The Grand Budapest Hotel guide to Eastern Europe

Director Wes Anderson’s highly anticipated latest creation, TheGrand Budapest Hotel, boasts an all-
star cast including Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe and Jude Law. This 1930s caper is set in an imaginary Eastern European principality called Zubrowka, in the striking pink alpine hotel that lends its name to the title.

Whilst you may not be able to visit Zubrowka in real life, the movie presents a glimpse into the ambience of some of Eastern Europe’s most historic destinations and a sense of nostalgia for a time between the two world wars, when the region thrived and flourished. To learn more about the movie and its inspirations, here’s a look into some key destinations for The Grand Budapest Hotel tour of Eastern Europe.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin was not only the launch-pad of the movie, which opened at the city’s film festival, but it was also one of the key filming locations. Visitors to the city can enjoy their own tour to learn about the city’s colourful history.

 

Learn about the East/West split at the Berlin Wall by visiting Checkpoint Charlie, where many East Berliners tried to escape to the West. The monumental Brandenburg Gate has been a key site for a number of major historical events and is one of the city’s most impressive landmarks – it’s now seen as a symbol of Germany’s tumultuous past as well as European peace and unity.