3 Best Sights in Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River, Austria

The city's attractive main square is dominated by the early Gothic Soproni Nagyboldogasszony templom (Blessed Mary Benedictine Church), better known as the Goat Church for reasons both fantastical–-it's said the church was financed with treasure found by a billy goat–-and practical–-goats feature on the coat of arms of the actual church financiers. It's a real mishmash of styles, with a Gothic choir, a rococo main altar, and a Baroque red-marble pulpit, along with recently discovered medieval tombs. Outside stands the 18th-century Szentháromság-szobor (Holy Trinity Column), Hungary's finest plague memorial and among the first anywhere to feature a twisted column.

Facing the square are three very different but equally fascinating museums. Fabricus Ház (Fabricius House) is a beautiful Baroque mansion with exhibits on ancient city history: highlights include the remains of a Roman bathhouse and the 1,200-year-old Cunpald Goblet. The Storno Ház (Storno House) is Sopron's finest Renaissance-era building with a collection of furniture, porcelain, sculptures, and paintings belonging to the Stornos, a rags-to-riches dynasty of chimney sweeps-turned-art restorers. The Fehér Angyal Patikamúzeum (Angel Pharmacy Museum) is a real-life 17th-century apothecary that now houses a collection of period pharmaceutical tools, books, potions, and lotions.

Bratislava's main square is the beating heart of the city, home to some of its most interesting history, architecture, and artworks. The centerpiece of the square is Maximiliánova fontána (Maximilian's Fountain), erected in 1572 as a public water supply. The knight on top is said to bow once a year, on New Year's Eve, though only for those pure of heart and born in Bratislava. The square is ringed by a number of beautiful Gothic and Baroque buildings, many of which are now embassies. The most notable of these is the Stará radnica (Old Town Hall), which is actually a mishmash of different houses built at various stages from the 14th century onwards; look for the cannonball embedded in the town hall's tower. Opposite, on the corner outside Café Mayer, is the Schöne Náci (Nice Nazi) statue, depicting a famous local eccentric who cheerfully wandered the streets in top hat and tails. As well as the permanent fixtures, the square also hosts regular markets, concerts, and political events.

This charming, tree-shaded promenade is named for renowned Slovak poet Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav and lined with some of the city's grandest buildings—now mainly embassies, hotels, and restaurants. The "square" starts with a statue of Hviezdoslav and ends at Morový stĺp, a beautiful Baroque trinity column. Just east of Hviezdoslav Square is the old Slovenské národné divadlo (Slovak National Theatre) building, while just around the corner crowds gather to see the popular Čumil (Rubberneck) sculpture; a cheeky bronze chap peeping out from under a manhole cover.