Eastern Europe and the Balkans
When most people from the West think about Eastern Europe, they think about the Iron Curtain of Communism and conflict in places like the Balkans as recently as in 1999. While that is a part of the history of the region, today it is so much more. It is a land of many different cultures and peoples with a lot of great places to visit. There are beautiful castles, museums, churches, and food throughout many countries. While they do have challenges, they have a bright future and amazing stories of strength. We visited this region in November of 2025 and had a wonderful time visiting multiple countries and cities large and small. We visited the Lower Danube by Viking River cruise.
The Different Countries in Eastern Europe/Balkans we Visited
On our trip in 2025 we spent 10 days touring multiple countries in the region. We visited Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary. In the past we have visited Montenegro, Dubrovnik, Croatia and Budapest Hungary. We have also visited countries like Slovakia and Czechia in the past. I will go over the culture, attractions, stories and food of these greatly underrated countries that should be visited by more people. We met so many great and friendly people along the way that showcases a region that has gone through a lot and does have challenges but has come through with strength and determination to improve.
Communism and the Iron Curtain
The countries of Eastern Europe suffered mightily until the fall of communism in the early 1990s. Before communism, many countries faced the fascism of the Nazis that also crippled their people under brutality. Each of the countries behind the Iron Curtain had different socialist or communist leaders that were allied with the Soviet Union. Some were a bit more mellow, but others ruled with an iron fist like Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania and János Kádár in Hungary. They had the state/secret police, and many were taken and murdered. After the fall of communism and then the breakup of the Nation of Yugoslavia in 1991, there was another war from 1991 to 1999 where Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevich stoked Nationalism and hatred towards Croats (Croatians) who helped the Nazis persecute Serbians in execution camps along with Jewish inhabitants. Croatia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina where invaded. Ultimately NATO including the US bombed Serbia and brought Slobodan Milosevich out of power and into trial.
Some countries had peaceful revolutions with no blood shed but others had violent revolutions like in Romania where millions of bullets were fired in the central square in Bucharest. It was very difficult for the people during this but today that history is behind the countries in the region the countries are now vibrant, safe and full of great hospitality!
Romania
The first country we visited on our journey through Eastern Europe was Romania. We flew from Istanbul to the Capital city of Bucharest. It was the very first time for us to visit the country that is home to Transylvania and the legend of Vlad “The Impaler” who inspired the story of Dracula. The country is a developing nation that has overcome the terror of a brutal Communist regime that ended in a very bloody revolution. Here’s what we found in Romania!