Follow Michael Palin into eastern Europe

Eastern Europe has recently been seeing increased interest from British travellers, with more holidays to destinations such as Romania, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

And with the witty and fearless Michael Palin back on our screens in a new travel series looking at eastern Europe, some holiday companies are predicting a flood of new interest in the region.

Active and adventure holiday specialist Intrepid said it is expecting a "significant upturn" in travellers heading for Europe's east following the Palin BBC series.

"The great thing about the way Michael Palin travels is that he really gets under the skin of a country; travelling on local transport, staying in traditional accommodation and generally doing what the locals do," commented Daniel Pawlyn of Intrepid.

For holidaymakers who would like to follow in the former Python's footsteps, there are a plenty of exciting active holidays exploring Europe's lesser known destinations, from walking holidays in Romania, to ice skating in Slovenia, and tours travelling right the way from Hungary to Turkey.

For those looking for the all-out eastern Europe active holiday experience, then Intrepid Travel has a 22-day tour that begins in Budapest and ends in Istanbul, stopping in several destinations in Romania and Bulgaria en route.

Highlights include castles, monasteries and medieval towns of Romania's Transylvania region, as well as an overnight stay in an authentic Transylvanian village. There are also the sights of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, the mountains of the Bansko region and the Byzantine past of Plovdiv.

The Eastern Europe Explorer trip also includes one day in Budapest and two days in Istanbul.

If you are looking for more of an eastern European short break, then active holiday specialist Explore has a five-day holiday in the snowy heights of the Tatra Mountains in Slovenia, located on the country's border with Poland.

Holidaymakers can try out snowshoeing, go on a mountain cable car ride and ice-skate on the Nornad River.

If it is more of a walking holiday experience that you are looking for, then there are seven-night trips of Romania available with Sunvil. The independent tour operator has two Romanian walking breaks, which include stops at traditional Romanian villages such as Breb, which was visited by Prince Charles in 2004.

Sights and attractions at the villages en route include wooden churches, gates and carved handicrafts, along with spectacular views of valleys and peaks on the walking routes, and unique historical museums in the region.