Eastern Europe: Sofia, Bucharest and Budapest, tailor-made, fully flexible travel

The beautiful and picturesque capital of Bulgaria is halfway between the important Central European metropolises and the great Eastern cities. An attractive mix that is reflected in many aspects of its active urban life, art and gastronomy, combining the best of both worlds. But Sofia not only looks to its great past, but also to a promising future thanks to an unstoppable process of transformation to become a modern first-class European city. The center of Sofia brings together the largest number of points of interest, both historical and current, an area that is articulated around the Prince Alexander I Square and the Tsar Osvobodite Boulevard. Among its outstanding monumental heritage, the Alexander Nevski Cathedral stands out, an authentic architectural jewel; the charming and resplendent Church of St. Nicholas, known as the Russian Church; and the Church of Sveti Georgi, called St. George's Rotunda for its original shape designed by the Romans in the 4th century. It is normal that with so much historical wealth the city has an important National Archaeological Museum, which reviews the long history of the country from the Paleolithic to the 18th century. If you feel like taking a quiet walk, we recommend that you go to the always lively Borisova Gradina Park, the garden of Tsar Boris III. The area of ​​Sofia that offers the widest range of restaurant and cocktail bar options is the cosmopolitan Vitosha Boulevard and its surroundings. If you are looking for something more typical, on Stefan Stambolov Boulevard you will find small places where you can taste traditional Bulgarian cuisine, an amalgamation of Slavic, Greek and Turkish cuisine... just like Sofia itself.

Bucharest, the vibrant capital of Romania, has an outstanding heritage in the form of elegant historical buildings and valuable artistic gems inherited from its long and surprising past. A legacy that is also reinforced by an important leisure and entertainment offer, among which its more than 30 museums stand out, such as the Romanian History Museum, the Satului Museum and the George Enescu Museum, and beautiful parks where you can relax, such as the Herastrau park or the Cismigiu. Known by the European aristocracy as the "Paris of the East", Bucharest offers the traveler treasures of different styles such as neoclassical, art deco or belle epoque, where the Arcul de Triumf, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Bucharest Opera and Curtea stand out. Veche, the first Royal Court. It is also home to modern buildings that will bring you closer to the most current and capitalist city, and pharaonic and sober constructions from the communist era. In this sense, we recommend the Palace of Parliament, which according to the Guinness Book of Records is the most expensive, bulky and heavy administrative building on the planet; the Boulevard Unirii (Unity Boulevard), which runs through the Piata Unirii (Unity Square), both trying to imitate the Parisian Champs Elysées; and the Piata Revolutiei (Square of the Revolution), where the Central Committee of the Party was located. Without a doubt, one of the most attractive cities in Eastern Europe.

Welcome to Budapest, the Hungarian capital and one of the most beautiful cities not only in Eastern Europe, but in the entire Old Continent. The most recognizable icon of the “Jewel of the Danube” is its spectacular and imposing Parliament building, which is the third largest in the world after Bucharest and Buenos Aires. Also on the banks of Buda you will find another of its great symbols, the Fishermen's Bastion (Halászbástya), which dates from the end of the 19th century and is one of the city's exceptional viewpoints. Budapest also has its share of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the form of the Buda Castle (Budai Vár) and Budapest's two main thoroughfares: Váci Utca and Andrássy Avenue. Váci Utca, located in Buda, is the street that runs parallel to the Danube where the river's retaining walls used to be, nowadays full of shops and restaurants. The Andrássy Út complex in Pest includes the Opera House, Erzsébet Square and Heroes' Square (Hosök tere), the latter dominated by the Millennium Memorial. Taking advantage of a walk along the Danube to cross the Chain Bridge, one of the oldest that connects Buda with Pest.