Various routes and options connect Moscow with Russia’s far east and beyond. The most luxurious option by far is the recently introduced Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, a private train offering 13- to 15-day tours between Moscow and either Vladivostok or Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, including stops and excursions en route. The less upscale but eminently comfortable Tsar’s Gold train travels from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia.
Accessible from any of the three routes, Lake Baikal is one of the most interesting off-rail excursions. Disembark at Irkutsk, once called the “Paris of Siberia,” just 30 miles from Baikal—the world’s oldest freshwater lake and also its deepest, plunging a mile below the surface in parts and containing as much water as all of North America’s five Great Lakes combined. Ringed by rocky, tree-covered shores, with mountains rising in the distance, the crystal-clear blue Baikal and its environs are home to an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna. Some 1,800 species—many found nowhere else—have earned the lake the moniker “Galápagos of Russia.” Siberian brown bears, moose, elk, sables, and deer roam the forests, while the Baikal seal flourishes in the lake. The area is also home to Buryat tribes, who live along the eastern shore, raising sheep, goats, and camels. Some tours include a night or more aboard lake cruisers, exploring pristine islands, bays, and rivers, while others strike off on one-or multiday hiking tours.
Other stops include Kazan, the Tatar capital, on the Volga River (see p. 321); Yekaterinburg (see previous page); and the charming university town of Tomsk—one of Siberia’s highlights thanks to its lovely wooden mansions and vibrant arts scene.
WHERE: departures eastbound from Moscow and St. Petersburg; westbound from Vladivostok or from Beijing or Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. HOW: Both GW Travel Limited in the U.K. (tel 44/161-928-9410; www.gwtravel.co.uk) and MIR Corporation in the U.S. (tel 800-424-7289 or 206-624-7389; www.mircorp.com) offer guided 15-day trips on the Golden Eagle. Cost: from $12,795, all-inclusive (land only). Real Russia sells tickets for basic trans-Siberian train service. In Moscow, tel 7/495-616-8086; in London, tel 44/207-100-7370; www.realrussia.co.uk. Cost: Moscow to Beijing from $1,175. BEST TIME: late May–mid-Sep for nicest weather.
Central Europe’s Unsung Capital City
BRATISLAVA’S OLD TOWN
Bratislava, Slovakia
The mighty Danube flows through more national capitals—Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, and Bratislava—than any other river. Of these four modern cities, Bratislava is the most intimate. Since the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993’s “Velvet Divorce,” the capital of Slovakia is quietly becoming an essential central European detour just a 4-hour train journey from glamorous and more visited Prague (see p. 290). From Vienna, boat travel to Bratislava takes just 75 minutes along the Danube.
The area encompassing Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský Hrad), the labyrinthine Old Town (Starý Mesto), and the banks of the Danube makes up the center of one of Europe’s most relaxed and easygoing capital cities.
Sip a coffee and people-watch in Kaffee Mayer, established in 1873 and still famous for its luscious cakes and sweets. For a traditional dinner, Old Town’s Prašná Bastá restaurant serves Slovak specialties, including venison ragout with mushrooms and homemade dumplings. A few winding lanes nearer the slow-moving Danube, Marrol’s Hotel channels the retro elegance of the 1920s and 1930s in a 21st-century luxury accommodation.
The Blue Church is the city’s architectural gem, blue on the outside and richly decorated within. While other capitals dazzle with buildings of scale, gravity, and might, Bratislava surprises with more compact, playful, and personal structures. The 1911 Church of St. Elizabeth is a pristine Art Nouveau confection of sparkling blue inside as well.
Bratislava Castle stands on a rocky outcrop and was used as a fortress during Celtic and Roman times. From atop the castle, distinctively shaped like a four-poster bed, look out along the meandering Danube toward Austria to the southwest and Hungary to the south. Crouched in the castle’s lower ramparts is the Museum of Jewish Culture, one of a handful of small but excellent museums in the city.
VISITOR INFO: www.visit.bratislava.sk. KAFFEE MAYER: Tel 421/254-41-1741; www.kaffeemayer.sk. PRAŠNÁ BASTÁ: Tel 421/254434-957; www.prasnabasta.sk. Cost: dinner $30. MARROL’S HOTEL: Tel 421/257-784600; www.hotelmarrols.sk. Cost: from $165. MUSEUM OF JEWISH CULTURE: Tel 421/220490-101; www.snm.sk. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for the nicest weather; Jun–Sep for Cultural Summer Festival; Oct for Bratislava Music Festival; Dec for Christmas markets.
A Lake and Fairy-Tale Castle
BLED AND THE JULIAN ALPS
Gorenjska Province, Slovenia
For such a diminutive country (barely the size of New Jersey), Slovenia boasts incredible natural diversity. The old spa town of Bled is the attention-getter. To enjoy the emerald-green glacial lake surrounded by the snow-dusted Julian Alps, jump aboard a gondola-like pletna for a visit to the tiny island at its center, and ring the 16th-century “wishing bell” in the church belfry. Or climb to the 11th-century cliffside Bled Castle for a visit to its museum followed by lunch at the silver-service Bled Castle Restaurant, with million-dollar views topped off by Bled’s culinary specialty, the kremma rezina (cream cake).
Hotel Vila Bled, once a residence of Yugoslav President Tito and surrounded by 12 acres of lakeside parkland, has 1950s décor and one of the best restaurants in town. Directly on the lake, the Grand Hotel Toplice is charmingly mid-19th century, while the newly restored Hotel Triglav Bled first opened in 1906 and has long been favored for its delightful terrace restaurant and its perchlike location slightly removed from town.
If you climb to the top of 9,396-foot Mt. Triglav, the country’s highest peak, by tradition you will become an honorary Slovene. For a closer look at the Julian Alps without getting your boots dirty, take the scenic 25-mile drive northwest to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia’s top ski-resort town and the gateway to Triglav National Park. A winding road leads through the park, up into the Alps, over the awesome 5,285-foot Vršič Pass, and down to sunny Primorska Province in 1 hair-raising hour.
Follow the cobalt-blue Soča River through unspoiled countryside to Kobarid, a pretty market town, with a small but fine World War I museum. This is also where you’ll find one of the greatest concentrations of fine dining establishments in provincial Slovenia. One of the best is Topli Val, a superb seafood restaurant in the stylish Hotel Hvala. The family-owned Hiša Franko is a Slow-Food phenomenon in a converted farmhouse with delightful themed guest rooms. From here it’s just a 10-minute drive southeast to Paradise. That’s the translation of “Nebesa,” an exquisite enclave of modern Alpine chalets in Livek, 2,952 feet up in the mountains; you’ll understand the reason for its name upon arrival.
A small white church stands on Bled Island, in the middle of the lake of the same name.
WHERE: 55 miles/89 km northwest of Ljubljana. VISITOR INFO: www.bled.si. BLED CASTLE RESTAURANT: Tel 386/4-579-4424; www.blejski-grad.si. Cost: dinner $40. HOTEL VILA BLED: Tel 386/4-575-3710; www.vila-bled.com. Cost: from $300 (off-peak), from $330 (peak); dinner $80. GRAND HOTEL TOPLICE: Tel 386/4-579-1000; www.hotel-toplice.com. Cost: from $230 (off-peak), from $315 (peak). HOTEL TRIGLAV BLED: Tel 386/4-575-2610; www.hoteltriglavbled.si. Cost: from $140 (off-peak), from $215 (peak); dinner $40. HOTEL HVALA AND TOPLI VAL: Tel 386/5-389-9300; www.hotelhvala.si. Cost: from $145; dinner $45. HIŠA FRANKO: Tel 386/5-389-4120; www.hisafranko.com. Cost: from $105 (off-peak), from $180 (peak); dinner $65. NEBESA: Tel 386/5-384-4620; www.nebesa.si. Cost: from $320. BEST TIMES: Apr–Oct for nicest weather; late Jul for Bled Days, a multimedia festival; Aug for Okarina Etno Festival of folk and world music.
Medieval Core Overlooked by a Hilltop Fortress
LJUBLJANA’S OLD TOWN AND CASTLE
Ljubljana, Slovenia
The old quarter of Ljubljana, Slovenia’s small capital, is a treasure trove of varied architecture. Medieval and Baroque stand companionably side by side, while the early 20th century is represented by the unique and eclectic design
of local architect Jože Plečnik.
Begin a walking tour of Staro Mesto (Old Town) in the colorful Central Market area at the foot of the early 18th-century cathedral. Head south, taking in delightful courtyards and passageways, old doorways, and centuries-old churches. The half dozen or so bridges, most of them for pedestrians, over the Ljubljanica River, include the landmark Dragon Bridge, Ple čnik’s unique Triple Bridge, and the new Butchers’ Bridge, with sculptures by Jakov Brdar and minute padlocks left behind by lovers, symbolic of the longevity of their devotion.
Standing guard over Old Town from atop a wooded hill is Ljubljana Castle, one of five open to the public. Its architecture mirrors the city’s history, with a medieval chapel, fortified walls dating from the early 16th century, and some uninspired buildings from the socialist 1970s. Museums within the castle will guide you through the history of the city and the nation, and an inviting terrace café serves regional specialties such as jelenov golaž (venison goulash). For dazzling views, ascend to the castle via the glass-bubble funicular.
