Whether you’re interested in rich cultural history, architecture, art, music, theatre, cinema, cuisine, science, technology, and numerous other wonders, Eastern Europe’s got it all and more. Europe is the world’s most visited region and Eastern Europe displays solid growth each year. To find out which countries in this part of Europe were the most visited in the last several years (taking into account various definitions of ‘Eastern Europe’) we’ve consulted a number of reports by Statista, Eurostat, and The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), from 2010 to 2018, and these are our results.
Germany
Germany is the world’s seventh most visited country. Berlin is its famous capital, but other tourist-favorites include Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, and Hannover. Its brilliant nature, home to many wonderful animals, includes the Alps, the shores of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, astonishing national parks, Biosphere Reserves, nature parks, and more than 400 registered zoos and animal parks.
The country is famous for its diverse routes, such as the Romantic Road, the Wine Route, or the Castle Road. There is a large number of World Heritage sites to visit, while the most-visited landmarks include its oldest city Trier, Neuschwanstein Castle, Cologne Cathedral, Berlin Bundestag, Hofbräuhaus , Heidelberg Castle, Dresden Zwinger, Fernsehturm Berlin, Aachen Cathedral, the Europa-Park, Germany’s national symbol the Brandenburg Gate, and numerous others.
Russia
There are more tourists visiting the world’s largest country today than ever. Moscow and Saint Petersburg are Russia’s most famous cities, but Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Nizhny Novgorod are major tourist destinations too. Nature lovers appreciate Russia’s East European Plain, steppes, taigas, geysers, the world’s largest forest reserves, large bodies of water such as the Lake Baikal, a multitude of mountain ranges such as the Caucasus, the volcanoes of Kamchatka Peninsula, UNESCO biosphere reserves, national parks, and nature reserves, with 415 protected animal species.
Russia has many World Heritage Sites and numerous architectural beauties, both the modern skyscrapers and edifices in Russia’s distinctive style, including the world-renowned museums, like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Hermitage, famous theaters like Bolshoi and Mariinsky, elaborate churches like Saint Basil's Cathedral, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and Church of the Savior on Blood, remarkable fortifications like the Kremlin and Peter and Paul Fortress, stunning squares like Red Square, and Palace Square, as well as many palaces, such as Tsaritsyno, Peterhof, Strelna, Oranienbaum, Gatchina, Pavlovsk, Tsarskoye Selo, etc.
Poland
The country of striking modernity and exquisite antiquity, Poland is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The most visited places are Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Oświęcim. Besides the cities, tourists flock to the Baltic seacoast, extending from the Bay of Pomerania to the Gulf of Gdańsk.
Polish people love nature and the country’s many national parks, landscape parks, protected areas, and the breathtaking natural attractions such as the North European Plain, ice-age river valleys, the Carpathian Mountains, Masuiran Lakeland, the Błędów Desert, the dunes of Słowiński National Park, the 7th-cenutry BC settlement of Biskupin, and the increasing Forests of Poland, such as Bialowieża Forest – a World Heritage Site. Many animals that are extinct in other parts of Europe still live in Poland.
Popular city sights are great in number and include Wawel Castle, Malbork Castle, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Gdansk's Old Town, Warswaw's Old Market Place, and Kraków's medieval Main Market Square, just to name a few.
Czechia
The Czech Republic is the land of three stunning historical territories: Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia, with the major cities being Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, and Pilsen. It is a country of magnificent rivers, beautiful forest in Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area, rolling hills of Králický Sněžník, Bohemian Forest foothills, Český ráj, Berounka river valley, Beskids mountains, as well as the Krkonoše National Park, Šumava National Park, Podyjí National Park, and Bohemian Switzerland.
The Czech Republic has twelve World Heritage Sites, while some of the most visited tourist attractions include its various museums, the Nether district Vítkovice, spa towns like Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, and Františkovy Lázně , and about 1200 castles and châteaux like Karlštejn Castle, Český Krumlov, the Lednice–Valtice area, and Kašperk Castle. Other architectural beauties include cathedrals, basilicas, and monasteries, such as the stunning Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk.
Hungary
The ever-popular Hungary is home to a myriad of modern and natural wonders. Budapest is its most visited city, followed by Debrecen, Szeged, Miskolc, Pécs and Győr. Tourists love Hungary’s many unique sites, such as Lake Balaton – the largest lake in Central Europe, Lake Hévíz – the world’s largest thermal lake, Hortobágy National Park – Europe’s largest natural grassland and a World Heritage Site, as well as numerous nature reserves and protection areas, including the Fertő-Hanság National Park, where you can see Racka sheep. Its architecture is world-famous and includes the Great Synagogue, the Esztergom Basilica, the Baroque Palace Gödöllő, etc.
Among its many World Heritage Sites, you’ll see the Buda Castle, Hollókő, Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst, Pannonhalma Archabbey, Pécs (Sopianae), and Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape. You can go birdwatching, riding in the idyllic countryside, and rest in one of country’s thousand thermal springs, then visit the Budapest History Museum, Holocaust Memorial Center, House of Terror Museum, and much more.
Topics: World Travel
