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t's virtually impossible to tour Eastern Europe without stumbling upon vestiges of the Habsburg Dynasty, that tentacled family that ruled this part of the world for 500 years or so. Some families battle their way to power; others work the back routes. The Habsburgs preferred to marry their way to omnipotence, and the history they've left behind is quite interesting. Join us for a close look.

Begin in Prague. Ironically, this old city illustrates Eastern Europe's dynamic 21st-century personality perhaps better than any other. Get an eyeful (and earful) of its political and cultural rebirth. Tour the old Jewish Quarter, where Hitler himself established a museum to house the artifacts of the destroyed ghetto; he called it the "Exotic Museum of an Extinct Race." Wasn't he surprised?.

If Hradcany District looks familiar, perhaps you've seen Milos Forman's film "Amadeus;"Hradcany Square was used to represent Vienna. Stroll Prague Castle and its Gothic cathedral as well as the Royal Palace.

We get you inside the otherwise off-limits Strahov Monastery Library with a curator, who explains all there is to see.

Day-trip to nearby Nelahozeves, where a castle belonging to the same Czech family for 500 years holds art treasures you won't believe. Think Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Canaletto, Rubens, Velazquez...

En route to Vienna, alight in Cesky Krumlov—medieval, slightly threadbare, and altogether authentic. Opt for a visit to the castle, if you like, from which the Rosenberg Dynasty ruled for some 300 years.

Vienna glistens. Emperor Franz Josef (of the Habsburgs) had a vision when he ordered the old city walls torn down and the Ringtrasse built to replace it. Today this uber- boulevard circumscribes much of what we've come to see — St. Stephan’s Cathedral, the Albertina Museum (on a private tour), the Liechtenstein Museum (ditto). Visit Schšnbrunn Palace, HQ of the Nabsburgs in Vienna. (Mozart came, too, as a six-year-old making his musical debut.) Take a lesson in strudel-making before we leave town.

Bratislava is on our route from Vienna to Budapest. Slovakia's pretty capital city once hosted Napoleon as well as the rather hefty Empress Maria Theresa, who had interior stairs built in the castle to accommodate her on horseback (apparently, walking up the stairs on foot was out of the question). Explore the Old Town.

Finally, Budapest, favorite city of Sissi, wife of Austria's Emperor Franz Josef. Our favorite in the region, too. Home base is the outrageously appointed Four Seasons Gresham Palace (fit, of course, for a king). This art nouveau gem overlooks the Danube and puts us in the perfect location from which to enjoy the city. Explore the remains of the Jewish ghetto, a provocative mix of Moorish, Byzantine, romantic, and Gothic all rolled into one. At Doheny Street Synagogue, see the contemporary "Tree of Life" memorial sculpture dedicated to Holocaust victims and heros. Meander through Central Market, designed by Gustav Eiffel, and visit the Castle District's Matthias Church and beloved Chain Bridge. Parliament, too. Take a day trip to Szentendre, if you'd like, the nation;s most charming village, and cruise the Danube over drinks.

Magnificent.

Imperial Cities of Eastern Europe: Prague, Budapest, Vienna. 11 Days.

Looking for more? Extend your visit to Berlin, Germany's most dynamic city. Or extend your meanderings in Eastern Europe with R. Crusoe's Poland journey (Warsaw, Czestochowa, Krakow, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Zakopane). Krakow boasts Europe's largest medieval square as well as the ages-old Jagiellonian University. And Warsaw grows more beautiful (and vibrant) by the year.