Eastern Europe’s Beaches

If you’re wanting to venture a bit further than Ibiza, or the Greek Islands, then it’s time to head east for some sun, sand and Cyrillic. BBM has a look at the best beach destinations Eastern Europe has to offer…

It may be over 20 years since the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain came down, but for a long time images of Eastern Europe have been dominated by Ladas and communist era skyscrapers, while the thought of holidaying brings to mind certain worrying scenes from the movie ‘Hostel’.

A few dodgy cars and rickety looking buildings remain, but the former Soviet bloc is now a viable destination for holidaymakers bored of the now stale holiday destinations of the 90s.

While the flight might be a little more expensive than a jaunt down to the Med, you make up the difference when you get there with great exchange rates, and some non-euro currency.

Croatia is probably the most established of the eastern European destinations. The country’s coastline is littered with a thousand islands, stunning beaches and some of the bluest water you will ever see. You can fly to Split in two hours from London, a city that features a wide range of bars and restaurants and a picturesque harbour with beaches stretching outwards into the suburbs.

The lure of Eastern Europe is to get away from the well known, so how about looking up the Lithuanian town of Palanga. Dubious? Well try this on for size; an 18km white sanded beach surrounded by Scandinavian style chalets and plentiful Baltic beer coming in at around a £1 a pint. Being on the Baltic the water is not the warmest, so best go towards to end of the summer if you fancy a dip. However this is a big summer holiday town and features huge end of season parties encompassing both the beach and the late nightclubs located in the centre of town. Lithuania also offers some food that may not be what you usually wolf down on your hols. Elk steaks anyone? Apparently they also eat crow in the countryside if you are feeling extra adventurous. They are also partial to a waffle and some ice cream so it’s not all crazy slabs of meat that even Findus would think twice about putting in a burger.

Perhaps not well known to those of us from Western Europe, but Yalta is one of the most well established holiday destinations in the Ukraine. The town was a favourite of Russian Czars and there are plenty of palaces around if you want something to look at on a day away from the sand. English is not widely spoken or understood, and although in Ukraine, this part of the country is strongly pro-Russian. There is a relic from the Yalta peace conference at the end of the Second World War, the town is also twinned with Margate, but that’s it as far as home comforts go. The Crimea region produces its own guidebook, it’s an interesting combination of cultural insight, uncomfortable reading, and strange translation.

On the other side of the Black Sea, and slightly more accessible for it, lies Bulgaria. The country only has a relatively short stretch of coastline but it packs a punch for its size. Down in the south on the Turkish border you have the Strandja National Park, rolling forested hills and sandy coves populate this particular part of the world which features more camping and cabins than resorts and nightclubs, but variety is the spice of life. Thankfully the variety does not extend to the beaches which are golden, clean and dotted with small towns on protected lagoons. If you have a large book you’ve been meaning to get through this place of tranquillity is surely the best place to try and tackle it. The further north up the coast you go the hotels increase in frequency, as do the amenities.

Last, but by no means least we have the vast country of Romania. For its size its coastline isn’t big, and so can get a little crowded, but that only adds to the atmosphere and activities on offer. Towns such as Mamaia – The Pearl of the Romania Riveria – Constanta if you want more of a city feel, or Eforie Nord (if you’re after a spa town) are all easily accessible from the capital Bucharest, which is the easiest place to try and fly to if you’re coming from the UK.

Just because you want to lie on a beach doesn’t mean you have to lie on the same beaches you’ve always laid your towel on. So head east! You may even get a stamp in your passport.

Check out Palm Beach in New South Wales here

Check out Brighton Beach in Victoria here