value for money. We pack our trips with epic experiences (unlike other companies, all activities are included), hand-pick stylish hotels and match you with like-minded people.
Itinerary
Day 1
Touch down in Vienna
After gliding over the magnificent snow-caps of the craggy Alps and, if you’re lucky, getting a bird’s eye view of the ornate City of Music, touch down at Vienna International Airport. A rich metropolis bursting with architectural grandeur, steeped in centuries of artistic excellence and home to famously delicious cuisine, there’s no better place to start exploring Central Europe than Austria’s capital city. Whatever time you land there’ll be a private transfer to collect you from the airport and whisk you through the city to your four-star hotel in a quiet corner of the Floridsdorf district. Relax and unwind; if you’re early, take a stroll to the banks of the Danube river and a get first look at Vienna’s awe-inspiring streetscapes. Then join your fellow Flashpackers for a refreshingly cold welcome beer or three. Get to know your group over a first Viennese dinner, and prepare for an epic European adventure.
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Day 2
Vienna walkabout and a cooking class
Wake up in Vienna and tuck into breakfast at your hotel. You’ll be putting your walking shoes to good use today, so fuel up, then head out to explore on foot. From the spectacular Hofburg Palace to Rathaus city hall and Schloss Belvedere, the architecture alone in this city is enough to provide ample Instagram fodder. Imposing neo-gothic towers, flourishing Art Nouveau buildings and opulent baroque decor adorn almost every corner. Lunch is yours to explore — how about visiting a würstelstand; street food stalls selling hot, tasty sausage? After lunch, we’ll meet the city’s world-famous majestic stallions at the Spanish Riding School, before getting to grips with Vienna’s signature dishes, apfelstrudel and wienerschnitzel, at a hands-on cooking class with a local chef. Later, see what the City of Music really has to offer by hitting the opera, or relax at the hotel and make a beeline for the sauna to ease those walk-weary muscles.
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Day 3
Ahoj Bratislava
Today we’ll have an early start, saying auf wiedersehen to Austria and driving a scenic hour and a half to Slovakia’s capital Bratislava. After check in at our central hotel, it’s time to have a wander the red-roofed Old Town. We’ll take in St. Michael’s Gate, Main Square and Old Town Hall, and marvel at the spectacular view over the Danube from Bratislava Castle. Lunch is yours to get a taste of Slovak cuisine (we’d recommend bryndzové halušky, the national dish of gnocchi-like dumplings topped with sheep cheese and a sprinkling of bacon). After lunch, we’ll head back to the hotel where you can grab a recharge before we head out for a beer tasting experience at a local brewery. The rest of the evening is yours to explore the city’s nightlife with your fellow Flashpackers– the boisterous beer halls are a must to toast your adventure so far.
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Day 4
Hot springs in Bešeňová
Pack your bags, today we’re heading north-east to Bešeňová, a Slovak village famous for its natural hot springs. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then jump aboard the Flash Pack bus mid-morning. After a three-and-a-half hour drive, we’ll check in at our holistic spa hotel in the heart of the Liptov region. Make a beeline for the hotel’s sauna, soak up the goodness of the region’s hot springs in the hotel’s private thermal pool, or book yourself in for a massage. Hop over to Bešeňová water park where you can lounge in the outdoor geothermal pools – the water naturally heats up underground to around 60.5°C, meaning you can bathe nearly all year-round – or embrace whizz along the park’s many water slides. Later, join your Flashpackers for a dinner and another chance to sample more Slovak cuisine, this time with a healthy and holistic twist, at the hotel’s restaurant.
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Day 5
Hiking the Low Tatras Mountains
Today we head to Low Tatras National Park, sandwiched between the valleys of the Vah and Hron rivers. The picturesque Low Tatras are home to dense green forests, caves, waterfalls and incredible views across the neighbouring High Tatras. If you’re visiting in October, we’ll do an hour’s hike to spot wild brown bears – since there are more than 150 in the area, the odds play in your favour. Between November and February brown bears tend to burrow deep into forest dens to hibernate, leaving us to don snowshoes and hike across the famous Dumbier and Chopok peaks. Whenever you visit, our six-hour hike through the craggy landscape will put you through your paces and throw up breathtaking vistas. We’ll then head back to the hotel, to chill in the sauna and pools. The evening is yours to share dinner at the restaurant and get a well-deserved early night.
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Day 6
Arrive in Kraków
Flashpackers, it’s time to say farewell to Bešeňová: today we drive 170 kilometres across the border to Kraków, Poland. The entire drive will take three hours, but we’ll stop en-route in Oswiecimia, to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. A sombre yet vital historic landmark, the memorial is made up of two parts, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, which together formed the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps during World War II. A chance to learn and reflect upon the tragedy and horrors that occurred during the genocide, we’ll visit the 13 remaining prison blocks that now serve as the museum and memorial. Afterwards, we’ll continue our journey towards Kraków. After checking in at your hotel, take a wander around your new city home. It’s bursting with diverse restaurants and plenty of nightlife, so feel free to venture into the heart of the capital and load up on hearty Polish grub. Goulash soup, anyone?
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Day 7
Nowa Huta and Kraków Old Town
Flashpackers, it’s your penultimate day in Central Europe, and we’ll mark the occasion with a lively walkabout around Kraków. We’ll start in the Old Town, a medieval area of Poland’s second largest city and a UNESCO world heritage site, before hitting the bustle of Rynek Główny, Europe’s biggest market square. We’ll then stand in awe by the imposing baroque towers of St Mary’s Basilica and drink in the magnificence of Wawel Castle. After a ramble around the legend-steeped cobbled streets, we’ll take a step-change to Nowa Huta, a district built on Soviet ideals after World War II, originally intended to be a model communist city. We’ll embrace the atmosphere by huddling into a nuclear bunker for a communist-style cold buffet lunch washed down with vodka. Then we’ll take a drive through the town’s labyrinth streets in an old-school Eastern Bloc Trabant. Later, we’ll head out for a final group dinner at one of the Old Town’s many quaint restaurants, where we’ll feast on tasty Polski cuisine and raise a glass to an epic trip around Central Europe.
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Day 8
Do Widzenia Polska
Fellow Flashpackers, it’s time to say do widzenia to Poland and auf wiedersehen to Central Europe. It’s been one euphoric getaway and wherever you head to next, you’ll carry memories for a lifetime. You’ve marvelled at the striking grandeur of Vienna and caught an opera in the City of Music, mastered apfelstrudel and wienerschnitzel under the eye of an Austrian chef, and sampled the best honey wine and beer in all of Bratislava. You’ve gazed upon the splendour of Slovak castles, bathed in the famous thermal waters of Bešeňová, and hiked your way to the peaks of the Low Tatras mountains. You’ve confronted the horrors of Auschwitz and paid respects to its prisoners, before uncovering the last traces of Soviet communism in Nowa Huta, and exploring the magic of cultural Kraków. All this, and you’ve made a whole crew of new Flashpacker friends for life. In our book, that’s an adventure well played.
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On the map
Important notes
- Fly into Vienna International Airport and out of Krakow International Airport.
- Try to arrive before 6pm if you can on Day 1, in order to leave time for dinner, but we can pick you up anytime.
- Please be aware that the itinerary, activities and hotels are subject to change. These changes can happen with little notice due to availability, poor weather, seasonal changes, or other circumstances beyond our control. From time to time we may also make changes to your itinerary to try out new ideas and keep things fresh.
- We take safety very seriously on Flash Pack adventures, click here to learn more.
