Journey to the Center of Europe

No one was more excited than my brother to discover that Poland’s Sheraton Krakow hotel had provided each of us a complimentary (and very finely sculpted) chocolate dragon — a big step up from the small chocolates I am accustomed to finding on my pillow in some hotel rooms.

My family trip to Central Europe was full of such lovely surprises. Traveling with Tauck’s small-group tour, we visited five countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic. We enjoyed a delightful buffet breakfast with fresh pastries, local specialties and strong coffee before heading out for morning tours of famous city sites each day. In the afternoons, we went on our own family adventures, seeking out famous restaurants, boutique shops and the like.

Each city had its own character and claim to fame, and we all loved different things about each one. My parents and I savored the potent coffee of Poland. My brother and I were fascinated by the humming energy of Budapest. Naturally, my mom and I lusted after the shoes and handbags in both Budapest and Vienna, while my dad proclaimed Cafe Mozart’s Tafelspitz in Vienna to be the best meal of the trip.

We unanimously proclaimed Prague to be our favorite city, however. Somehow it combined the things we each found most charming about the other cities. There is something about Prague — perhaps the colorful gothic architecture and dramatic green cliffs — that makes it seem as though fairy tales might actually happen there.

Overall, this was an eye-opening trip full of history, beauty and, of course, great food.

My family at Schoenbrun Palace, Vienna // © 2011 Megan Brickwood