Did you know that Vienna is farther east than both Prague and Zagreb? Or that Slovenia shares a border with Italy?
The residents of the Czech Republic, Croatia and Slovenia certainly do, and many of them would be more than happy to give you a friendly reminder if they ever heard you saying that their home country is part of something called “Eastern Europe”.
You see, it actually turns out that the term isn’t that popular at all in many of the places that a lot of us (including this writer) have been calling "Eastern Europe" for a long time.
Residents of this region are starting to get the message out there though, and it looks like change might just be picking up some momentum.
Recently, European guidebook writer, tour operator and all-around Europe travel guru Rick Steves confirmed on social media that his company will switch the name of their book that focuses on Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia from "Eastern Europe” to “Central Europe.”
The move was spurred on by feedback from tour guides who are from the region among other more practical matters like the fading legacy of the Cold War & Iron Curtain in addition to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Why "Central Europe"?
Because that’s what many residents of this region have been calling their home for a very long time. The name "Central Europe" brings an association with being at the heart of the continent, of being at the crossroads of culture and transportation in a way that Eastern Europe simply does not. It reinforces the idea that the region has been essential to the European historical and cultural experience for centuries.
The name conjures up an air of elegance, and that’s precisely what travelers can experience when visiting places like Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, and Ljubljana.
So why not brand this intriguing region of Europe that way from the start?
The truth of the matter is that "Eastern Europe" never really had great connotations. For some, it was much more than just a geographical descriptor, it was a quick way to describe a place as “formerly behind the Iron Curtain” and that identification brought all sorts of baggage with it — much of it negative.
After all, the Berlin Wall has been a selfie background for well over 30 years now, so it's probably time to move on.
Cultural aspects aside, the phrase hasn't ever been all that accurate when it comes to geography either. Poland shares a huge border with Germany and one look at the map shows you that the Czech Republic sits right smack in the center of Europe.
It's going to take some getting used to for sure, and things aren't going to change overnight. There's no doubt that some use of the phrase “Eastern Europe” is going to linger for a very long time as it’s too ingrained in the culture of travel to go away completely.
Luckily, in my experience, Central Europeans don’t seem to get too upset about it. They just like to gently remind you that they’d prefer their home to be called "Central Europe". So the least we can do is listen to them, right?
So long Eastern Europe, long live Central Europe.
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