OK, as far as I can tell, I will be in Prague next semeter. I am looking for some weekend trips to some unconvential destinations. Sorry, Paris and London do not appeal to me. Only requirements are that it is doable in a weekend, and entry/exit requirements aren't harsh (i.e., no visa rqts).
When I say unconvential, I want places that I would tell someone I was headed to, and their response would be along the lines of 'why would you want to go there' or 'do you have a death wish'. I don't want to jump into the middle of a war zone, but I would not mind seeing what a politically unstable country is like.
History and interesting architecture is most what I am interested in. I'd love to do either St. Petersburg or Moscow, but the visa requirements look slightly daunting for a weekend trip. One I am seriously considering is one of the Balkan States. Always wanted to see Tiblisi too, for some unknown reason.
So, any suggestions? Any suggestions for where to look for inspiration?
I HIGHLY recommend Sofia, best place in Eastern Europe in my opinion. Bulgaria is a blast. Only order "za gore ka" when you ask for beer. Zagreb, Croatia is fun too. A while ago, I could have gotten you an intro to various NATO forces. Then again, I could have hooked ya up with various arms dealers in Sofia. Anything you want. AK's, RPG's, tanks, you name it. Cash only, of course.
Pristine, Kosova. UN occupied, if you wanted first hand experience with that lot. If ya get in trouble tho, NATO forces have all the guns.
Belgrade, Serbia. Fairly tame these days, but had a nice mini war and ethnic cleansing not that long ago. You'd be fine in Belgrade. Ya might have to deal with some BS to get a visa, as it's not in the EU, but the govt wouldn't do anything to ya as a US citizen. They'd execute me on sight, tho. So tell 'em I sent ya if ya want a tour of the State Security Special Forces' prison.
Macedonia is pretty boring. Greece is nice if you like beaches and bad alcohol. Poland is surprisingly nice.