At the Grand Hotel Union, make sure you stay in the Art Nouveau “executive” wing dating to 1905—its public areas are glorious. One of the new boutique hotels in the heart of Old Town is the family-run Antiq Hotel, cobbled together from a series of 18th-century town houses. Just across the road, the Allegro Hotel has a charming courtyard and a cozy, parlorlike lobby.
Cross the Ljubljanica to find the Antiq Palace, a suites-only hotel surrounding two courtyards of a 16th-century palace. Nearby is the city’s finest restaurant, Pri Vitezu. For more relaxed dining and a taste of the best local dishes and wines, head back into Old Town for Špajza, a beautifully decorated romantic warren with rough-hewn tables and chairs and an outdoor courtyard. Slovenia is justifiably proud of its thousand-year-old wine history, and here you can choose from a dozen different producers in Goriška Brda, Slovenia’s premier area for full-bodied reds.
VISITOR INFO: www.visitljubljana.si. GRAND HOTEL UNION: Tel 386/1-308-1270; www.gh-union.si. Cost: from $345. ANTIQ HOTEL: Tel 386/1-421-3560; www.antiqhotel.si. Cost:$110. ALLEGRO HOTEL: Tel 386/59-119-620; www.allegrohotel.si. Cost: from $150. ANTIQ PALACE: Tel 386/8-3896700; www.antiqpalace.com. Cost: from $345. PRI VITEZU: Tel 386/1-426-6058; www.privitezu.si. Cost: dinner $40. ŠPAJZA: Tel 386/1-425-3094; www.spajza-restaurant.si. Cost: dinner $40. BEST TIMES: May–Sep for nicest weather; May for Druga Godba festival of alternative music; Jul–Aug for the Ljubljana Festival, the nation’s premier cultural event.
Land of Underground Caverns and Snow-White Horses
THE CAVES OF THE KARST PLATEAU
Notranjska and Primorska provinces, Slovenia
Slovenia’s Karst region, with the Alps hovering above and the Adriatic at its feet, is commonly associated with pršut (air-dried ham like Italian prosciutto) and the ruby-red Kraski Teran wine. But visitors are more inclined to head underground: Some of the world’s largest and most astonishing caves have been sculpted by underground rivers cutting through the porous limestone to create massive caverns like the ones at Postojna and the village of Škocjan.
At 67,487 feet long and 377 feet deep, the Postojna is Europe’s most expansive cave. Thirty million visitors have marveled at its weird and wonderful stalactite and stalagmite formations. A 90-minute guided tour, most of it via miniature electric open-topped train, takes you through a wonderland of what looks like frozen spaghetti, drapes, cauliflower, and sand castles. The best accommodation in the area is at the landmark Hotel Kras, a modern 27-room hotel in the center of Postojna town. Ten minutes northwest of town is Predjama Castle, built in the mouth of a cavern with what must be among the most dramatic fortress settings anywhere. It was the stronghold of Erazem Lueger, a 15th-century robber baron who, like Robin Hood, waylaid wagons in the deep forest and handed the goods over to the poor.
The Škocjan caves are smaller—a mere 1,903 feet long—but possibly even more captivating, a page right out of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. There are plenty of otherworldly formations, but the attraction is the sheer depth of the underground chasm, crossed by a dizzying footbridge 148 feet above the Reka River that flows through the caves. A welcome addition to the rather limited list of places to stay in the vicinity is the new and very comfortable Hotel Malovec in nearby Divača, just minutes from the Italian border. Nearby is the small town of Lipica, where the Habsburgs founded a stud farm in the 16th century to breed graceful Lipizzaner horses for the acclaimed Spanish Riding School in Vienna (see p. 85). The snow-white beauties are still raised at the farm here, which offers tours, lessons, and carriage rides.
A footbridge leads over the deep chasm in the Škocjan caves.
WHERE: 34 miles/54 km southwest of Ljubljana. POSTOJNA CAVE: Tel 386/5-7000100; www.postojnska-jama.si. HOTEL KRAS: Tel 386/5-700-2300; www.hotel-kras.si. Cost: from $120 (off-peak), $145 (peak). ŠKOCJAN CAVES: Tel 386/5-708-2110; www.park-skocjanske-jame.si. HOTEL MALOVEC: Tel 386/5-7633333; www.hotel-malovec.si. Cost: from $110. LIPICA STUD FARM: Tel 386/5-739-1580; www.lipica.org. BEST TIMES: May–Sep for nicest weather; Dec for Christmas concerts and the Live Christmas Crib, a reenactment of the Nativity.
