Easter European Destinations

Yes, Easter is here! As most people are still not able to freely travel this year at Easter time, I hope this post will bring you joy and allow you to vicariously experience some of my favorite Easter European Destinations! I will share my Easter trips to Cyprus, Budapest, and Spain. Maybe you can plan to visit these locations in the future or even for Easter next year!

Cyprus

We went to Cyprus a couple of years ago during the Easter period. We had never been and were looking to discover a new place in Europe. Our trip was booked through a travel agency as an organized group tour. I shared some info about this type of travel in my blog post ‘Tour Packages – Pros and Cons‘. As I mentioned in that post, there are some countries I feel safer visiting with an organized tour.

Cyprus is the third-largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. The island country is divided into two parts. The northern part is called the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” while the southern part is called the “Independent Republic of Cyprus” or the “Greek Cyprus.” For this reason, it’s like visiting two countries within one.

In the capital city of Nicosia, we had to show our passports at the border crossing (called the Green Line and known as the UN buffer zone) which separates the Turkish and Greek republics. Nicosia is the only capital in the world that is divided between two nations – the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. A day trip to Nicosia is well worth it to see this colorful and vibrant city.

Our hotel for the week was located in Kyrenia on the north coast of the island. As it was an organized tour package, we couldn’t choose our hotel but found this one very nice and well situated.

The town of Kyrenia had a castle and scenic harbor. There were many waterside restaurants to choose from. We had some free days from our tour where we could relax and take a short walk into town.

Cyprus has a long and fascinating history. It was inhabited 9000 years ago by the Romans, Greeks, and Turks. There are ancient archaeological sites dating back to the Stone Age, masterpieces of French Gothic architecture, churches, and historic monasteries – 10 of which are listed in Unesco World Heritage.

The terrain of the island is varied and includes the Troodos mountain range, ancient vineyards, gorgeous bays, and beautiful beaches. As we were there in April, it was not warm enough to enjoy water sports. The island gets very crowded with tourists in the summer.

Here are a few interesting facts about Cyprus:

• Out of the total 1950 species of flowering plants worldwide, 140 are found nowhere but in Cyprus.

• With almost 80% of the population following the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox faith, Easter is the main holiday in Cyprus.

• Mount Olympus is the highest peak in Cyprus at 6402 ft above sea level.

• On average, Cyprus receives 40 days of rainfall each year.

I really enjoyed seeing all the different parts of this Mediterranean island. If you are looking for a nice climate (17c/63f) in March or April, Cyprus is a good choice. For more photos from my trip, check out my Facebook album.

Budapest, Hungary

I’ve been to Budapest two times, the last time was around Easter in 2019 with my two daughters. I love this town. There is plenty to see and do in Budapest.

Budapest is the capital of Hungary and has the Danube River running through it, separating the hilly Buda (West) side from the flat Pest (East) side. The Parliament building is a major landmark on the Pest side and is the largest parliament building in Europe.

If you like walking, you can do lots of it here to see all the sights. There are nice paths by the river. My girls love to visit vintage thrift shops so we were on a mission one day to find as many as we could.

One of the must-dos when in Budapest is to visit a spa or bathhouse. Budapest is the only large city in the world that has so many fountains of healing water, with 70 million liters of 21-78 Celsius warm thermal from its 118 natural thermal springs.

The most famous spa is called Szechenyi, but we chose to spend a couple of hours in the Gellert bathhouse which opened in 1918.

Another fun thing to do in Budapest is to visit the many ‘ruin’ bars. Ruin bars are abandoned buildings or warehouses that are converted into ornately decorated and funky bars and restaurants. They began in Budapest around 2004 and are primarily located in the Jewish District. We went to the original and famous ‘Szimpla Kert’ ruin bar. My daughters loved it.

Amazing views can be seen from the castle and Fisherman’s Bastion on the Buda side of the river. You can take a tour bus to get to the highest point or ride a funicular to the top.

No trip to Budapest is complete without taking a river cruise. We chose to take our cruise at night and have absolutely no regrets! The city is all lit up and it makes for a lovely and relaxing experience. You can buy a combined ticket with the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus tour.

Here are a few other highlights not to miss:

• Shoes on the Danube River – a memorial to 3,500 people killed by fascists in Budapest during the Second World War.
• Chain Bridge – opened in 1894 and designed by an English engineer and built by a Scot, is a symbol of national pride and economic advancement
• Great Market Hall – a restored neo-Gothic tunnel where you can pick up the best local produce and handicrafts

I highly recommend spending a few days in Budapest. For more photos and videos of my last trip there, check out my Facebook album!

Madrid, Spain

I have been to many places in Spain over the years, but one of my favorite trips was a long weekend in Madrid at Easter time in 2013.

Madrid is a great city to visit and you can walk to see most of the highlights. There are beautiful buildings and architecture to enjoy.

One of the most famous buildings is the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). It’s the official residence of the Spanish royal family but is generally only used for special occasions. It’s the largest royal palace in western Europe and has a blend of baroque and neoclassical styles. The lavishly-decorated palace was built in the mid-1700s.

Madrid has plenty of shopping opportunities. My favorite store there was the huge Desigual clothing store. There are also lots of souvenir shops to peruse through. In addition to shopping, the food is amazing. Don’t miss the many tapa bars where you can sample the local Spanish specialties!

I would recommend a visit to the famous park in Madrid called Retiro Park. It is an 118-acre haven with more than 15,000 trees amongst its beautiful monuments, sculptures and gardens. 

In this park, there is the iron and glass pavilion built to house the Philippine Exhibition in 1887. You could spend the whole day walking through this park or taking a boat ride in the big ponds.

It is possible to easily visit two neighboring cities of Madrid. We took a short train ride from Madrid to visit Segovia and Toledo.

We were curious to see up close the famous Aqueduct in Segovia. It was built during the second half of the 1st century A.D. under the rule of the Roman Empire and supplied water from the Frío River to the city into the 20th century. The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the most intact Roman aqueducts in Europe.

It is amazing that there is no mortar or cement between the 20,400 blocks of stone, which remain standing solidly in a perfect balance of forces. The highest point of the construction is on Plaza del Azoguejo, where it is 28.10 m high, with a total of 167 arches.

Also worth seeing in Segovia is the medieval castle called the Alcázar of Segovia. It is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The castle was originally built as a fortress but has also served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College, and a military academy. 

The visit to Toledo was also nice. We walked around and took in the ambiance of this historical city.

In the center is the Cathedral Primada. This monument is one of the most impressive examples of gothic architecture in the entire country. It was finished towards the end of the 15th century, more than 200 years after construction began. 

We saw from a distance the medieval San Servando Castle near the Tagus River. It began in the 7th century as a monastery occupied by monks and later by the Knights Templar.

If you visit Madrid, I recommend these daily excursions to nearby Segovia and Toledo to see a smaller side of Spain!

Summary

I hope you enjoyed seeing and hearing about these three Easter European destinations! I am staying home in Switzerland this year for Easter but hope I can visit new places this time next year. Leave a comment below to share your favorite destinations at Easter time! Wishing you a very Happy Easter!

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!