Guidebook Updates for ‘Rick Steves Central Europe’

• Statehood Day, a public holiday across Croatia, is celebrated annually on May 30 (not June 25). June 25 is now Croatia's Independence Day (not October 8), but is no longer a public holiday, so travelers can expect businesses and sights to remain open as usual.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may also apply:

• As of January 2023, Croatia uses the euro and belongs to the Schengen open-borders zone.
• TP Line is another ferry company (in addition to Krilo and Jadrolinija) that runs catamarans between Split, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korčula, and other nearby islands. Given the many options, we recommend Get By Ferry as a go-to resource for info on Dalmatian Coast ferries. 

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• Eurail Select Passes are no longer being sold (but similarly priced Global Passes still are) — see our 2019 rail-travel update.

For books printed before December 2023, the following may apply:

• Minibuses from Kraków's bus station are no longer a good option for getting to Auschwitz; they are primarily for commuters.
• The camps have a new visitors center.

For books printed before June 2019, the following may apply:

• Blaguss and Orangeways buses no longer serve Bratislava Airport; use Flixbus instead.
• Hotel Michalská (now Aplend City Hotel Michalská) has new contact info: +421 903 998 111, [email protected].

For books printed before November 2023, the following may apply:

• The Hungarian State Opera House has reopened after an extensive renovation. It's wise to book ahead if visiting on a weekend, when tours can sell out a day or so ahead (book online or in person at the box office; on most weekdays, you can just show up 15–20 minutes before the tour).
• It's smart to book ahead for a visit to the Hungarian Parliament, as time slots often sell out two weeks in advance, and sometimes even farther ahead. If you arrive in Budapest without having secured a spot, try arriving early in the day (before 9:00), as additional same-day tickets are often made available.
• The Applied Arts Museum remains closed for renovation, likely at least through 2024.
• Expect some inconvenience while sightseeing in the Castle Hill area, as construction work is disrupting foot traffic. (The city is consolidating the neighborhood's governmental offices and rebuilding long-since-destroyed palaces, residences, and other historical buildings.)
• The Citadella is undergoing a complete refurbishment, and is expected to reopen in 2024 or 2025 with a new museum.
• Budapest's spas have drastically increased their prices, and most no longer rent swimsuits or towels. Flip flops are now required at the spas, though the rule is unevenly enforced. All of these items are sold at the baths.
• The direct bus between downtown and Memento Park is no longer running. Instead, from the center you can take the Metró's green line to its end at Kelenföld, then take bus #101B or #101E, which zip to Memento Park in about 10 minutes (every 10–20 minutes, Mon–Fri only).
• There is no longer a changing of the guard ceremony on the steps of the Parliament building.
• City Park has a new Museum of Ethnography and the new House of Music Hungary.
• The Rumbach Street Synagogue has reopened and has the same hours as the Great Synagogue.
• To use the Hungarian Jewish Archives and Family Research Center for genealogy research, contact them in advance to let them know you're coming ([email protected]).
• The Absolute Tour information center has closed.
• The Danube riverboats operated by Budapest's public transit company are no longer running.
• The city's new tourist information office is in a brightly colored kiosk in Városháza Park; all other offices around the city (including those at the airport) have closed.
• The Eat & Meet program (whereby locals invite travelers to their home for a meal) is no longer running.
• The Miniversum model railroad has closed.
• Budapest's transit system now has a mobile app called BudapestGO, which offers real-time route planning and lets you buy tickets and passes right in the app (for the same prices as paper tickets).
• Since taxis waiting outside the train station often charge unfairly, we recommend using the Bolt app to arrange for a ride.
• Several recommended ruin pubs have closed: Ellátó Kert, Farm, and Anker't.
• Many recommended eateries have closed: Café Noe, Cupakós, Klassz, Bock Bisztró, Pesti Disznó, Börze, Borssó Bistro, Vár Bistro, Bratwursthäusle/Kolbászda, Csalogány 26, and Baross restaurant at Keleti station.
• The Hold Steet Market has closed.
• Brody House has a new email address: [email protected].
• Butterfly Home Danube B&B and Budapest Bed and Breakfast share a new email address: [email protected].
• Bellevue B&B has a new email address: [email protected]
• Several recommended accommodations have closed: Burg Hotel (in Buda), St. George Residence, Aventura Boutique Hostel, and Home Made Hostel.