A Timeless Byzantine Wonder
KIEV CAVES MONASTERY
Kiev, Ukraine
In 988, Vladimir the Great, grand prince of the fledgling Kievan Rus state, married a Byzantine princess and converted his subjects to Christianity, laying the foundation of a unified Russia. Over the next 2 centuries, Kievan Rus would take over much of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, and European Russia. Its capital, Kiev, emerged as a grand center of Eastern Orthodoxy on the banks of the Dnieper River, and scores of Byzantine cathedrals and monasteries sprang up in and around it. Many of the grandest occupied a long, leafy hill along the Dnieper’s right bank. One can only imagine the awe with which first-time visitors, usually arriving by boat, regarded the display of onion domes stacked dramatically up the hillside.
Kiev’s first great church was St. Sophia’s Cathedral (Sofiyski Sobor in Ukrainian), modeled after the Hagia Sofia in Constantinople (see p. 578); it is still standing, its original 11th-century frescoes intact. But the city’s most splendid attraction is Kievo-Pechers’ka Lavra, the Kiev Caves Monastery. It was founded in 1051 by St. Anthony, an influential Greek intellectual, who tunneled out an elaborate network of caves beneath the monastery buildings to serve as study and meditation rooms for reclusive monks. When the monks died, their bodies were left in place and naturally mummified in the cool, dry atmosphere. Today the monastery, which remains Ukraine’s most important religious center, occupies 70 acres of majestic real estate overlooking the Dnieper. Tourists and pilgrims come to visit the caves carrying candles as they walk quietly amid the narrow, eerie crypts, where the monks’ desiccated hands and feet protrude from their robes.
Above ground, the sprawling Lavra complex is a feast for the eyes. A great Baroque bell tower, soaring more than 300 feet and topped by a radiant gold cupola, dominates the skyline, providing those who climb its interior stairs with a bird’s-eye view of the monastery’s churches, towers, and dormitories. The centerpiece, the Dormition Cathedral, was Kiev’s second great church (after St. Sophia), built in the 11th century and last reconstructed in the early 2000s (after being destroyed in the Soviet era). One of the Lavra’s many museums is the Historical Treasures Museum, with a trove of ancient Scythian gold jewelry among its vast hoard of precious gemstones and antiques. Another is the quirky Museum of Microminiatures, where visitors look through microscopes to view tiny artistic creations, including a chess set on the head of a pin and a flea fitted with golden shoes.
VISITOR INFO: www.lavra.ua. WHERE TO STAY: The Hyatt Regency is the city’s most luxurious choice, with views of St. Sophia. Tel 380/44-581-1234; www.kiev.regency.hyatt.com. Cost:$375. BEST TIMES: Apr–May and Sep–Oct for pleasant weather; Jan 18–19 for Epiphany, when the Orthodox faithful honor Vladimir’s mass baptism of Kiev by jumping into the freezing Dnieper.
Ukrainian Beauty Finally Flourishing<
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THE HISTORIC CENTER OF LVIV
Lviv, Ukraine
When you stand on Castle Hill and take in the sweeping view of the historic city center, you will understand why the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv was once known as the Florence of the East. A sea of green, silver, and copper spires greets the eye, representing different architectural styles and topped by crosses denoting the city’s main Roman Catholic and Orthodox religions.
Lviv bounced between Polish and Austrian rule for centuries, was terrorized by the Nazis in World War II, and then fell under Soviet rule. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the city seamlessly settled into the role of newly independent Ukraine’s cultural and spiritual center, an unabashedly patriotic, Ukrainian-speaking, Western-leaning antidote to the country’s Russophile East.
Compared to Kiev (see previous page), Lviv suffered limited World War II damage, yet years of Soviet neglect had left it a crumbling and faded beauty when independence arrived. It took more than a decade to spruce it up and resuscitate its spirit. Today the Florence of the East (also dubbed the New Prague) has recaptured its grandeur, yet remains one of Europe’s least visited major cities, a delightfully uncrowded, culture-packed destination.
The Old Town revolves around Ploshcha Rynok (Market Square), a cobbled plaza surrounding a 19th-century town hall. The square is fringed by a solid row of splendid 16th-century town houses festooned with decorative renditions of everything from gargoyles to patron saints to the likenesses of former merchant owners. Shoulder-to-shoulder buildings in Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles make the city an architectural treasure. Get a panoramic view from the town hall’s 210-foot tower, or enjoy it all from a café over a cold Livske beer.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 54