Central Europe and the Fall of the Iron Curtain

Central Europe and the Fall of the Iron Curtain

Twenty years ago, the Iron Curtain rolled back across Central Europe, freeing the people behind it to join their counterparts on the continent. Countries on both sides of the curtain at the time-the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Poland-are now at the heart of Europe and an integral part of Europe's economy.
 
To commemorate the events that precipitated this rapid change, Central European nations host concerts, festivities, museum exhibitions and more throughout 2009. Collectively, the Central Europe Experience (CEE), a travel marketing coalition of the six countries in the region, is promoting the events. Visitors interested in learning more about the Central Europe Experience, the special events and its attractions for today's travelers can do so at www.gotocentraleurope.com. 
 
As developed as things are now, at the beginning of 1989, a successful transition to Western democracy was no sure thing for the Eastern countries. Instead, democratic movements started in dribs and drabs, with grassroots campaigns organized by students and dissidents. Poland's Solidarity movement, born on the ship worker's docks in Gdansk, grew strong enough to win the region's first free elections in June of 1989. By the end of the month, the foreign ministers of Austria and Hungary were standing at the border, cutting through the barbed wire fence separating the two nations. 
 
 
Soon, tens of thousands of East Germans headed for Hungary or other parts of the Eastern Bloc, hoping to emigrate West. It was this literal movement of people that opened the floodgates to the West. On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall started to crumble signifying a peaceful reunification of East and West Germany. Soon, demonstrations spread east, with scores filling Wenceslas Square in Prague and SNP Square in Bratislava, moved by the suppression of student protests by the government earlier in the month. By the end of December, the famous dissident and playwright Vaclav Havel was president of Czechoslovakia, with the Velvet Revolution a complete success. 
 
Two decades on, celebrations and commemorative events are legion. At the end of August, the Hungarian town of Sopron, where the barbed wire between east and west was first cut, hosts a bicycle race along the 1,000 miles European Green Belt. And in Poland, young people travel through the country from August 26 to September 2 visiting places such as Krakow, Auschwitz, Warsaw and Gdansk, which are all very important to the movement of freedom and independence. In Berlin, a Festival of Freedom will be held around the historic Brandenburg Gate on November 9. The area will be jammed with concerts and street fairs. In Vienna, the anniversary might be marked with a toast: the part of Austria that shares a border with Hungary is now the Burgenland wine zone, producing excellent red wine. Across the border, Budapest's museums are preparing for the occasion: at the House of Terror, rotating exhibitions covering Hungary's Communist era are always on display, while at Memento Park, many of the former regime's statues and icons are living out their days in a verdant open-air space. To the north, Prague's Old Town Square will be the venue for a concert with top Czech music artists on November 17th, while in Slovakia the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising will feature a series of lectures on the events of 1989 and their impact on life in former Czechoslovakia. 
 
Whether you're celebrating the anniversary or not, now is great time to visit Central Europe. From the Austrian Alps to Slovakia's High Tatras, there's great skiing to be had in the winter and kayaking, hiking and biking in the warmer months. Berlin, Prague and Vienna are rife with restaurants, whether those with Michelin stars or local pubs and coffee houses serving schnitzel, currywurst, apple-strudel, or plum dumplings. Cities like Dresden and Salzburg beautifully preserve the architecture of the past while Budapest, Bratislava and Munich are centers of nightlife, design and culture. And everywhere, there's history-whether it is that of 1,000 years ago or just two decades-to explore. 
 
So visit Central Europe and be part of these exciting events and celebrations. Discover the region's charms for yourself!
 
For more information and to plan your trip visit www.gotocentraleurope.com.