Roadtrip: Central Europe

Fantastic routes combined with the most interesting cities in Central Europe.

This wonderful journey through Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary takes you through the Harz Mountains, the Giant Mountains on the border of Poland and the Czech Republic, the Low Tatra Mountains in the border area of Poland and Slovakia and finally the Bukk Mountains in Hungary. A fantastic route through hilly and mountainous areas with beautiful views, easy to drive because the mountains are not so high. Along the way, you stay in special places, such as the historic cities of Dresden, Krakow, Budapest, Prague and Leipzig. 

The outward journey (first day) and return journey (last day) you will drive on your own initiative.

The hotel where you stay at the first day is in the village Fuhrbach. The cosy hotel has its own restaurant where you can dine in the evening on your own. During dinner, you can already read the route for the next day in the extensive route description. The rooms of the hotel are comfortable and modern, ensuring a good night's sleep.

Today you can choose between a long and a short version of the route. Both routes lead you through beautiful landscapes in central Germany. You are in the heart of the Harz. The route soon takes on a mountainous character. You will drive through two National Parks. At the end of the route, you enter Dresden. Once, it was one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Dresden was nicknamed Elbflorence (Florence on the Elbe) because of its baroque and rococo architecture. The city is especially known for the big allied bombing raid in the night of 13 to 14 February 1945 in which 25,000 people died and 75,000 houses were destroyed. After the war, large-scale renovations were started to give Dresden its pre-war look again. This major renovation was completed in 2005. The hotel where you stay is within walking distance of the old centre. A nice way to explore Dresden is a city tour by bus (Stadtrunderfahrt).

After about 30 kilometres, you will already pass the Elbsandstein mountain range in the National Park of Sächsische Schweiz just below Dresden. It is one of the most beautiful natural areas in Germany. The Elbsandstein mountain range is also known as "Little Arizona" because of its unusual rock formations. After about 70 kilometres, you pass the border with the Czech Republic and are still driving through this beautiful area, on the Czech side of course. The first 10 kilometres are very special, because you drive through a gorge with shops and nice restaurants on both sides. You continue the route through various ski areas and now reach the City  Wroclaw. Where you spend the night.This city has numerous attractions including the Centenary Hall which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was even voted best European destination in 2018.

After breakfast you will leave Wroclaw, today you can choose between a long or short variant of the route with both as final destination the interesting city of Krakow. If you choose the short route, you will immediately cross the border with Poland. You will do so several times during this ride. The long route takes you through the mountainous area of the old region of Moravia, which is a hilly, fertile agricultural area. It borders Poland, Slovakia and Austria. For both routes, about 70 kilometres before the end of the routes in the town of Oświęcim, you pass the concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau.  Auschwitz is a collective name for several concentration and extermination camps that the Nazis built from 1940 onwards. If you would like to visit it, we recommend you to make a reservation in advance. After this passage, Krakow comes into sight. You will spend two nights in this beautiful city. Where you can have dinner in the beautiful centre of Krakow.

After a delicious Polish breakfast, is it time for the excursion day in and around Krakow. This means that there is plenty of time for breakfast and a visit to the city. Another possibility is to visit one of the most notorious concentration camps: Auschwitz-Birkenau. This museum area is a good hour's drive from Krakow (70 km). You can ride there yourself, but you can also use the hotel shuttle. Another idea is the old salt mines of Wieliczka. This particular mine complex is located under the smoke of Krakow (13 km). In short: a day with something for everyone. From the city, for a fee, arrangements are offered to both destinations (transport, entrance and guidance). But you can also do both destinations on your bike. At the end of the day, you can enjoy another delicious meal in town. 

You leave Krakow and after about 150 km you enter Slovakia with Kosice as your final destination. The scenic route winds through the Low Tatra Mountains in Poland and Slovakia and finally ends in Kosice. The Tatra Mountains are also called the 'smallest high mountains of Europe'. The area is fantastic! It is not without reason that a number of places in this area are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia after Bratislava and has a historical and cosy centre with the largest church in Slovakia.

You continue your winding route to Hungary and after about 50 kilometres you pass the border with Hungary. After a less mountainous terrain, you end up in the Bükk mountains, which have more than 20 mountain peaks higher than 900 metres! You pass the town of Lillafüred, which is a nice place for a coffee or lunch stop. It is recommended to visit the beautiful Lillafüred Castle. You continue the route towards the places Eger and Gyongyos, you will be treated during the driving of these 100 kilometres to beautiful roads full of curves and views, this is really enjoying! In the places Eger and Gyongyos they serve, in our opinion, the most delicious goulash. You continue the route towards your final destination for today: the beautiful city of Budapest! You will stay here for 2 days. During your stay you will stay at Hotel Anna, the rooms are equipped with all comforts for a pleasant stay and a good night's sleep. From the hotel you can take the Tram or Taxi/Uber to any destination in Budapest. The motorbike gets a place in the hotel's private, protected parking area. Dinner for the two evenings is on your own in the city.

