Suggest a place to party or chill out to nature in Europe

February 2, 2010 7:22 AM

I have two weeks after I complete my 2-year stint as a military conscript, and before I begin my first job. I'd like to spend some time in Europe, but want to spend substantial time in a single location, as opposed to moving all over the place. Suggestions?

I am torn between spending time in a proper city checking out the architecture and hopefully the rave culture (thinking more Eastern Europe here), and chilling out in tranquil and sublime bits of nature (I hear certain parts of Hungary and Poland are particularly beautiful, and from personal experience know that the south of France is quite stunning).

I'll be on a semi-limited budget, and will be travelling alone, if that's of any relevance. I'd appreciate it if you guys could suggest specific locations to me, based on personal experience. I've done a roadtrip from Milan to the UK before, along the Mediterranean coast, and I've also taken the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Ulan Baator. So it seems that Eastern Europe is the one place that I've really never been to before.

posted by nihraguk to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Bratislava is totally underrated - I suppose that's more 'central Europe', but close enough right? You should spend some time there, drink cheap beer and explore the city. Mountains are only a short train ride away, and most places are pretty accessible by foot and train.
posted by Think_Long at 7:29 AM on February 2, 2010

Could you tell us when you're spending the time? Europe is great, but mostly good for skiing and visiting cities that look good in the snow at the moment.
posted by rhymer at 9:51 AM on February 2, 2010

...but if it is now Budapest is fun in the winter. Not least because you can sit outside in the city's dozens of hot spring fed thermal baths. Cheap-ish too.
posted by rhymer at 9:57 AM on February 2, 2010

I really enjoyed Normandy, but it feels somewhat like the pacific northwest, and you'd probably want to go in the summer. Very quiet as Europe goes, I think. If you do want to stay in one place, I'd pick somewhere central-ish so you can take the train out for overnights.. there are a lot of places its totally worth taking the train to even just for a day (or even just for the train ride).
posted by devilsbrigade at 11:04 AM on February 2, 2010

Sorry, forgot to mention that I plan to make this trip in the second half of March, this year. Thanks for the helpful suggestions, keep them coming!
posted by nihraguk at 5:24 PM on February 2, 2010