Depending on the time of year, completely different trips can be put together for Eastern Europe, East-Central Europe, South-East Europe and North-East Europe. Depending on the weather and temperature, very different destinations in Eastern Europe are recommended. Here are a few inspirations as to which places are particularly suitable for which season.
Eastern Europe destinations in summer
In summer, it is generally advisable to stay as close as possible to the sea or lakes. Personally, I think the Baltic Sea is wonderful for swimming. It is somewhat cooler than the other seas in southern Europe. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all have beautiful beaches. A special highlight there are the Midsommar festivals, which take place around June 22 to 25.
And also the German Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with the islands of Rügen and Poel are definitely an invitation to swim and relax.
Incidentally, a trip to the Aukstatija National Park with its many lakes and very clear water is particularly worthwhile in Lithuania. The situation is similar in Latvia and Estonia.
A visit to the Black Sea is also worthwhile. I would love to recommend the Black Sea coast in Ukraine, but due to the Russian war of aggression this is of course not possible or only with difficulty. But the Black Sea is beautiful everywhere. The beaches on the Black Sea in Romania are also great. Or you can discover the somewhat wilder beaches in the Dobruja in the north of Bulgaria.
It is naturally very hot in the Balkans in high summer, which is why it is best to stay near the coast. The Croatian coast with its many islands and Montenegro are certainly overcrowded, but in our opinion they are still worthwhile. Albania, on the other hand, was long considered an insider tip, but even there the last hidden bays are now being developed. So if that’s the case, go there now and discover one or two hidden treasures!
Eastern Europe destinations in spring
Spring is a particularly good time for me to go on city trips. So you can use spring in Eastern Europe to discover the most beautiful cities in Eastern Europe. For this I can recommend: Krakow and Gdansk in Poland, Prague or the beautiful Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, Vilnius in Lithuania, Riga in Latvia, Tallinn in Estonia and Budapest in Hungary.
Again, it is a pity that Ukraine is currently not safe to travel to, because Kyiv simply has so many facets. In the Ukraine, however, you should also go to Lviv and Odesa!
Romania now offers Maramures is now available. In Croatia the Plitvice Lakes National Park or the medieval city of Dubrovnik, which is unfortunately completely overcrowded in summer, are well worth a visit. Sarajevo or Mostar in Bosnia , Ljubljana or Belgrade are well worth a visit.
Eastern Europe destinations in fall
I think fall is particularly great for the nature parks and forests. When the leaves change color, the national parks look even better. Particularly great: the Bialowieza National Park in eastern Poland, where you can see real bison. It is considered the last true primeval forest in Europe.
There are also beautiful national parks in Lithuania and Latvia. The Slovak Paradise National Park is particularly picturesque at this time of year, as is Bohemian Switzerland and Saxon Switzerland.
I also think autumn is the perfect time for Transylvania, to walk in the light mist in the footsteps of Dracula in Transylvania and discover the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons. The Carpathian Mountains are also a wonderful place to hike or take a trip over the Transfagarasan and there are all sorts of curious sights to discover in Maramures.
Eastern Europe destinations in winter
In winter, of course, it’s mainly for skiing or other winter activities. The Krkonoše Mountains in the Czech Republic in particular offer a cheap alternative to the Alpine countries for skiing. It’s also not far away. Ski passes are much cheaper there than in Austria or Switzerland. You can also ski in the High Tatras or in the Caucasus in Georgia. After the war, Ukraine will probably also become an insider tip for skiing, as there are great slopes in the Carpathian Mountains, which almost always have snow in winter.
If you prefer to warm up, you can escape to one of the thermal baths in Budapest or in Lithuania or Estonia go to a sauna.
There are beautiful Christmas markets in Tallinn , in Dresden of course, but also in Wroclaw . The gingerbread in Torun in Poland is also delicious!
If you can’t get enough of Christmas, you can travel to an Orthodox country. Orthodox Christmas is celebrated there at the beginning of January, as Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar and therefore only celebrate the birth of Christ on January 7. In the Ukraine for example, Christmas has just been moved to December.
There is something to discover in Eastern Europe in every season
So there is something to discover in every region we write about at Wild East. We hope this article has given you a few ideas. For more articles and even more ideas, please click on our country pages, where we present even more. Have fun!