Sports+Travel Singapore Issue 53 Extra by Sports+Travel

Rail Europe Special Germany | Austria | Hungary | Czech Republic

Suggested

Itineraries Munich

Vienna

Marienplatz

Located within picturesque scenery – with alps, lakes, and spectacular castles – Munich is Germany's second largest city. Walking is the best way to explore the city’s architecture. Start off at Hauptbahnhof, and you’ll hit St. Michael’s Church and Frauenkirche (climb the twin domed towers for a bird’s eye view of the city) on the way to Marienplatz, the heart of the Old Town. Here, see the famous Glockenspiel’s noonday 15minute performance before exploring the gargoyles of St. Peterskirche and the neo-Gothic New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus). As Munich is synonymous with beer, you can visit famous beer halls like Hofbrauhaus and Augustiner Braustuben. Olympic Park

Budapest Széchenyi Baths

Schoenbrunn Palace

Budapest is essentially 2 cities (Buda and Pest) separated by the Danube River. In Buda, ascend the funicular to the landmark Castle Hill, with its Royal Palace and the Budapest History Museum. Stroll the streets to the neo-Gothic Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion with its whimsical turrets and sensational views of the city. End the day at Gellert Hill, a charming landscaped hillside full of impressive monuments.

Visit the catacombs of St. Stephen’s Cathedral before climbing to the top of the bell tower for a view of Vienna. Stroll down the grand pedestrian mall of Kärntnerstrasse on your way to the Hofburg Palace, the winter home of the Habsburg Court, with its lavishly decorated Kaiserappartements.

The athletically-inclined can swim and ice-skate at the Olympia Park, which was built for the 1972 summer Olympics. Entrance is free and you can walk around this large complex, which also includes Olympiastadion. The Munich Residence – built as a small castle in 1385 – is where you’ll find over 600 years of Bavarian history and includes a number of courts, gardens, museums and a church. The sprawling English Gardens is Europe’s largest city centre park, which includes a Chinese Garden and a large artificial lake, where locals come to relax.

In Pest, stroll around the avenue of Andrássy út and Heroes’ Square (underneath the area is the old subway network, with many stations retaining their original appearance). The Opera House and the Basilica of St. Stephen are must-sees. Nearby is the City Park, where you can drop by the whimsical Vajdahunyad Castle.

Known for its thermal springs and home to the second oldest subway in the world, historic Budapest is relatively small easy to walk around; a few days is ideal to explore all it has to offer.

These 4 main cities are not only the transportation hubs within their respective countries, they are also heritage sites that are well worth exploring on their own. The itineraries below give only the briefest of glimpses into their attractions; while it is possible to do a day-trip – thanks to their excellent infrastructure – spending a few days in each city allows you to truly explore their essence and individuality.

Take a dip in the warm therapeutic waters of Széchenyi Baths (one of the largest thermal spas in Europe) before visiting the grandiose Parliament House, built in the Gothic Revival style and still the largest building in Hungary (tallest in Budapest). Fisherman’s Bastion

As Austria’s capital, Vienna’s musical legacy is evident in the city’s many theaters, opera houses and concert venues. In between cultural visits, take time to enjoy Vienna’s coffee culture. The Vienna Card allows you to travel on its public transportation for free, and also gets discounts at museums, restaurants, theatres, and the like. Hop on the Vienna Ring Tram around Ringstrasse, as it passes significant sights like City Hall, the Parliament Building, and the State Opera House.

Prague

Check out the ancient open market of Naschmarket and explore Vienna’s imperial past at the Schoenbrunn Palace and Park. Visit the opulent rooms of Empress Elizabeth’s former summer residence, explore the Baroque gardens and the vast 17th century maze. In the evening, you can enjoy a concert of Mozart or Strauss at the Palace Orangery on the palace grounds or at the many opulent concert halls in the city. Hofburg Palace

Lesser Town Bridge Towers

Prague is a great walking city with 3 days being sufficient to enjoy Prague's main sights. The city is separated by the Vltava River; the left bank is home to the Prague Castle area and Lesser Town, and the right bank has the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, and the New Town. Visit the Old Town Square and climb to the top of the Old Town Hall tower for a spectacular view. Head to the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) and visit the Moorishdesigned Jubilee Synagogue and the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest working synagogue in Central Europe. Walk across the landmark Charles Bridge which spans the Vltava River connecting the Old Town and Lesser Town. Prague Castle

Visit Prague Castle; it’s not a single castle on the hill, but a series of buildings with hundreds of years of history and breathtaking views of the city. Explore the Lesser Town, along the historic Nerudova Street down to Malostranské namesti. Along the river is the John Lennon Wall, etched with graffiti from around the world and is a striking symbol of peace. You can also spend the day indoors at the many museums: the Mucha Museum features the life and work of Alphonse Mucha in a Baroque house, while the Lapidarium features priceless original stone sculptures from around Prague.

