Vienna

Vienna - It is the only capital in the world that produces its own wine – with over 1500 acres of vineyards in its territory, most of them producing white wine. Among the most famous varieties are Riesling, Weissburgunder and Grüner Veltliner

After WWII Vienna was divided into four occupation zones. Russia, France, Britain and the United States took control over different parts of the city.

Dogs are allowed in many public places in Vienna, including restaurants and boutique shops.

Vienna sits in two different climate zones – European transitional and Panonian.

Every year more than 450 balls take place in Vienna. The city of waltz celebrates Carnival in January and February. Waltz rhythm is supplemented by contemporary sounds, offering enjoyable dancing.

The oldest surviving daily newspaper in the world is “Wiener Zeitung”, which has been issued in Vienna since 1703.

There are only 60km from Vienna to Bratislava,, which is the shortest distance between European capitals, except Rome and the Vatican.

Few people are aware of the fact that in Vienna, residents get the right to vote in elections at the age of 16, but the driver’s license can only be obtained when they are 18 years old.

Prague

It’s home to the largest castle in the world. Dating back to the ninth century, Prague Castle spans an impressive 18 acres and is home to stunning cathedrals, chapels, royal palaces and gorgeous ornamental gardens

The Charles Bridge has some rather mathematical significance. Former Czech king Charles IV laid the first stone of the bridge at precisely 5.31am on July 9, 1357. A superstitious man, the king was so into astrology and numerology that he chose this date because of its written form: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1 (year, day, month, time).

The city is home to the longest river in the Czech Republic, the Vltava

According to legend, Hitler planned to preserve Prague’s Jewish quarter in his retirement plan. Strange it may be, but the former Nazi leader wanted to settle in the city and make the area a museum to preserve the memory of ‘the extinguished race’

Even if you’ve never been to Prague, you’ve probably heard of its famous Astronomical Clock. Well guess what: if you’re about in Southeast Asia, in Seoul to be precise, you’ll find an exact replica in the mega-popular Hongdae district

Bratislava

It’s the world’s (joint) eighth newest country: Slovakia and the Czech Republic have been two separate nations since January 1, 1993, after the Velvet Revolution was followed by the Velvet Divorce. The only newer countries are Eritrea, Palau, Timor-Leste, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and South Sudan.

Its birth rate is one of the world’s lowest: Slovakian women have 1.3 children, on average, according to the World Bank, one of the lowest rates in the world (it’s 1.8 in the UK, while in Niger, which tops the ranking, it’s 7.6).

Borovička is the thing to order: The country’s national drink is flavoured with juniper berries and similar to gin. The national dish, meanwhile, is bryndzové halušky, a hearty combination of potato dumplings and soft cheese.

Don’t go if you need beaches: Because Slovakia has none. It is one of the world’s 45 landlocked countries.

Budapest

Budapest was created by the merger of three cities: The city of Budapest has  been officially created on 17th November 1873 by the merger of the neighboring cities of Pest, Buda and Óbuda. However, finding a name for the new new capital stirred a lot of controversy. Some of the names suggested included Hunvár, Etelvár, or Honderű. In the end Budapest won, becoming thus the official name of the Hungarian capital.

No building in Budapest is taller than 96 meters: A look at Budapest’s downtown reveals that all buildings stand at about the same height. All except for two: Szent Istvan Basilica and the Hungarian Parliament, which both measure exactly 96 meters. 

Budapest is home to the oldest metro line of continental Europe: Budapest is home to the only metro system in the world that is a UNESCO Site. The Budapest Millennium Underground line opened in 1896, making it the second oldest metro line in Europe, after the London Underground.

Budapest has more thermal water springs than any other capital city in the world: Hungary has an incredible abundance of underground hot water sources. There is no surprise that people consider Budapest the thermal bath capital of the world. There are dozens of spas and baths in the Hungarian capital, some of which are in magnificent buildings, like Szechenyi, Gellert, or Kiraly Baths.