About us
Why we do what we do.
“Eastern Europe is still a blank slate for many people today.”
Peter, Markus and the Wild Easterners
Welcome to the Wild East!
What was once almost inaccessible behind the Iron Curtain is now well connected to the West. More and more low-cost airlines offer direct flights to cities such as Vilnius, Warsaw, Budapest, Kyiv and Belgrade. Eastern Europe has long since gone from a destination for stag parties and backpackers to a trendy destination for cultural travellers and gourmets.
In the countries between Estonia and Albania, travellers often find traditional culture right next to the latest trends. Rich and poor often live next door to each other. These contrasts, along with the rich and diverse culture and history of these countries, are the reason we created Wild East, an Eastern Europe travel blog – to show you the most beautiful sides of the East.
Why Wild East?
Of course, we want to play on prejudices with the name. Because for many people, Eastern Europe is still wild. Considering that more than 30 years after reunification, more than half of all West Germans have never been to the so-called new federal states, we thought the name was fitting.
But there is also some truth to it. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the state was weak in many countries, and the region was plagued by unemployment, crisis and corruption. The EU’s eastward expansion changed this rapidly in many countries – Krakow, Vilnius, Prague and Zagreb are in no way inferior to cities in the West.
But the East is also wild because there are still many untouched natural landscapes here that are rarely found in Western Europe. This is another focus of this blog: experiencing traditional and authentic life.
Budhte sdaroviy! Stay healthy!
Who is behind Wild East
Peter Althaus
I love Eastern Europe. I founded the travel blog Rooksack in 2011, but my real love has always been Eastern Europe. Here I write together with my co-authors about my favourite region.
Markus Bingel
I lost my heart to Eastern Europe years ago and studied and worked in Poland, Ukraine and Russia for a long time. As a travel book author, I am drawn to the countries of the “Wild East” several times a year.
Want to write for Wild East?
We are always happy to welcome guest authors with a heart for Eastern Europe.
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