Top 10 Eastern European Travel Destinations

Krakow is Poland's cultural capital and home to one of Europe's largest medieval market squares, the Rynek Glowny, measuring 200 metres across. The city hosts the Wawel Royal Castle and is the gateway to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site, which receives over 2.3 million visitors annually. Krakow's vibrant Kazimierz district has become a major hub for food, art, and nightlife tourism.

Santorini is one of the most photographed islands in the world, famous for its whitewashed Cycladic architecture and caldera views over the Aegean Sea. The island welcomed approximately 3.5 million visitors in 2024 despite having a permanent population of only around 15,000 residents. Its volcanic beaches, luxury cave hotels, and world-class sunsets at Oia make it Greece's premier island destination.

Budapest, divided by the Danube River into Buda and Pest, is one of Europe's grand imperial capitals with over 80 geothermal springs feeding its famous thermal bath culture. The city's chain of UNESCO World Heritage Sites includes Buda Castle, the Parliament building, and Andrassy Avenue. It welcomed approximately 5.6 million international tourists in 2024 and consistently ranks as a top European city break destination.

Dubrovnik's remarkably preserved medieval walled city, known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic," earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979 and draws over 1.5 million visitors annually to its 2-kilometre circuit of stone walls. The city gained global fame as a filming location for Game of Thrones, spurring a new wave of international tourism. Croatia overall attracted a record 21 million tourists in 2024.

Athens, one of the world's oldest cities with a recorded history spanning 3,400 years, is home to the Acropolis and the Parthenon — some of the most iconic monuments of Western civilisation. The Greek capital welcomed over 7 million tourists in 2024, with the Acropolis Museum alone attracting 1.8 million visits per year. A renaissance in local cuisine, rooftop bars, and boutique hotels has reinforced Athens as a top European short-break city.

Bucharest, once dubbed "the Paris of the East," is home to the Palace of the Parliament — the world's second-largest administrative building by floor area at 365,000 square metres. The Romanian capital has seen a surge in city-break tourism, with visitor numbers growing by 35% between 2021 and 2024. Its eclectic mix of Belle Epoque architecture, communist-era landmarks, and a booming craft beer and street food scene has rapidly elevated its profile.

Sofia is one of Europe's most affordable capital cities and is gaining recognition for its rich layering of Thracian, Roman, Ottoman, and Soviet-era history — including the 4th-century Saint Sofia Basilica that gave the city its name. The Bulgarian capital hosts the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, with a capacity of over 5,000 worshippers. Sofia's proximity to Mount Vitosha, rising to 2,290 metres directly behind the city skyline, makes it unique among European capitals for outdoor access.

Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city and the cultural capital of northern Greece, is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy known for its exceptional food scene and vibrant street life. The city boasts 15 UNESCO-listed early Christian and Byzantine monuments, including the Rotunda (originally built by Emperor Galerius around 306 AD) and the White Tower along the Thermaic Gulf waterfront. It has seen a 40% increase in international visitors between 2022 and 2024 as travellers seek alternatives to overcrowded Athens and the islands.

Wroclaw, situated on the Oder River and divided across 12 islands connected by over 100 bridges, is one of Poland's most charming and rapidly rising tourist destinations. The city's Market Square is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, and Wroclaw's famous collection of over 800 small bronze dwarf sculptures scattered throughout the city has become a beloved tourist attraction. It hosted the World Games in 2017 and is consistently listed among Europe's top emerging travel destinations by Lonely Planet and National Geographic.

Krakow is Poland's cultural capital and home to one of Europe's largest medieval market squares, the Rynek Glowny, measuring 200 metres across. The city hosts the Wawel Royal Castle and is the gateway to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site, which receives over 2.3 million visitors annually. Krakow's vibrant Kazimierz district has become a major hub for food, art, and nightlife tourism.

Santorini is one of the most photographed islands in the world, famous for its whitewashed Cycladic architecture and caldera views over the Aegean Sea. The island welcomed approximately 3.5 million visitors in 2024 despite having a permanent population of only around 15,000 residents. Its volcanic beaches, luxury cave hotels, and world-class sunsets at Oia make it Greece's premier island destination.

Budapest, divided by the Danube River into Buda and Pest, is one of Europe's grand imperial capitals with over 80 geothermal springs feeding its famous thermal bath culture. The city's chain of UNESCO World Heritage Sites includes Buda Castle, the Parliament building, and Andrassy Avenue. It welcomed approximately 5.6 million international tourists in 2024 and consistently ranks as a top European city break destination.

Dubrovnik's remarkably preserved medieval walled city, known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic," earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979 and draws over 1.5 million visitors annually to its 2-kilometre circuit of stone walls. The city gained global fame as a filming location for Game of Thrones, spurring a new wave of international tourism. Croatia overall attracted a record 21 million tourists in 2024.

Athens, one of the world's oldest cities with a recorded history spanning 3,400 years, is home to the Acropolis and the Parthenon — some of the most iconic monuments of Western civilisation. The Greek capital welcomed over 7 million tourists in 2024, with the Acropolis Museum alone attracting 1.8 million visits per year. A renaissance in local cuisine, rooftop bars, and boutique hotels has reinforced Athens as a top European short-break city.

Bucharest, once dubbed "the Paris of the East," is home to the Palace of the Parliament — the world's second-largest administrative building by floor area at 365,000 square metres. The Romanian capital has seen a surge in city-break tourism, with visitor numbers growing by 35% between 2021 and 2024. Its eclectic mix of Belle Epoque architecture, communist-era landmarks, and a booming craft beer and street food scene has rapidly elevated its profile.

Sofia is one of Europe's most affordable capital cities and is gaining recognition for its rich layering of Thracian, Roman, Ottoman, and Soviet-era history — including the 4th-century Saint Sofia Basilica that gave the city its name. The Bulgarian capital hosts the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, with a capacity of over 5,000 worshippers. Sofia's proximity to Mount Vitosha, rising to 2,290 metres directly behind the city skyline, makes it unique among European capitals for outdoor access.

Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city and the cultural capital of northern Greece, is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy known for its exceptional food scene and vibrant street life. The city boasts 15 UNESCO-listed early Christian and Byzantine monuments, including the Rotunda (originally built by Emperor Galerius around 306 AD) and the White Tower along the Thermaic Gulf waterfront. It has seen a 40% increase in international visitors between 2022 and 2024 as travellers seek alternatives to overcrowded Athens and the islands.

Wroclaw, situated on the Oder River and divided across 12 islands connected by over 100 bridges, is one of Poland's most charming and rapidly rising tourist destinations. The city's Market Square is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, and Wroclaw's famous collection of over 800 small bronze dwarf sculptures scattered throughout the city has become a beloved tourist attraction. It hosted the World Games in 2017 and is consistently listed among Europe's top emerging travel destinations by Lonely Planet and National Geographic.