For books printed before December 2023, the following may apply:

• A handy new train zips passengers from the airport to the main train station in about 30 minutes (1–2/hour).
• Local guide Jacek Podhorski has a new email address: [email protected].
• The Amber Museum has moved to the Great Mill, a short walk from the Main Town at Wielkie Młyny 16.
• Hotels Królewski and Willa Litarion have closed.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may apply:

• The Planica ski jump's hours are now daily July–Sept 9:00–18:00, March–June and Oct until 17:00, winter until 16:00.
• Hiša Franko restaurant outside Kobarid is now closed Mon–Tue year-round but is no longer closed Jan–March.
• Kotlar Restaurant in Kobarid is now open daily 12:00–23:00.
• Hiša Polonka restaurant in Kobarid is now closed Tue–Wed (open Thu–Mon 12:00–23:00).
• In Kobarid, Hiša Sonca has a new email address: [email protected].
• The Kobarid Museum is now open until 20:00 July–Aug.
• Martinov Hram hotel in Bovec has a new email address: [email protected].
• Bovec's tourist information office has a new phone number:  +386 5 302 9647.
• The public bus that follows our driving-tour route over the Vršič Pass from Ljubljana now runs daily July–Aug only at 15:00. Another bus now runs over the Predel Pass via Italy Mon–Sat at 7:30. Bus schedules and info are also available at Get By Bus.

For books printed before December 2023, the following may apply:

• The Stanisław Wyspiański Museum has reopened at Plac Sikorskiego 6 (west of the Old Town, not far from the Planty); it's open Tue and Fri–Sun 10:00–17:00.
• The Schindler's Factory Museum is now closed on the first Tuesday of each month.
• The information office and ticket desk where you can prebook tickets in person for the Schindler's Factory Museum and Rynek Underground Museum has moved from the Cloth Hall to the new Museum of Kraków (Muzeum Krakowa), facing the Main Market Square.
• The former tourist information office in the Wyspiański Pavilion is now more of a gift shop, though its staff can answer some sightseeing questions.
• The Czartoryski Museum has reopened.
• Wawel Cathedral now charges admission (22 zł); tickets also covers the tower climb, crypt, royal tombs, the John Paul II Wawel Cathedral Museum, and the nearby Archdiocesan Museum.
• Isaac Synagogue is undergoing renovation and may be closed to visitors during your visit.
• Visitors can now explore the John Paul II Family Home Museum in Wadowice at their own pace, without a guide (though guided tours are still offered).
• Folk shows are no longer offered at Pod Złotym Karpiem or Tradycyja Restaurant on the Main Market Square, and Skansen Smaków no longer offers shuttle service.
• The Tytano Dolne Młyny Cultural Complex has closed.
• Bunkier Sztuki art gallery (on Plac Szczepanski) is closed for renovation.
• At the previous location of Frania Café is now Café Pub & Laundry (daily 11:00–20:00; entrance may now be a few doors down at Dietla 91). The original Frania Café has moved to a new location in Kazimierz, at Stradomska 19.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: Ed Red, Café Bunkier, Restauracja Samoobsługowa Polakowski, Sisi, Pod Norenami, Truckarnia, Nova Krova, and Pod Ursa Maior.
• Tango House hotel has closed.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• Reservations are now recommended at Vintgar Gorge, as same-day tickets often sell out. Visitors must now follow one of several one-way loops through the gorge.
• Recommended guides Tina Hiti and Sašo Golub are now best reached via email at [email protected] and [email protected].
• There's no longer a hop-on, hop-off bus connecting Lake Bled to outlying towns.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• Tito's Vila Bled has reopened but the Socialist Realist wall murals are not open to the public.
• Penzion Bledec has closed.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• The tourist information office on the main market square has closed.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• B&B Petra Varl has a new phone number: +386 31 851 842.

For books printed before December 2023, the following may apply:

• In some printings of Rick Steves Eastern Europe and Rick Steves Snapshot: Kraków, Warsaw & Gdansk, the map of Toruń has swapped labels for the Gingerbread Museum (which is actually on Ulica Rabiańska) and Copernicus House (which is, fittingly, on Ulica Mikołaja Kopernika).
• Toruń's tourist information office has moved to Ulica Szeroka 43.
• The Gothic Café at Malbork Castle has closed.

• The Spanish Synagogue has reopened after renovations.

For books printed before October 2023, the following may apply:

• The correct URL for the website of recommended guide Jana Hronková is praguediscoveries.com.
• Security checks have been eliminated at Prague Castle, though bags may still be subject to random searches. The castle's "Circuit B" ticket is now the "Basic Circuit" ticket (includes St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, Basilica of St. George, and Golden Lane), and the castle's "Circuit A" ticket, covering all the castle sights in one ticket, is no more. For entry into all of the castle's sights, get the "permanent exhibitions" ticket as well as the basic ticket; the former covers the Story of Prague Castle exhibit and the Castle Picture Gallery. And the castle now has three ticket offices: one in the Second Courtyard, one in the Third Courtyard (in front of the cathedral), and one at the east end of the complex, near the Golden Lane.
• Black Light Theatre Srnec has moved to Národní Třída and is now in the same building as the Reduta Jazz Club (at Národní 20).
• Virtually all of the city's trams and buses now have a red ticket machine in the middle of each car that sells time-stamped tickets that don't need further validation (only credit cards accepted).
• Tickets to the Strahov Monastery and Library are now sold in the small former church to the left just after the entrance gate.
• The tourist information office on the castle side of the river has moved to Petřín Tower (from its former spot near the Charles Bridge).
• The Prague Card is now the Prague CoolPass (for most travelers it's still likely not worth the steep price).
• Hoshino massage therapist Patrick Kočica is no longer in business.
• The phone number for Na Františku Hospital (on the embankment next to Hotel InterContinental) is now +420 222 801 343.
• The Tesco grocery on Národní třída (mentioned as a landmark in our guidebooks) is no longer there (the venerable Máj department store now takes up the whole building).
• The Franz Kafka Society bookstore in the Jewish Quarter has closed.
• Ta Fantastika puppet theater has closed.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: Dinitz Kosher Restaurant, Pasha Turkish Restaurant, Trattoria Aldente, and Balkánská Kuchyne.

For books printed before April 2021, the following may also apply:

• The Touristpoint office in the main train station (Hlavní nádraží) has closed.
• Kolonial restaurant has closed.
• The Astronomical Clock glockenspiel show occurs hourly from 9:00 to 23:00 (until 20:00 in winter).
• The phone number for the General Hospital right above Karlovo Náměstí at U Nemocnice 2 is now +420 224 961 111.
• The phone number for Hospital Na Homolce is now +420 257 271 111.
• The Canadian Medical Care Center has moved from Veleslavínská 1 to the Nádraží Veleslavín Metro station; its phone number is now +420 222 300 300.
• Alfons Mucha's Slav Epic is back on display at the Moravský Krumlov castle until Prague's elected officials find a permanent exhibition space for these huge canvases in the city.
  • Moravský Krumlov is 4 hours by train or 3 hours by car from Prague, so a side trip to see the paintings is best for those traveling through Moravia en route to Vienna or Budapest, or visiting the Mikulov wine region.
• Restaurace U knihovny in the Jewish Quarter has closed.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• As of early 2024, the City Museum's permanent exhibit remains closed for renovations.
• Swimming is no longer allowed in the waterfalls at Krka National Park.

• The Wien Museum Karlsplatz has reopened after a three-year renovation, nearly doubling its previous size. It's now open Tue–Fri 9:00–18:00 and Sat–Sun from 10:00 (closed Mon). It's free to see the permanent exhibition "Vienna. My History"; special exhibits range from €8 to €12. Admission to all exhibits is free on the first Sunday of each month.

For books printed before June 2023, the following may also apply:

• The Academy of Fine Arts Painting Gallery has moved back to its permanent location across from Schillerpark at Schillerplatz 3. It no longer displays a permanent collection, but instead now rotates temporary exhibits — comprising its works by the masters and modern art — to highlight contemporary themes.
• The Vienna Pass is now much less likely to be a worthwhile buy (especially for youth and seniors over 65, who get sightseeing discounts without it), as is the Vienna Card.
• Several collections associated with the Kunsthistorisches Museum have changed names: The Imperial Furniture Collection is now the Vienna Furniture Museum, the Arms and Armor Collection is now the Imperial Armory, and the Ancient Musical Instruments Collection is now the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments.
• At the Kunsthistorisches Museum, some entrances have shuffled around: Saal VII is the new entrance for the Italian/Spanish/French Gallery, and Saal I is the entrance for special exhibits.
• St. Stephen's Cathedral has a newly restored organ, and a new phone number: +43 1 515 523 054.
• Guided tours of the Vienna State Opera can now be booked online, which we recommend — spots can indeed sell out. If you haven't booked ahead, it's wise to show up at the tour entrance 30 minutes in advance. And the opera house has a new phone number: +43 1 514 444 2250.
• The Sigmund Freud Museum has reopened after an extensive renovation.
• Two spots we'd recommended for kids, Bogi Park and the Dianabad water park, have closed.
• A new Vienna–Paris night train now runs three times a week (14 hours; keep in mind that flying may be cheaper).
• Westbahn private trains don't currently serve the Hauptbahnhof — just Wien Westbahnhof and Wien Hütteldorf.

For books printed before February 2020, the following may also apply:

• Soho Kantine is now Bistro ReFresh. It is open Mon–Fri 9:00–16:00, closed Sat–Sun, +43 664 885 23260.

For books printed before December 2023, the following may apply:

• The Warsaw House of Music has closed.
• Jazz Club Akwarium has closed.
• Restaurant Odette has moved and we no longer recommend it.
• Restaurants Wilcza 50 and Atelier Amaro have closed.
• Hotels Zgoda by DeSilva and Autor Rooms have closed.