Railway Map Germany of East Europe

Travelling in Germany takes you through sixteen states, each with its own unique cuisine, local customs, and complicated history, all of which can be enjoyed with local beer. MUNICH

Munich is the cultural and political heart of Bavaria. It used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria, and is arguably the capital of German beer. It’s the birthplace of the famous Oktoberfest, and the world’s oldest beer quality law, the Reinheitsgebot, originated in nearby Ingolstadt. Spend your days visiting Munich’s great museums and beer halls, or take in the sights at Schloss Nymphenburg’s gardens and on Maximilianstrasse, a grand boulevard constructed for King Maximilian II.

5 DAYS EUROPEAN EAST PASS

1st class: S$406 | 2nd class: S$281 Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig II’s Romanesque Revival dream of a castle, was completed in 1892 – seven years after the reclusive king’s death. Its fairytale turrets, medieval art-inspired interiors, and dramatic mountain setting make Neuschwanstein the ultimate expression of late-nineteenth century nostalgia. Guided tours (30 minutes long, in German and English) are the only way the public is allowed into the castle, but you’re free to roam the grounds on your own.

ITINERARY Neuschwanstein

GERMANY

Munich – Salzburg (1h 30m) Point to Point fare S$86 (2nd class), S$125 (1st class)

Munich

Salzburg – Vienna (3h) With European East Pass fare S$390 (2nd class), S$515 (1st class)

Prague

CZECH REPUBLIC

Austria Munich

SALZBURG

Vienna – Budapest (2h 50m) Use European East Pass

SLOVAKIA

Budapest – Prague (7h) Vienna Austria has occupied a special place in the world’s imagination Use European East Pass for a long time, with its rich rural traditions, centres of high art Also available on direct overnight Salzburg and sparkling cities lining the banks of the Danube. train (10h). Cabins are available Budapest at additional cost from S$45 (6 AUSTRIA

HUNGARY

to a cabin) to S$142 (single

cabin) © Österreich Werbung / Popp & Hackner Prague – Munich (6h) Point to Point fare S$151 (2nd class), S$225 (1st class)

Vienna Salzburg

GETTING AROUND EAST EUROPE Entering Eisriesenwelt (literally ‘world

of the icefrom giants’), thetoworld’s largest Choices in Rail Travel across Europe are endless Point iceboard cave, ishigh a mindblowing Point Tickets to Rail Passes, enjoy travel on speed, experience. Tours take visitors through cavernous regional trains, night trains and scenic trains.

subterranean halls and past 100-foottall ice formations. Discovered in 1879, Talk to your travel agent to get the best fares and advice. Book the cave’s ice-clad interiors are early for the best fares. preserved by chilly winds and sub-zero Salzburg’s most famous son, Mozart, is temperatures, even in the summer. the focus of the city’s international image, For online booking, visit www.raileurope.com.sg. but the place has a lot more to offer than shops full of Mozart paraphernalia. Interesting sites include St. Sebastian’s Cemetery, where the great Paracelsus rests amidst fantastically morbid funereal monuments, and the Dom Museum, which houses the contents of 17th century Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich’s extensive wunderkammer (cabinet of curiosities).

VIENNA As far as the world’s great cities go, Vienna (pop. 1.7 million) is tiny. But it’s always been a cultural giant, home to one of Europe’s most important royal lineages and some of history’s greatest thinkers and creators: Wittgenstein, Strauss, Haydn, Klimt and Rilke, to name a few. The past is remarkably well preserved in Vienna. Take a walk along the famous Ringstrasse, a boulevard circling the city centre, and you’ll be treated to a view that has hardly changed in the past 150 years: imposing, monumental buildings in the 19th century Historicist style (characterised by a distinctive hodge-podge of architectural styles from different eras).

Hungary Hungary’s landscape of great lakes and grasslands has been the meeting place of east and west for centuries, producing a unique linguistic and cultural heritage.

BUDAPEST

SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR

The west and east banks of Hungary’s capital were unified in 1873, but the differences between Buda and Pest remain clear: Buda (on the west bank) has a more medieval character, filled with verdant hills and winding, narrow streets over which Castle Hill looms magnificently, while Pest (on the east bank) houses 19th century gems like the iron-and-glass Western Railway Station. Like most other cities in Eastern Europe, Budapest has seen more than its fair share of occupying powers pass through its gates, and consequently the city contains an

The ancient royal city of Székesfehérvár is practically an open air museum, where you can see Gothic cathedrals, the ruins of St. Stephen’s 10th century basilica, and Zopf-style grand houses. In the suburbs stands Bory Castle, a 20th century curiosity constructed by sculptor Jenõ Bory.

Aggtelek National Park

Hortobágy National Park

Budapest Székesfehérvár

Pécs

PÉCS

Pécs, in south-west Hungary, gets its intellectual, cultured charm from the museums and academic institutions that fill its streets. It’s home to the University of Pécs and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Early Christian Necropolis). Other highlights include the Mosque of Pasha Qasim, built by Turkish conquerors in the 17th century, which currently houses the Inner Town Parish Church.

