April 29 – May 13 Β· 15 days

Between Domes & Danube

A field journal from a slow journey across six countries β€” Sofia to Prague, through golden cathedrals, Habsburg ballrooms, ruin bars, mountain castles, and a hundred thermal springs.

Countries
6
Cities
8
Sights
53
SofiaπŸ‡§πŸ‡¬ Bulgaria β€” SofiaPlovdivπŸ‡§πŸ‡¬ Bulgaria β€” PlovdivViennaπŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ή Austria β€” ViennaBratislavaπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡° Slovakia β€” BratislavaBudapestπŸ‡­πŸ‡Ί Hungary β€” BudapestBraΘ™ovπŸ‡·πŸ‡΄ Romania β€” BraΘ™ovBucharestπŸ‡·πŸ‡΄ Romania β€” BucharestPragueπŸ‡¨πŸ‡Ώ Czechia β€” Prague

The chapters

Six countries, one notebook

Field postcards

Scenes along the way

Snapshots from the slow journey across six countries β€” golden domes, river crossings, thermal baths, and cobblestone lanes from Sofia to Prague.

Golden Domes of Sofia01

Golden Domes of Sofia

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral glowing in the morning light

Plovdiv's Old Town02

Plovdiv's Old Town

Cobblestone lanes and Revival-era houses on the ancient hills

Asen's Fortress03

Asen's Fortress

Centuries-old mountaintop fort ruins with a restored church

Bratislava Castle04

Bratislava Castle

Reconstructed Baroque castle dating back to 907 A.D.located on a hilltop.

Budapest by Night05

Budapest by Night

The Parliament building mirrored in the Danube

Thermal Baths06

Thermal Baths

Steaming waters at one of Budapest's legendary bathhouses

Vienna's Ring07

Vienna's Ring

Baroque grandeur along the Ringstraße

Bratislava Old Town08

Bratislava Old Town

Pastel facades and cafΓ© terraces by the Slovak capital's castle

Charles Bridge at Dawn09

Charles Bridge at Dawn

Fog lifting over Prague's Gothic bridge and its 30 saints

Prague Castle View10

Prague Castle View

Red rooftops stretching beneath the world's largest ancient castle

Swipe to see more β†’

Day by day

The itinerary

  1. πŸ‡§πŸ‡¬

    Bulgaria

    Apr 29 – May 2

    Began with golden domes in Sofia and ended on Plovdiv's seven hills, one of Europe's oldest inhabited cities.

    Sofia Β· 4Plovdiv Β· 8Read chapter β†’
  2. πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ή

    Austria

    May 3 – May 5

    Vienna β€” imperial palaces, Gothic spires, and the unhurried ritual of the coffeehouse.

    Vienna Β· 7Read chapter β†’
  3. πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡°

    Slovakia

    May 5 – May 6

    Bratislava β€” a compact medieval old town where the Danube meets quirky modern sculpture.

    Bratislava Β· 5Read chapter β†’
  4. πŸ‡­πŸ‡Ί

    Hungary

    May 6 – May 8

    Budapest β€” twin cities on the Danube, ruin bars in abandoned tenements, and a hundred thermal springs.

    Budapest Β· 9Read chapter β†’
  5. πŸ‡·πŸ‡΄

    Romania

    May 8 – May 10

    From BraΘ™ov's Saxon squares and Transylvanian castles to Bucharest's 'Little Paris' boulevards.

    BraΘ™ov Β· 5Bucharest Β· 6Read chapter β†’
  6. πŸ‡¨πŸ‡Ώ

    Czechia

    May 10 – May 13

    Prague β€” the world's largest ancient castle complex, eggshell bridges, and Kafka's cafΓ©s.

    Prague Β· 9Read chapter β†’

Final reflection

What the journey connected

  • Roman ruins in Bulgaria
  • Imperial grandeur in Vienna
  • Medieval old towns in Slovakia and Czechia
  • Thermal bath culture in Hungary
  • Mountain castles in Transylvania
  • Post-communist creative revival in Bucharest
Across all the cities, the strongest memories often came not from monuments alone, but from evening walks, cafΓ©s, hidden alleys, viewpoints, conversations, and the atmosphere between attractions.