Most Lively City in Eastern Europe around Holidays?

How old? Male or female or ?

You cannot ask a lady her age. So I answered one question there.
I am a young professional.

Also I LOVE sports...especially ice hockey.

All women are young…………..always. Had to ask to sort through the ideas. For me the first one that comes to mind is Budapest, but I am sort of biased. So let’s start with some other options. After Budapest I would have said Prague but you have done that. I do think that the idea of “Eastern” Europe is good. I think this region with its long hard winters has developed a culture that capitalizes on the weather as opposed to a place like Spain where they just try to live through it.

If you highly independent and self-assured then the music scenes in Bucharest and Belgrade are reportedly exceptional but I get the impression it’s an 18 to 25 thing. I say the impression because I am a couple of years beyond being interested in the crowds, thundering noise and vomiting. Although I enjoyed it a lot at one time in my life. I haven’t been to Belgrade yet but I have been to Bucharest and I enjoyed it more than its reputation would hint at. Outside of Bucharest I can’t imagine any great happening for the holidays. In the spring in on the other hand I love Romania. You might research Burgas or Varna in Bulgaria on the Black Sea Coast. Two lovely coastal towns, and the Bulgarians are wonderful people, but I don’t know what the holidays would be like. I am going to write friends in Bulgaria and Romania tonight to see if they have any ideas there.

If you ski I would say the High Tatras of Slovakia. The holidays at the Grand Kempinski High Tatras Hotel would work pretty well for me. Spas, food, ski slopes, mountains, snow……. More food and more rub downs. But $$$$$ Pretty special place. Love it.

Here is an off the wall suggestion. In the spring we are traveling to Azerbaijan (fishing). Never been there before but the more research I do the more intrigued I become and the more excited I am about the trip. What to do in the winter you would have to research but it’s a lead to investigate. I will ask the guide we are using and see if she has any ideas.

Okay, now that I have been fair and even handed, let’s get back to Budapest. You didn’t say how long the trip would be so let me throw out that Budapest works well paired with a number of more remote and unique locations. Here are a few we have done out of Budapest:
Under $350 Round Trip from Budapest and cheaper as an open jaw trip.
Istanbul
Moscow (we did this for Orthodox Christmas one year)
Baku (in the spring of 2015)
Jerusalem (we did this for the first day of Hanukah one year)
London (one Christmas)
Rome (one New Year)

Cheap Easy Train Ride
Vienna
Prague

From a previous post:

We are spending Christmas and New Year in Budapest again this year so I did some research that I thought might be helpful if you are thinking of going to Central Europe

Many of the Ruin Pubs now have heat!!!! Yeaaaaaaaa!!!!! And so are open in the winter: http://ruinpubs.com/

Here is an idea where you don’t have to worry about rowdy crowds and broken glass (did New Year’s in Rome a few years back and experienced the same so it’s not unique to Vienna by any means) http://ppcdn.500px.org/4932259/468b7473e2387eb183fd6b5c5c4cf53a91f968d2/5.jpg

Ice Skating at Városligeti Műjégpálya. http://budapest-card.com/files/partners/109.jpg

Bath Houses outside (note the snow) http://guidepal.blob.core.windows.net/inspireimage/inspire103057.jpg or inside a 14th century bath house http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__hpVNPe3HNw/TMMu88ToBfI/AAAAAAAABKI/qiWLg2I5AA4/s1600/WEB+rudas+0.jpg or maybe you prefer classical: http://www.thevandallist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/[email protected] with the dubious history of having been visited by Eichmann and Schindler. Even bathhouse party night http://attractions.topbudapest.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Design-Szechenyi-Bath-Sparty-Budapest-Spa-July-27-2013.jpg The Bath house New Year Eve part is strangely on the 30th of December http://szechenyispabaths.com/szechenyi-baths-new-year-bath-party/

Concerts New Year’s Eve, before and after
Opera New Year’s Eve Gala Performance; http://www.worldwideticketing.com/images/opera-ballet/hungarian-state-opera/hall.jpg and http://www.opera.hu/en
“Tourist” Concerts http://budapestchristmas.com/budapest-new-years-eve-classical-music-concerts
Liszt Academy (fantastic venue) http://zeneakademia.hu/en/home and http://zeneakademia.hu/en/lisztery/video/-/asset_publisher/fCa86eGLCFdM/content/a-2013-oktober-22-i-unnepelyes-megnyito-gala

Christmas Markets
They run through 31 December in Budapest http://cdn-wac.emirates247.com/polopoly_fs/1.434344.1324785528!/image/744982653.jpg

Shopping in the three story 19th century market hall http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a171/danperry/Hungary/Budapest/The%20market/1-IMG_3889.jpg

A couple of classic Budapest restaurants for before, during or after:
http://halaszbastya.eu/
http://www.rezkakasbistro.hu/en/

And the holiday lights http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tIpbcA5HcM/TvDqWvaYXsI/AAAAAAAAAcg/n1SsL9mejgE/s1600/1828771-Christmas_lights_on_Andrassy_Avenue_Budapest.jpg and even the trams http://blog.utazol.hu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Budapest-KAr%C3%A1csonyi-vasar-2013-Zsolt-Andrasi.png and http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f6/0f/ff/f60ffff302046f46a437f676f64b2f4b.jpg

Here is the long list: http://www.budapestbylocals.com/new-years-in-budapest.html#free

Ljubljana, Slovenia would be my pick--it's not a large city but it's beautiful--you'll find excellent restaurants AND ice hockey!

Berlin (though not on your list) could be an option for WW II history and museums...

I did check with friends in Bucharest and Sofia and they both suggested that Neither Romania nor Bulgaria would be worth the effort. So for "culture" Vienna or Budapest, for the great outdoors, Slovakia and for partying Prague would be my choices.

Ideas; http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/77540

Ideas; http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/77540