Frances & Francis
Places & experiences / Europe

Our trips · Travel film · Globus

Best of Eastern Europe.
Six countries in 14 days.

From Berlin to Budapest and back through Prague, come along on our first trip with Globus. Watch the whole journey, or choose a city below.

By Frances & Francis · Film published January 2023

14 days6 countries~2,500 km by coachAbout 21 minutes to watch
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Our journey on film.

Prague, Czechia · Photo: Sergey Ashmarin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized; displayed crop varies by screen.

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Six countries. One route.

Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Czechia. The map connects the featured stops, including our monastery visit between Warsaw and Auschwitz; lines show the sequence, rather than the exact roads travelled.

  1. Berlin
  2. Warsaw
  3. Częstochowa · Jasna Góra Monastery
  4. Auschwitz
  5. Kraków
  6. Budapest
  7. Vienna
  8. Bratislava
  9. Telč
  10. Prague
  11. Dresden

Stop 1 · Germany

Berlin: history, skyline views and a beer break.

Berlin gave us plenty to take in, starting with a sobering visit to the Topography of Terror. The documentation centre stands on the former site of the Gestapo and SS leadership headquarters—a difficult but important place to learn about Nazi persecution and reflect on what happened here. We also spent time walking around the city, with sights such as Berlin Cathedral along the way. For a different perspective, we went up the Berlin TV Tower, a 368-metre landmark that puts the city’s scale into view. And between all that walking and sightseeing, we made time for bratwurst and beer.

Swipe through our photos, or tap a photo to see it in full.

Berlin TV Tower rising behind the River Spree
Berlin’s TV Tower above the River Spree.
Berlin Cathedral and the fountain in the Lustgarten
Berlin Cathedral on our city walk.
Weathered concrete section of the Berlin Wall with exposed reinforcement
A surviving section of the Berlin Wall.
Frances and Francis enjoying a meal and beer in Berlin
Bratwurst, beer and a well-earned break.
What we explored in Berlin
  • Topography of Terror: A sad, thought-provoking visit that helped us better understand this part of the city’s history.
  • City walks: Berlin Cathedral, riverside views and a surviving section of the Berlin Wall.
  • Berlin TV Tower: We went up for a view over the city; you can also see this in our film.
  • A food stop: Bratwurst and beer, with a break for our feet.

Landmark background: Topography of Terror · Berlin TV Tower.

Stop 2 · Poland

Warsaw: colourful streets and a city rebuilt.

In Warsaw, we visited the Old Town Market Place, the Warsaw Uprising Monument and the Royal Castle. Behind the Old Town’s colourful facades is a remarkable story: much of the historic centre was rebuilt after the destruction of World War II, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. The Warsaw Uprising Monument honours those who fought in the city’s 1944 uprising against German occupation. The Royal Castle has its own story of recovery: reconstruction began in 1971, and its restored interiors opened to the public in 1984. Our photos bring together those different sides of Warsaw, from the market square to the castle’s red-and-gold interiors.

Swipe through our photos, or tap a photo to see it in full.

Colourful buildings and cafe terraces in Warsaw’s Old Town Market Place
Colourful facades around the Old Town Market Place.
Bronze figures beneath a shattered structure at the Warsaw Uprising Monument
The Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Francis beside the throne in a red and gold room of Warsaw’s Royal Castle
Francis inside the Royal Castle.
What we explored in Warsaw
  • Old Town Market Place: The colourful square shown in our first photo, within Warsaw’s reconstructed historic centre.
  • Warsaw Uprising Monument: A memorial to the resistance fighters of 1944, with bronze figures beneath a dramatic broken structure.
  • Royal Castle: A look inside the royal residence, including the ornate throne room pictured here.

Landmark background: UNESCO · Warsaw Tourism · Royal Castle.

A stop between Warsaw and Auschwitz · Poland

Częstochowa: the Black Madonna at Jasna Góra.

Before visiting Auschwitz, we stopped at Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa and saw the Black Madonna. Also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, the icon depicts Mary holding the infant Jesus and is housed in the monastery’s Chapel of the Miraculous Icon. Jasna Góra has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries, with the monastery founded in 1382. Its name means “Bright Mountain,” and the richly decorated basilica offers another side of the sanctuary’s architecture. Our two photos show the chapel with the icon and the basilica’s painted vaults and gilded details.

Swipe through our photos, or tap a photo to see it in full.

The Black Madonna icon above the altar in Jasna Góra’s chapel, with worshippers in the foreground
The Black Madonna in the chapel at Jasna Góra.
Painted vaults, gilded decoration and columns inside the Jasna Góra basilica
Inside the richly decorated basilica.
What we saw at Jasna Góra
  • The Black Madonna: We saw the icon of Mary and Jesus in the chapel, a focal point for pilgrims visiting the sanctuary.
  • The basilica: Painted ceilings, ornate columns and gilded decoration fill the interior shown in our second photo.
  • A place of worship: This is an active religious sanctuary; give services and those praying space during your visit.

Background: Jasna Góra: the icon · Sanctuary visitor guide · Poland Tourism.

A place of remembrance · Oświęcim, Poland

Auschwitz: a visit that stays with us.

Our visit to Auschwitz was very sad, and it remains a memorable part of this journey. Established by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland in 1940, Auschwitz grew into a concentration and extermination camp complex and a central site of the Holocaust. Jewish people were its principal victims; Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and other persecuted groups also suffered and were killed here. Today, the memorial and museum preserve the site and document the lives and suffering of those imprisoned and murdered. We have chosen to share only a few photographs from our visit, leaving out the more sensitive images we took.

