I hope everyone is nurturing some travel dreams for the not too distant future, and in this post I’ll give my top recommendations for where to travel in Eastern and Central Europe over the next year. As much damage as the pandemic has done to the travel industry, for people who are ready to hit the road again soon, you’ll find some incredible opportunities and bargains.

If you want to do a deep dive on the most important family in European history—or, heck, even if you don’t want to go fully down the rabbit hole, but do want to learn a bit more—then I’ve got some resources for you. These are a few websites, movies/tv series, and books (besides the one I wrote) that are all worth exploring. Enjoy—I’d be interested to hear if you have any favorites!

You can easily imagine that the Habsburgs, as the most important family in European history, amassed some pretty amazing real estate. And who hasn’t dreamed of living in a palace, of relishing the crème-de-la-crème life of European royalty? The Habsburgs didn’t have to dream, of course, but we can all indulge our “let them eat cake” fantasies by touring the lavish homes they left behind. So let’s play “House Hunters International” with my picks for the most fabulous Habsburg palaces!

The Czech Republic’s Vltava River begins in the Šumava Mountains, ends near Prague, and flows through some of the country’s most beautiful scenery. That’s why it inspired the most famous piece of classical music in Czech culture: the symphonic poem Vltava (you might know its English title, The Moldau), named after the river, and composed by Bedřich Smetana. Smetana’s piece is a paean to the wonders of the Czech landscape.

One of the most storied areas in the Czech Republic are the Krkonoše Mountains, on the border with Poland. Krkonoš is the Czech name for the famous local mountain spirit, also known by his German moniker Rübezahl... who sometimes takes the form of a giant.

Amazing architecture, a romantic spot for a kiss, essential infrastructure to cross rivers and neighborhoods, or just the perfect place for a sunset photo; here are five bridges in Eastern Europe that offer all of these uses and more.