Today is a rest day. The motorbike will stay at the hotel. Via the tram you can go to the centre of Budapest. There in the centre are several pick-up points for the Hop-On-Hop-Off busses. Orient yourself well on the various providers. There are 3. The city tour is great. It shows the grandeur of this city perfectly. Almost everything had to be rebuilt and restored after WWII. That process is still going on, especially on the castle hill. The stately part of the city is Castle Hill in Buda with all its historical sights. The most eye-catching is the Royal Palace. On the other side is Pest, the business and shopping part of the city. But Pest, too, has a lot of history. Well-known is Hero Square and, for example, Parliament House, which was built on the city's bank according to the English model. The city tour will lead you past them. In the evening you will have dinner on your own again in the city. 

You leave Budapest. A scenic route takes you to the town of Zlin just on the border of the Czech Republic / Slovakia. Most of the route is parallel to the Danube and after about 60 km you cross it and the route continues through fields of sunflowers through quiet Slovakia. The roads undulate through the hills and you pass many villages and towns along teh way. Just across the border with the Czech Republic, your hotel is in Zlin. When you arrive at the hotel, you can enjoy a nice hot shower and a cold drink. You can eat very well in the hotel, but there are plenty of restaurants in town where you can also eat delicious food.

You continue your way through the Czech Republic, Prague is now really in sight!  The landscape is similar to Slovakia. It is a smooth ride and you get a lot of the country along the way. You arrive in Kutna Hora, a medieval town. Kutna Hora is not only known for its old centre, but especially for the charnel church. No doubt the most bizarre attraction for miles around. This church is 'decorated' with the remains of some 40,000 dead people! There are four metre-high piles of bones and skulls in the shape of church bells, there are 'garlands' of bones and in the middle of the chapel hangs a chandelier made of bones. Bizarre! After a visit to the charnel church, you will enter Prague after about 70 kilometres on nice roads. The best way to reach the old city is by public transport. You have the evening to explore Prague, to eat, drink, listen to music on the many terraces and sniff some culture. Prague is rich in monuments and monumental buildings. One of the most striking is the Astronomical Clock in the city square. Take your time for a walk across Charles Bridge and the squares on both sides of the Vltava.

Today you have the chance to explore Prague. Prague is a fantastic city. Recommended is a visit to the oldest square Staromestske Namesti. Here you will also immediately find the astronomical clock and the Tyn Church. It is also fun to walk across Charles Bridge to the other side and visit the castle here. Here you will also immediately find the beautiful St Vita Cathedral. Food and drink is plentiful in Prague, but a must is U Fleku. One of the oldest breweries/restaurants in the city.

We leave the beautiful old city of Prague behind us and drive to our last overnight stay on this trip: Leipzig. The Ore Mountains are a mountain range in Germany (Saxony) and the Czech Republic that forms the border between the two countries over a length of 150 kilometres. You continue the route towards the beautiful area of the German Thuringian Forest. While driving in the Thuringian Forest, you will be treated to beautiful nature, reservoirs and small towns with magnificent architecture. After 280 kilometres you are almost at Leipzig, the route first passes the impressive "Völkerschlachtdenkmal" (massacre memorial). During the autumn of 1813, world history was written here. The armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden faced Napoleon's army. There was fierce fighting for days. Finally, Napoleon acknowledged his defeat and withdrew, leaving around 110,000 dead and wounded on both sides of the battlefield. The result is the 'Völkerschlachtdenkmal', the highest memorial in Europe: 91 m high. Your hotel is located between Leipzig's old town and Oberer Park. One idea is to first take a walk in the city centre or at the swan pond in Oberer Park and then find a restaurant for a delicious dinner. 

After a good breakfast, unfortunately it is time to go home. If you want to extend your trip by one day, of course you can! You can choose to book an extra night in the Harz, Sauerland or Teutoburg Forest. Please contact us for more information. On the road and at home you will often think back to this impressive journey! 

If you want to shorten the Central Europe trip to a 9-day variant or if you have other wishes, please contact us. We will organise a dream trip to Central Europe especially for you!