Luxury Travel Blog

Ideas to inspire your world: luxury, culture, food, travel, style

Destination: Central Europe

Our list of articles tagged with "Central Europe."

November 21, 2022

Favorite Christmas Markets in Europe

Every year from mid-November through late December, thousands of Christmas markets transform town centers throughout Europe into winter wonderlands with twinkling lights, Christmas music and alpine-style wooden chalets overflowing with local crafts and seasonal treats. They’re a highlight of winter holiday travel and a wonderful way to experience a destination’s seasonal cheer. Read more about our favorite Christmas markets in Europe.

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December 28, 2018

Soaking in Budapest’s Thermal Baths

Soaking in Budapest’s legendary thermal baths is a wonderful way to experience the local culture. Artisans of Leisure arranges tickets to the top thermal baths in Budapest, including the Gellert, Szechenyi and others.

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June 18, 2018

History, Food, Crafts, Jewish Touring and More in Poland

Many travelers are aware that Poland is a wonderful destination for culture, history and Jewish heritage. But they may not realize that the country also has beautiful decorative arts, delicious food, vibrant cities and charming traditional villages. The newly opened Raffles Europejski Warsaw hotel is the capital’s most luxurious hotel and the perfect base for […]

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July 25, 2017

Architecture & Design Touring in Vienna

 Vienna, Austria’s stylish and sophisticated capital, is one of our favorite destinations for design and architecture touring. The compact city is a veritable open-air museum of fascinating buildings that reflect its changing styles and power structure over the centuries. As the former capital of the Habsburg Empire, Vienna has a wealth of Baroque architecture, including beautiful churches […]

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June 8, 2017

Jewish Touring in Budapest

With centuries of Jewish history and a large Jewish quarter, the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary, is one of the best places in Europe for Jewish heritage touring. Jews first arrived in the city around the 11th century, establishing a community in Buda, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed district on the right bank of the Danube […]

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September 20, 2016

Jewish Heritage Tours of Poland

Poland has a deep Jewish history that goes back centuries. Before World War II, 3.3 million Jews lived in Poland, making it home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. The Nazis nearly destroyed all of this during WWII and the horrific and tragic Holocaust. However, Poland’s two most interesting cities—Warsaw and […]

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December 31, 2015

Delicious and Hearty Winter Food in Central Europe

Woodsy foraged mushrooms, roast goose with dumplings (above), foie gras, grilled sausages, braised cabbage, dill, sour cream, paprika—these are some of the things that make Central Europe such a satisfying place to eat, particularly over the winter months. Though not always thought of as leading food and drink destinations, cities such as Budapest, Prague, Krakow […]

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November 29, 2015

Exclusive Experience: A Private Tour of the Strahov Library in Prague

Some of our favorite places to visit around the world are libraries, with their collections of unique objects, rare manuscripts, and beautiful works of art that are lesser known yet no less impressive than their counterparts in busy museums. In Prague, Artisans of Leisure arranges private tours of the magnificent Strahov Library, part of the […]

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October 27, 2015

Christmas Markets in Europe

We love visiting European cities during the holiday season, especially to visit the wonderful Christmas markets that take place throughout the region. The markets—which showcase local holiday traditions, seasonal cuisine, and regional crafts—are an amazing way to join in the local holiday cheer. Many cities in Europe—from Salzburg, Austria to Waterford, Ireland—have Christmas markets. Some […]

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June 18, 2015

Chateau Mcely in the Czech Countryside

For travelers wanting a luxurious tour of Central Europe that includes ample time to relax, we arrange a stay at Chateau Mcely, a romantic spa hotel and resort in the beautiful Czech countryside. The hotel’s sprawling, English-style grounds (and the adjacent St. George Forest) offer plenty of spots for nature walks, bike rides and garden […]

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August 15, 2013

A Jewish Tour of Krakow, Poland

Krakow is a compact, UNESCO World Heritage-listed city filled with culture and history, including some of the most interesting Jewish touring in Poland. Before World War II, a quarter of Krakow’s population was Jewish, and many important buildings related to Jewish life still exist in the city. The Kazimierz neighborhood, the historical center of Krakow’s […]

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September 17, 2009

Classical Music: A Central European Tradition

Classical music is the enduring soundtrack of Central Europe and one of the many compelling reasons to visit the region. Some of the world’s greatest composers were born here—including Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and Dvorak—and their musical masterpieces are a legacy treasured by locals and visitors alike. One of our favorite ways to immerse […]

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August 12, 2009

An interview with one of our culinary travel experts

Artisans of Leisure is well known for our private culinary tours in destinations around the world. We hope you enjoy this interview with one of our culinary travel experts. Q: How does food influence how you travel? A: Basically, I travel to eat. Quite often I plan my touring around a certain restaurant I want […]

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June 24, 2009

A conversation with hotel designer Olga Polizzi, Rocco Forte Collection

Olga Polizzi, director of design for the Rocco Forte Collection, is the creative mind behind many of our favorite international hotels, including Hotel de Russie in Rome, Brown’s Hotel in London, and Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg. Olga works closely with her brother, famed hotelier Sir Rocco Forte. We recently spoke with her about travel, […]

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March 31, 2009

Our favorite day trips from Prague

Most travelers fall in love with Prague and never want to leave its fairytale architecture and enchanting backstreets. Prague’s beauty and charm is obvious, but it’s the experience with our guides–who bring the history, traditions, art, architecture, music and cuisine to life–that is what our clients rave about the most. Travelers also appreciate that our […]

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March 24, 2009

Private Jewish Heritage Tours

Many travelers ask us to incorporate people, places and activities of Jewish significance when they are traveling internationally with us. We can incorporate Jewish touring into any of our tours around the world, from Sydney to Shanghai and most places in between. Many travelers simply want us to incorporate some Jewish-related sightseeing in Europe, Asia, […]

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February 24, 2009

An Interview with One of Our Art and Architecture Travel Experts

John is one of the travel experts based in our New York City office. He’s passionate about art and architecture, and helps design our tours around the world. Q: What are your favorite travel destinations? A: Each destination is fascinating in its own way, and I love exploring new places and discovering what’s distinctive about them—local […]

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February 18, 2009

Family festivities during Christmas season in Vienna

Our favorite time to visit Vienna is during the magical holiday season that takes place from late November through December. For families traveling in Vienna during this time, we arrange special activities that are particularly recommended during the holiday season, such as making gingerbread in the kitchen at Schonbrunn Palace. We also arrange for families […]

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February 10, 2009

Antiquing in Vienna

Vienna is one of the best places in Europe to find antiques, and many Artisans of Leisure travelers ask us to arrange their private day tours to include time to browse the best antique districts and visit Vienna’s leading auction houses, including the Dorotheum. For such clients, we assign guides who are particularly knowledgeable about Austrian and […]

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February 5, 2009

Must Stay: The Four Seasons Budapest is a work of art

Every inch of this hotel is absolutely stunning. Our private luxury tours in Budapest include accommodation at the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, and we also arrange other related activities. For example, upon request we take our travelers to meet the renowned artist who created the sculptures in the lobby (see above). Also, the hotel features authentic Zsolnay ceramic […]

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