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Check out Eastern Europe with OctopusTravel: Part 2
Continuing with intriguing Eastern Europe, this Check Out features Sofia, Vilnius and Bratislava.
Summer Sale! To celebrate summer OctopusTravel have reduced this season's most popular cities by up to 10% on top of your usual 5% csma discount.
Sofia - from £41 per person per night
Sofia for a long time was the forgotten city but for the discerning traveller it was never completely absorbed behind the iron curtain of Communism. Even after Bulgaria shook off its Communist shackles though, its geographic position, tucked away in the far Southeast of Europe managed to effectively isolate it, particularly as neighbouring Romania was still struggling under the distinctly unwelcoming Ceausescu regime.
Sofia was under Ottoman rule for five centuries, and it shows in the presence of such sights as the Banya Bashi Mosque and in the decorative style of the Turkish baths. The St George's Rotunda, which had stood in the city since the 4th century, was converted to a Mosque, but the frescoes were merely plastered over and the building left pretty much as it was. The action probably preserved the Rotunda, along with Sofia's Nevsky Cathedral, Church of St Sofia and lesser buildings.
Browse for a hotel in Sofia online or call 0870 162 40 20
Vilnius - from £56 per person per night
"The capital looks truly marvellous and noble", wrote the German naturalist and travel writer George Foster when he visited Vilnius in 1784. Over two centuries later this comment still rings true - in fact the city appears to have changed little since then.
The old town of Lithuania's capital is without doubt one of the largest and most beautiful medieval quarters in Europe containing a plethora of Renaissance, Gothic and baroque architecture. Although there are records of a settlement on this site at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers dating back to before Christ, Vilnius was officially founded in 1323 by Grand Duke Gediminas and became a prominent royal city.
Vilnius is not just a museum piece. In fact the "new town" wasn't built until the 19th century and for some visitors more recent relics from the Soviet era make it all the more fascinating. Most obvious of these is the TV Tower, a monstrosity without a doubt, but a notable one nonetheless which affords great views over the whole area.
Not far from Vilnius is Lithuania's predominantly unspoilt countryside where you can visit castles, spa towns and rolling hills, all within easy reach of the vibrant and lively capital.
Browse for a hotel in Vilnius online or call 0870 162 40 20
Slovakia - Bratislava - from £55 per person per night
One of Europe's youngest nations, Slovakia is a tiny territory that sits right at the heart of Europe. Cosmopolitan and worldly Slovakia's capital Bratislava now welcomes nearly a million tourists each year.
The country is largely an untamed expanse of mountains and forested valleys, that is endlessly fascinating. In Slovak Paradise you can clamber through 300m deep gorges and sit on peaks looking down on lush green valleys, all within a couple of miles of each other.
The North's High Tatras Mountains are an irresistible attraction to climbers and hikers, and in winter the skiers descend on the slopes for some of Europe's freshest on and off-piste thrills. Explore the central and east and you'll discover a land of castles and chateaux surrounded by forests that are home to wolves and one of Europe's last bear populations.
Browse for a hotel in Bratislava online or call 0870 162 40 20
Terms & Conditions:
From prices are per room per night based on 2 sharing a twin/double room. Booking period between 01.06.08 to 31.07.08 and travelling 01.07.08 to 31.09.08. Breakfast and taxes included in European hotels, exclusions apply. Rates may change due to different travelling dates, locations & exchange rate fluctuations. All bookings are subject to availability. Prices shown are inclusive of the 5% csma member discount.
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