Probably not a lot of Cheapos would normally add the National Museum of Military History (92 Cherkovna str.) to their list of “must-see” sights in the Bulgarian capital. The Web site is not calculated to wow the casual surfer, but it does have some splendid promotional nonsense: “Everyone who has crossed the threshold of this museum enters the Bulgarian temple of immortality.”

So if you want immortality Bulgarian-style, you know where to head.

Mission impossible

It’s hard to say that things are much better at the National Polytechnic Museum, which has as its mission “to collect everything created by our ancestors in the past because in them are contained the signs of knowledge.”

Grand stuff, but that’s another cultural treasure that we’ve somehow missed. Next time we are in Sofia with a month to spare, perhaps.

Museum of Socialist Art

But don’t give up entirely on Sofia’s museums, for tucked away around the city are a few gems. The one that has hit the headlines this fall, and for all the right reasons, is the new Museum of Socialist Art (7 Luchezar Stanchev). It opened in September 2011 and is already attracting very positive reviews in Bulgaria and beyond.

The exhibits

The museum displays about 150 pieces that for the last two decades have been hidden away in vaults and cellars. The country’s transition to democracy has not always been easy, but the authorities have decided that now is the time to show how artists variously suffered and thrived in the socialist period.

Visitors to the museum, which is tucked away in a side street south-east of the city center, are confronted at the entrance with a classic stereotype: the massive five-pointed red star that for many years topped the Communist Party Headquarters in Sofia. There is also a 45-ton statue of Lenin in the museum’s sculpture garden.  Previously it stood in one of Sofia’s central squares.

Lots of splendid late 20th-century art, and more than merely the predictable socialist realism, help make this a top choice for culture vultures looking for an engaging diversion in Sofia.

The post Bulgaria: Exploring Sofia’s museums appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Europe made a good showing of course, with almost every country of the continent there to present its case for a share of the tourist dollar. Almost every. But not quite all.

Belarus was sadly unrepresented at this year’s ITB, its absence a quiet reminder that there is still one part of Europe fairly undiscovered by tourists. That will not last for long.

Late last year the first ever English language travel guide to Belarus was published by Bradt Travel Guides. And the current issue of hidden europe magazine has a feature on the small Belarusian town of Vetka, a place in the far southeast of the country that was terribly afflicted by radioactive fallout from Chernobyl in nearby Ukraine. That article was written by Nigel Roberts, the author of the new Bradt guide to the country.

Belarusian intrigue

Belarus is one Europe’s most intriguing countries, a survivor from the Soviet era where Lenin still stands on his plinth, the trains still run to time, and the streets are impeccably clean. We were impressed on our last visit. Towns like Grodna and Minsk will before long surely cut a dash in the European tourist market.

This summer budget carrier Wizzair is offering twice weekly flights to L’viv in Ukraine from both London and Dortmund. And Air Baltic, as well as serving Moldova and Ukraine from its Riga hub, will also fly into the Belarus capital Minsk.

For folk less inclined to hop on a plane, Belarus is well served by regular bus services from Vilnius and has excellent rail links with neighbouring Poland. The capital has a daily direct overnight train to Berlin.

If Belarus appeals, don’t forget that you need a visa. And go soon. We have a sense that it is a country on the brink of change.

The post Top destination for 2009: Belarus! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Collectables for comrades

Multiple open-air markets around the formerly-communist Krakow are a feast for bargain-hunters. Medals, pins, and statuettes featuring the many faces of Lenin can be found at affordable prices.

The Old Kleparz Market is nearest to the city center. On Tuesday and Friday, you’ll find interesting old trinkets for sale. (On other days, the market sells food, flowers and clothes.)

The vendor scene on Grzegorzecka Street near the Market Hall is the busiest in Krakow, and you’ll find books and unearthed antique treasures every Sunday. (On other days, you’ll find meat, fruits and vegetables for sale.)

More vendors sell their wares at the Tomex Market in Nowa Huta, while Krakow’s antique dealers are mainly located around the Platy gardens.

Note: Although we recommend picking up some cheapo communist bric-a-brac, especially valuable antique items predating 1945 are illegal for export without special permission. However, items of lesser value from this period are not only safe for export, but plentiful.

While you’re at it…

Hit the Propaganda Pub, located at 20 Miodowa, for a beer. The walls are covered and the tables are chock full of communist memories.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Krakow, along with our review of the Good Bye Lenin Hostel.

The post Krakow cheap souvenir: Communist mementos appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.