Former Iron Curtain countries

Some are better than others. Like the Czech Republic.

Romania has lovely countryside and rural scenery. The Carpathian mountains and Transylvania.

Estonia is more Scandinavian than Former Soviet Republic.

Yes.

East Germany is very different now that it is officially part of Germany.

Belgrade was a shithole. Outside the city was okay. Budapest was lovely.

Budapest is amazing. Very cosmopolitan. Very friendly people. Everyone speaks English. Lots of gay life.

Budapest

Why don't my Imgur links post?

Serbia was never behind the Iron Curtain, so doesn't belong in this discussion. Budapest is cosmopolitan an otherwise hardcore deplorable country.

r9 Because you posted the link to the gallery, not to the individual photo.

*IN an otherwise

I thought the city and OP's picture was Brooklyn.

On the other hand, they have the best looking twinks, they also have the most masculine dudes and they seem very into the bodybuilding/working out subculture.

Romania is the most interesting to me -- the Ceausescu regime, dracula, Vlad the Impaler, the Romani influence. Their language is also possibly the closest to Latin of all the romance languages.

Prague still has its fair share of rundown Communist architecture, but the old town is lovely.

Isn't Estonia's capital (Tallinn) supposed to be quire pretty?

Tallin IS very pretty. And the old town part smells like ginger cookies!

Lithuania sure as hell beats a stockyards meatpacking plant!

They are good places to go on holiday. The movie "Hostel" provides a good sense of what they're like.

Most of the Hapsburg era charm of Budapest remains--it's really a beautiful city and very gay friendly and cheap for Americans too. Very safe and feels like old Europe in many ways.

Big expat community too and lots of English speakers.

Prague's old city is charming albeit overtouristed, and Bucharest has charming parts but overall I prefer Budapest.

I've heard good things about Krakow, Poland too.

Every time I travel back to the good old US of A, it feels like being in 3rd World Country!

Budapest at night is stunning.

This is a much better picture of Budapest than the one someone above was trying to post

Great minds R22!!!

Parliament in Budapest at night

Castle Hill in Budapest at night

Prague is gorgeous. One of my favorite cities in Europe.

Melania jokes aside, I've heard nice things about Slovenia.

Estonia went big on digital economy and e-governance and so - like r3 said - feels more Scandinavian than former Soviet these days.

r28 Thanks but just like with Serbia mentioned earlier, not really the topic of this thread because we were never behind the Iron Curtain.

Most of these countries have cleaned up quite a bit. Communism was imposed on them externally for the most part.

R29, my mistake!

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited.