Eastern European Gallop September 2008

[Lord of the Manor]

This is a tour me and the wife did back in September 2008. I’m new to this internet posting, but want to make a record of the trip, not only for us, but hopefully some others out there who want to view the ride and maybe visit some of the places.

We were on the trip for 16 days in total and did around 4,500km.

Our bikes below, which have took us to many top places the last few years.

I wanted to see the more recent additions to the EU before they get wrecked with EU dosh and influence. It had been on my doodle pad for a couple of years, stuff going on in the UK prevented it happening. At last everything came together. The route would be as follows:

‘ome in Germany – Prag (Cheq Republic)
Vienna (Austria)
Zagreb (Croatia)
Budapest (Hungary)
Branska Bystrica (Slovakia)
Krakow – Worclaw – Gdansk – Stetin (Poland)
Brandenberg (Germany)
‘ome Nienburg Weser Germany

We humped it down the autobahn and “A” roads in to Prag. The wife did well, nearly 600K, she only rides twice a year when we go back for Holidays. I ride a lot off road here in Oman. Main problem for me normally are the first few fecking hell moments once I get back on the GS – normally around slow maneuvering bits. The Honda I ride here is like a toy bike compared to the BM.


We had no accommodation booked as we were out of the high tourist season. Having no kids we stay away from school holiday periods so we don't get ripped off. We sorted the hotel out at the tourist office when we got there. Only "must have" really was secure parking for the bikes. When we left ‘ome it was pishing it down. Prag it was glorious hot sunshine – marvelous.

We got in late evening so just dossed round by the Hotel the first night. There was a nice cafe just out from the hotel so we enjoyed the first evening in Prag We stayed for two nights so would catch the sights in the morning.

So here are some of the things we saw in Prag

An if there's any photographic purists out there, I am a Tosser and not David Bailey so unless there good comments keep um to yer self

One of the main bridges that either brings you in or takes yer owt of Prag.

The main square

The Astrological Clock or summat - very nice to look at - only in the middle of the night though 'cos it was a magnet for every nationality of tourist group you can think of - tourist numbers were unbelievable

Around midday we stopped at a cafe for refreshments. Now I am not a tight git on my holidays but the first bill was a shock The crafty pragey gits, not only hit you with VAT but a Service Tax of whatever percent on the whole amount. Magically about 30% of the menu price.

On the way up to the old or older town

Narrow Streets

Rich lazy gits can get driven around to see the sights

On to the main bridge which is another tourist magnet

Some old building a bit out of town

Some poor git in prison - probably not payed his road tax

We enjoyed Prag very much. What really started getting on our nerves toward the end of the walking round day was the hundreds and hundreds of tourist groups. Well worth a visit, not cheap by any stretch. We found a day also seeing the sights enough. We were right in the middle of town – all main attractions are in easy walking distance.

I hope I've not disorientated readers with my dyslexic rambling or posting of pics

The rest will follow as I get time.

 

[Dahoum]

Very nice

Thanks for sharing the trip - you look like an old hand at the interweb thingy

 

[AndyT]

Looking good, I am interested in this ride report as I like yourself want to see the Eastern block countries before they change to much and fancy doing a similar route later his year. It would be handy if you could include typical pricing in your report as well as how the locals were

Looking forward to the rest

AndyT

 

[Lord of the Manor]

Vienna

In Prag we paid 200Euro for 2 nights including brekkie. It was in one of the better Hotels, right in the middle of town. We went on spec, so it was Hobson’s choice really. There were other choices, a bit further out, cheaper, ranging from 50 Euro, there was no secure parking though which was a big consideration. Large beer and a coffee were around 10 Euro. Fuel the same price as Germany.

On the way down to Prag, the GPS stopped working. I got a TomTom Navi, was for a car, batteries last about an 1hr so it was feck all use to find a hotel in Vienna.

Vienna was a short ride from Prag. Quite nice riding too. Be aware any motorway travel you pay vignette – which is a toll sticker. 22Euro per bike – big fines if you don’t have it.

It was bleedin hot, my GS was starting to get really unhappy in the slow moving traffic - rider also so we pretty much looked for a hotel as soon as we could. With parking and no brekkie we paid nearly 300 Euro for 3 nights. To be fair it was a nice room - with A/C as the time in Vienna proved to be the hottest on record

We stepped out and this is what we saw...

We sniffed out a bus tour for the following day. That was 50 Euro for the two of us. It was a ticket for two days which you can hop off and hop on. Be aware most of the attractions charge entry also. Euros went very quickly in Vienna.