Aggtelek National Park contains the largest stalactite cave in Europe, Baradla Cave, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst) spanning the border between Hungary and Slovakia. Baradla Cave is split into chambers filled with imaginatively named stalactite formations (like ‘Mother-in-Law’s Tongue’), which were formed over millions of years. The grand ‘Concert Hall’ chamber is a popular venue for classical recitals, thanks to its excellent acoustics.

unusual mix of Turkish-style baths, Roman ruins and Baroque palaces. More recent regimes have left their mark through destruction, rather than construction: bullet holes made during the Nazi occupation and the 1956 Hungarian Uprising remain in buildings to this day. The downtown area (containing districts 1 to 8) is a great place to explore. The Chain and Liberty Bridges across the Danube are surrounded by basilicas, government buildings and cultural centres. District 7 in particular boasts large and beautiful synagogues, and buzzing nightlife.

Hortobágy National Park, located near Debrecen (Hungary’s second largest city), contains 82,000 hectares of plains and wetlands, is the natural habitat of the Raczka Sheep and Mangalica Pig, as well as an important stopover for thousands of migratory birds every year. Visitors get a chance to learn about the ancient culture of the Great Hungarian Plain, through exhibitions and restaurants located throughout the park.

Czech

Republic The landlocked Czech Republic, traditionally divided into the lands of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia, is small but packed with natural and cultural wonders.

MELNIK Melník is about 35 km north of Prague and in the middle of a major agricultural area. The town’s bucolic, laid-back air makes it a relaxing day trip destination. Visit the castle and the surrounding vineyards, and see the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, under which lies one of the town’s most popular attractions: an ossuary (crypt containing human bones) opened in the 16th century after the local cemetery ran out of space during a plague outbreak.

PRAGUE Nestled against the meandering Vltava River, Prague is famed for its labyrinthine streets, charming squares, and excellent beer. Over the centuries, Prague’s street level rose dramatically and unevenly, which means there are numerous forgotten underground passageways lurking behind doors and corners. The Hradcany district at the city centre has as its highlight the ancient Prague Castle, now the president’s residence. A short walk away from Prague’s historic heart are: the

A tour of Cesky Ráj, a protected area better known as Bohemian Paradise, will take you past castles, ruins and geological wonders. Turnov, a town within the protected area, is a good place to start your tour – the Hrubá Skála rock formations and Valdstejn, Kost and Trosky castles are nearby. Buses and trains from Prague, which is 90km away from Turnov, depart several times a day and stop at towns within Bohemian Paradise.

old Jewish Quarter (Josefov), where elegant Art Nouveau townhouses coexist with medieval reminders of the centuries of oppression suffered by the Quarter’s inhabitants; the Old Town (Staré Mesto), home to Wenceslas Square and a 15th century astronomical clock; the New Town (Nové Mesto, and by “new” the Czechs mean six hundred years old), dreamt up by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV; and the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana), a 13th century precinct now home to government offices, embassies and galleries.

OLOMOUC Cesky Ráj Melník

Prague Olomouc

Sumava National Park

The Sumava mountain range, located within a homonymous national park near the border with Germany, can be explored via cycling and hiking trails. During the Cold War, the mountains fell just east of the Iron Curtain, and aside from views of glacial lakes and undisturbed woodland, there are exhibits and historical sites telling tales of escape attempts and divided communities.

Olomouc, overlooked by most tourists but rivaling Prague in beauty and history, was the ancient capital of Moravia in the country’s east. Like many university towns, Olomouc combines a vibrant, youthful atmosphere with a long history, and is home to some of Europe’s most exquisitely decorated churches. Be sure to visit the city’s Baroque fountains, and see the 15th century town hall’s famous astronomical clock, which was refurbished in the 1950s and features figures of workers instead of saints. © CzechTourism.com

Railway Map of East

Europe

5 DAYS EUROPEAN EAST PASS

1st class: S$406 | 2nd class: S$281

ITINERARY Munich – Salzburg (1h 30m) Point to Point fare S$86 (2nd class), S$125 (1st class)

GERMANY

Salzburg – Vienna (3h) With European East Pass fare S$390 (2nd class), S$515 (1st class)

Prague

CZECH REPUBLIC Vienna

Munich

SLOVAKIA

Salzburg

AUSTRIA

Budapest

HUNGARY

Vienna – Budapest (2h 50m) Use European East Pass Budapest – Prague (7h) Use European East Pass Also available on direct overnight train (10h). Cabins are available at additional cost from S$45 (6 to a cabin) to S$142 (single cabin) Prague – Munich (6h) Point to Point fare S$151 (2nd class), S$225 (1st class)

GETTING AROUND EAST EUROPE Choices in Rail Travel across Europe are endless from Point to Point Tickets to Rail Passes, enjoy travel on board high speed, regional trains, night trains and scenic trains. Talk to your travel agent to get the best fares and advice. Book early for the best fares. For online booking, visit www.raileurope.com.sg.