The Circus in Berlin
Mitte is a fashionable section of Berlin with lots of restaurants, boutiques, nightclubs and hostels. The hostels are abundant, economical, clean, safe and often come with a small restaurant, coffee bar or real bar. Curfews are rare, and despite the ongoing nightlife, the area is a safe and fun place to be. The staff is what makes this place shine; employees have tons of useful information for casual visitors.
The Circus in Berlin
Weinbergsweg 1a 10119
circus-berlin.de
+49 30 28391433
Danhostel Copenhagen City
Denmark's capital is a fun-loving Scandinavian city with a handful of large and often-filled youth hostels. Still, it comes as a surprise to find a new, high-rise youth hostel in this innovative city. The rooms here are spotlessly clean, small (six to eight bunks), well-designed and they cover 16 floors of dorm rooms of a new, high-rise building in downtown Copenhagen. For a unique experience, try booking a room on one of the top floors. The view of the city is tremendous. Don't be surprised if the place is filled up, especially during the summer.
Danhostel Copenhagen City
H.C. Andersens Boulevard 50,
danhostel.dk
+45 3318 8332
Stahleck Castle, Bacharach, Germany
This 1,000-year-old castle that overlooks the Rhine River from a lofty perch of nearly 1,000 feet is a traveler's gem. The castle is massive and genuine; the Rhine River once held a large number of princes and each had his own castle. Now run by the premier, worldwide hosteling organization, Hosteling International, this stone bulwark has a super view of the Rhine. Anyone who has climbed the thousand stairs from the train station to the castle can attest to this. There is even a tower that reaches high into the sky, and believe it or not, there are private rooms within the tower that you can rent at a low price (reservations are advised and so is a membership to HI). There is also a restaurant and bar within the confines that serve locally grown wine. The only drawback is this place often is filled with school groups.
Stahleck Castle
55422 Bacharach, Germany
hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Bacharach-022077.en.htm
pc-bacharach.de
+49 6743 1266
Sir Toby's in Prague
Tucked away in a working-class neighborhood of east Prague, this hostel--though rudimentary in style and location--still offers visitors to this fascinating, Eastern European capital an excellent gateway to experience this architectural jewel of a city. To find Sir Toby's you have to get off the Metro, board Prague's old-fashioned tram and search the side streets to locate the little hole in the wall that suffices as a hostel. The hostel inside is mundane, yet clean, but the helpful staff provides excellent information and services. Of special value is its guide to off-the-beaten-track locations in the city and surrounding countryside. This place, although not the classiest and most popular in Prague, is typical of the many independent, well-run hostels that abound on the continent.
Sir Toby's
Delnicka 24, Prague
sirtobys.com
283 87 06 35
Yoho International Youth Hostel in Salzburg, Austria
Every morning at 10, this hostel shows the classic film, "The Sound of Music," which was partly filmed in and around Salzburg, Austria. Salzburg is a classic Old World city that thrives on its musical heritage (Mozart was born here). This popular hostel is part of the Famous Hostels network, an association of several dozen first-rate hostels. There is a bar and restaurant here, and a young crowd likes to hang out in the bar and socialize until the wee hours of the morning. Such is the scene among many of Europe's hostels, but day trippers can stay here and enjoy the place, too.
Yoho International Youth Hostel
Paracelsusstrasse 9
5020 Salzburg, Austria
yoho.at
87 96 49
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Lake Bled is a spectacular mountain lake at the eastern edge of the Alps in the small, picturesque nation of Slovenia. Hosteling International runs a restaurant here that is open to the public and serves a very good plate of Slavic country cooking. The hostel (Bledec Hostel) is well run by the worldwide organization, and the town that surrounds the small lake is well known throughout Europe as a premier tourist destination. The crème cake is just as famous and just as good. If this place fills up, there are other bunk rooms or private rooms available in the neighborhood, just inquire at the hostel for a recommendation.
Bledec Hostel
Grajska 17
4260 Bled
Slovenia
hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Bled---Bledec-092501.en.htm
574 52 50