Vienna is a loveley place to visit, if you want to see a bit of it then two nights is a must, expect to spend money - by far the most expensive visit in the whole trip.

Some of the stuff we saw from the bus tours....

Mozart with a beer

Some Large Park we walked thru by the Zoo - nice...

Parliament where highly paid Austrian Tossers & liers meet regulalry

I am not a city person really but we enjoyed it. People are friendly and can speak English – we didn’t have a problem ‘cos we can speak both German and English anyway.

Must say though….Don’t know if it was end of season time, it was not said, but if felt like you were just a money pit, come on pay yer cash, sit down, shut up and go home as soon as you can.

I’m glad I visited but two days was enough for me.

 

[Lord of the Manor]

Zagreb

On the last day of Vienna, Lord of the Manor had faceache ‘cos he’d had enough walking around Vienna dodging the people. Wifey reminded me that I had planned the route so basically shut up.

We took a visit to one of the oldest Zoos in the world, it was nice to walk around away from the crowds. Animals were not playing as they were all inside in the shade as it was bleeding hot. My phots are crap so I won't insult you with them.

Rest of the afternoon was most pleasurable, watching the world go by in Vienna, drinking, very cold exquisite beer, never mind the price. Vienna was the bestest place in the whole world by about 5 o clock

I was glad to be back on the bike and heading down to Zagreb, where the whole trip would really start I hoped. It didn't dissapoint either

We used booking.com from here on in to book the hotels we’d be staying in. Great service and saved Lordy quite a few beer tokens

Hotel in Zagreb was brand new, underground parking and only 80 Euro. We jumped on a tram straight outside the hotel cheep as chips - magic

Bullet Holes?

Zagreb did not disappoint, it was ace. You can clearly see an aspect from the soviet era clearly. Friendly people, lingo was not a problem. The side streets were just full of cafés with people sitting in the street, chatting, meeting, laughing…..it was brill.

My first Pivo

'an it was cheap and tasted good!

Lots to see.....

The Lord's Residence for the evening....top place, 80Euro including a top brekkie as well..

I’d like to wear some more tyres out riding in Croatia sometime in the future. Zagreb I’d recommend as a “to do” we really enjoyed it. It’s cheap, inhabited by friendly people and most importantly summat different. I know in October there was some bombings there but I don’t think it’d put me off going again.

 

[(RIP) john plane]

Very good report

 

[Dave56]

Enjoyed that, looking forward to the next installment.
As to Prague, we went out of season, early March, thoroughly enjoyed it, no crowds, beautifull place if a little expensive in the old town.
Keep it coming your Lordship......

 

[Lord of the Manor]

Budapest

Leaving Zagreb we got out on to the M7 on the route to Budapest. It was a good fast road all the way, not bad for scenery – we arrived in Budapest and found our Hotel easily. My ploy with the Tom Tom was to switch it on when we reached the city limits s the batteries lasted to get us to the hotel.

I did not know what to really expect with Budapest, it did not dissapoint, we were both very glad that we visited.

Hotel was just over the bridge from the old town, 80Euro a night with brekkie. It also had a secure underground garage. Bike gear off and changed, we set out to explore. There was no rush as we'd be staying two nights.

We got some Florins which you need a big wallet to carry them in, we got 1000's and 1000's for 100Euro. Sitting at a cafe this is waht we saw

A beautiful scene

The scene changes to a nice one as day turned to night. A loveley evening

The next day we resisted a bus tour and set out on foot to explore, it was the best decision, a nice day wandering, this is what we saw

The final evening there, I asked for a large beer, a large beer in Budapest you need two hands to lift because it's a liter!

English is widley spoken, people were freindly and we really enjoyed it there. Vingette we had to pay onve we got in to Hungary, but it was only around 5 to 10 Euro if I remeber correctly.

 

[Lord of the Manor]

Branska Bystrica - Slovakia

Next stop would be Branska Bystrica in Slovakia, not far from Hungary. An absolutely stunning ride in as it was through a mountainous route, through skiing chalet country, beautiful riding. This will change unless you do some research as there was lots and lots of road construction soon toi be opened. For sure toll roads as well.

We were staying in what we could determine the only one, or one of very few hotels in Branska Bystrika. It was newly refurbished by Euro money. What would have been a very ugly blotch on the landscape prior ro renovation. About 60 Euro a night with brekke. A nice comfy hotel. Secure parking was by a young lad sleeping in a shed next to the bikes. They were untouched in the morning, I gave him a tip before we left.