Our photographs from the memorial and museum. Tap a photo to view it in full.

Reconstructed Death Wall at Auschwitz I, with a wreath and candles at its base
The reconstructed Death Wall in the courtyard beside Block 11.
Historical photograph displayed at the museum showing women and children awaiting selection at Auschwitz II-Birkenau in 1944
A museum display of a historical photograph of people awaiting selection at Auschwitz II-Birkenau in 1944.
Museum exhibition panels with historical photographs and explanatory captions about persecution, arrests and deportations
Exhibition panels documenting persecution, arrests and deportations.
Historical context for these photographs
  • The memorial courtyard: The Death Wall beside Block 11 is a reconstruction marking a site where the SS carried out executions.
  • Historical photographs: Museum displays document deportation, persecution and the people whose lives were taken or profoundly changed here.
  • Learning and remembrance: The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum offers further historical information and visitor guidance.

Historical sources: Museum history · Auschwitz and the Shoah · Death Wall.

Kraków · Poland

Kraków: old streets and an unexpected dance partner.

We explored Kraków’s Old Town and Main Market Square, with St Mary’s Basilica and the Cloth Hall providing quite a backdrop for our photos. The square was laid out in 1257, and the city’s historic centre joined UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1978. We also visited the square in Kazimierz, Kraków’s historic Jewish quarter, whose synagogues and streets preserve an important part of the city’s heritage. For the evening, we chose a paid optional excursion offered through our tour: a Polish dinner with music and dancing. Francis was invited to join in, so our dinner photos came with a little extra entertainment.

Swipe through our photos, or tap a photo to see it in full.

Francis beneath an archway with the two towers of St Mary’s Basilica behind him
Francis with St Mary’s Basilica across the Main Market Square.
Frances in Kraków’s Main Market Square in front of the Cloth Hall
Frances in the Main Market Square, outside the Cloth Hall.
Francis dancing with a costumed performer while musicians play during a Polish dinner
Francis was invited to dance during our paid optional Polish dinner excursion.
Francis outside the ivy-covered Ariel building in Kazimierz
Francis in Kazimierz, Kraków’s historic Jewish quarter.
An Old Town street lined with historic buildings, looking towards St Mary’s Basilica
A walk through Kraków’s Old Town.
What we explored in Kraków
  • Main Market Square: Photos by St Mary’s Basilica and the Cloth Hall, in the heart of the Old Town.
  • Old Town: Time walking through the streets around the square.
  • Kazimierz: A visit to the historic Jewish quarter and its square.
  • Polish dinner and dancing: A paid optional excursion we selected through the tour, rather than an included meal; Francis was asked to dance with one of the performers.

Landmark background: UNESCO: Historic Centre of Kraków · Kraków Tourism: Main Market Square.

Budapest · Hungary

Budapest: dinner with unexpected fireworks.

On a free evening in Budapest, we arranged our own dinner by the water, separate from the tour. By coincidence, our night out lined up with the city’s huge annual fireworks celebration, and we got to enjoy dinner with fireworks over the Danube. These displays are part of Hungary’s St Stephen’s Day celebrations, marking the founding of the Hungarian state. We also saw Matthias Church, stopped for photos overlooking the Danube and visited the wonderfully ornate New York Café. Even the bus ride offered something to look at: the lakeside building in Városliget, Budapest’s City Park.

Swipe through our photos, or tap a photo to see it in full.

Frances and Francis having dinner at a waterside restaurant in Budapest
Dinner by the water during our free evening—arranged independently of the tour.
Fireworks lighting the night sky above the Danube in Budapest
An unexpected bonus: fireworks over the Danube.
Frances and Francis outside Matthias Church, with its Gothic tower and patterned roof
Outside Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District.
Frances and Francis beneath the pale stone arches of Fisherman’s Bastion, with Budapest beyond
A photo stop overlooking the Danube at Fisherman’s Bastion.
Ornate ceilings, gilded details and chandeliers inside Budapest’s New York Café
Inside New York Café: quite a setting for a free-time stop.
Domed City Park Ice Rink building reflected in the boating lake at Városliget
The City Park Ice Rink building and boating lake, seen from our bus.
What we explored in Budapest
  • Dinner and fireworks: We arranged the waterside dinner ourselves during free time; it was not included in the tour. The fireworks were a fortunate coincidence, rather than a planned tour activity.
  • Matthias Church and Danube views: We visited the Buda Castle District and took the photo above beneath the arches of Fisherman’s Bastion.
  • New York Café: A stop we recommend if you have free time, especially for the elaborate interior. The café opened in 1894.
  • Városliget from the bus: Our photo shows the City Park Ice Rink building beside the boating lake; the building also houses Városliget Café. The site is used for skating in winter and boating in summer.

If you’re planning around the fireworks: St Stephen’s Day is celebrated on 20 August, but check the official programme for the actual display date and any weather-related changes.

Background: Visit Hungary: fireworks · New York Café · City Park Ice Rink and Boating Lake · Városliget Café.

Our first time with Globus.

We loved this trip. Our tour director, Theo, was helpful, patient and funny, and our driver, Atila, kept us safe over roughly 2,500 kilometres. We were happy with the hotels, too.

The itinerary was packed—in a good way. There were plenty of historical sites, but we still had free time to explore. This film brings together the places we visited and the moments we wanted to remember.

A look back at our trip

This is our personal travel film, published in January 2023. The route reflects our experience at the time; check the operator and attraction websites for current itineraries, opening hours and prices.

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