Abbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Abbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary

Weather: Mainly sunny, 49/83F.

Route: From Bratislava 94.5 km SSE on M1.

Significance: The Benedictine Abbey here was established in 996. Not only did they spread Christianity in Hungary, they wrote the first document in Hungarian and started the first school in Hungary.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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The Abbey (from whc.unesco.org)

Bratislava, Slovakia

 Place: Bratislava, Slovakia

Weather: Sunny with a few clouds, 58/81F.

Route: From Banksa Stiavnica 174 km WSW on E571, E58 and E75.

Population: 440,948

Places to visit: Devin Castle, Bratislava Castle, Modry Kostol, Slavin, Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Michalska Brana, Old Town Hall, Bratislava City Museum, Grassalkovich Palace, Antic Gerulata Rusovce.

Images:

Bratislava Castle (from treksplorer.com)

The main square at Christmas (from erasmusu.com)

Banksa Stiavnica, Slovakia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Banksa Stiavnica, Slovakia

Weather: A few clouds from time to time, 48/75F.

Route: From Levoca 190 km SW on E50.

Population: 10,035

Significance: Sitting in the caldera of an extinct volcano, Banksa Stiavnica was an old mining town. The riches of mining built the beautiful Renaissance architecture.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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The town at dusk (from whc.unesco.org)

Levoca, Slovakia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Levoca, Slovakia

Weather: Sunny along with a few clouds, 45/72F.

Route: From Sarmizegetusa 609 km NW on DN76 and E79.

Population: 14,757

Significance: Just outside Levoca is a ruined 13th/15th castle on a hill, called Spissky Hrad. Inside the town are churches and buildings from the same period.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Spissky Hrad on the hill (from whc.unesco.org)

The town (from whc.unesco.org)

Sarmizegetusa Regia, Romania - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Sarmizegetusa Regia, Romania

Weather: Sunny along with a few clouds, 48/68F.

Route: From Sighisoara 222 km WSW on DN14 and A1.

Significance: Sarmizegetusa was the capital of the Dacians, a powerful people who controlled present day Romania, Moldavia and parts of surrounding countries as well. It's zenith was in the 1st century BC - it finally was defeated by the Roman Emperor Trajan in 105 CE.  All that remains of the old capital are the ruins of their temples and fortresses.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Ruins of Dacian temples (from whc.unesco.org)

Sighisoara, Romania - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Sighisoara, Romania

Weather: Generally sunny, 45/72F.

Route: From Odessa 687 km west on E581.

Population: 28,102

Significance: Sighisoara, located in Transylvania, is good example of a fortified medieval town - first settled by Germans in the 12th century. It is also known as being the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler in the 15th century - model for Dracula.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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German style old town with clock tower in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

Hillside garden with a view of the old town and the surrounding hills (from whc.unesco.org)

Odessa, Ukraine

 Place: Odessa, Ukraine

Weather: Mainly sunny, 51/70F.

Route: From Chernivtsi 683 km SE on E95 and M05.

Population: 1,017,699

Places to visit: Secrets of Underground Odessa Museum, Museum of Interesting Science, City Garden, Odessa Art Museum, T. Shevchenko Central Park, Jewish Museum of Odessa, Catacombs of Odessa, Paleontologic Museum, Odessa Archaeological Museum, Museum of Western and Eastern Art.

Images:

Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater (from thecrazytourist.com)

Shevchenka Park (from independent.co.uk)