If you want to eat and drink the Branska Bystrica is the place, cheep as chips, a meal and a couple of beers less than 5 Euro. See what happens now as it is Euro from Jan this year!

Freindly people. Really something different I think, not on the yet tourist route, which was a nice discovery as well. Here is what we saw....

More to come when I get the time

I have also chastised myself, on future tours I need to take more pictures on the route, the journey is missing which is all part of the fun

 

[(RIP) Edvard Munch]

Excellent

 

[Lord of the Manor]

Krakow Poland - Auschwitz

We left out from Branska Bystrica to our next destination which would be Krakow in Poland. Slovakia is a beautiful country to ride bikes in. The ride out was through some more exquisite skiing chalet country. Furture rides I'd look at more routes in Slovakia for sure - awesome country

We reached the border with Poland. Here we had to show passports but no dramas. Once on Polish roads the wife was not happy. Single lane carriage ways, where the lorries had worn deep ruts ino the road. Sports bike riders would bottom out at points where new road met old, some quite sharp gradients, some as much as 6" From the border to the newly built motorway to Krakow it took hours and hours and hours. It was road works all the way. Bridges were being repaired and footpaths put in. Next travelers will see repaired roads and new footpaths. Still it was nice to see the real Poland, albeit at a crawl.

Booking.com had performed again. We arrived at our dwellings which was a newly built swish hotel, 90Euro a night including brekkie and secure underground parking. Booking.com always got us rates that were significantly lower than the posted hotel rates at whatever hotel we arrived at. A great service – I’d recommend others have a look. I certainly will use it in the future.

Lordy wanted to see Auschwitz. I’d read so many books on the place, I wanted to see it for myself. Not everyone’s cup of tea. We both found it quite a profound experience to visit even though what happened there was many years before our time. Entry was free. Travel due to road works took a while as we had to follow the mother of all diversions to and from. Road building in southern Poland was prolific.

I converted my shots to black and white.....

The train ride in for the prisoners

In lots of places there were fresh flowers left in memorial

A large memorial that has been constructed

What was left of the gas chambers - an attempt to destroy them to hide what went on

This bunch of flowers placed here for a reason I think - shows the whole vista of this death camp

You can read for yourselves.....

A visit that humbled me, something I'm gald I've seen - I think these types of places are a one of visit.

We were inside for around 2hrs. Wifey had left the keys in her bike. Kindly some honest Polish man had removed them and given them to the lady in the gift shop. A good man

He chatted to me, he was intertested in the bikes and where we'd been on our trip

 

[Lord of the Manor]

Gdansk

Other pictures from Krakow and Worclaw I lost because for some reason I deleted them from my camera SD cards after transferring them to my laptop hard drive. Numpty trick – don’t do it. Hard disk on the laptop failed and I lost two days of some great pics.
Krakow and Worclaw are great places to visit. We particularly enjoyed Worclaw, a great place. We stayed in the Holiday Inn 80Euro a night including secure parking and breakfast.

Originally we had planned to visit Warsaw. I wanted to get right up North and visit Gdansk. When I was at school I remember all the Solidarity stuff on the news and wanted to see the place for myself.

I checked how far from Worclaw, roughly 600k, sold it to the wife that it was all doable easy in a day. Foolishly I checked the route on some internet route planner, which did not readily make known it was all on B roads.

So off we sets. After an 1hr wifey asks, well where’s the motorway then? Er… don’t think there is one. There wasn’t.

The route took us through every small village en route. I enjoyed it immensely as it was the Poland I wanted to see. Wifey didn’t as it took us around 13hrs. We saw the small villages, horse and carts on the streets, pup after pub in the middle of nowhere for the lorry drivers. There were lots of young girls along the way obviously providing roadside assistance for the truckers.

We eventually arrived in Gdansk, a long long day to find another pleasant hotel booked through booking.com. 80 Euro a night including breakfast and secure parking. Here is what we saw….

Directley out back from our Hotel - roughly in the middle of the pic

Damage During the war

We took a boat trip to see the docks

Still a working dockyard, hard to find in Europe now

Entertainment on the boat

We enjoyed Gdansk, well worth a trip. Loveley town, people and easy to see the sights on foot.

Going home we stayed in Stetin Poland which was pants, not on the to do list again. Nothing to see at all

Stope before home was Brandenburg. Out of season also not so good, during season it will be filled with boaters and cyclists.

Well, thats all folks, poor end to a poor report.