BRATISLAVA

It’s almost unfair to be writing this post as I feel it does not do Bratislava justice but here goes!

For the second city on my European tour, I hit up Bratislava in Slovakia. It was a 4-hour train ride away from Prague and boy, was it different! It actually really reminded me a lot of Belgrade. Besides sharing the Danube River, I found that there were only a handful of tourists around. That, or maybe because it was Christmas Eve and I didn’t expect literally everything to be closed. Seriously, it was a bit of a challenge finding something to eat! We were thisclose to having kebabs and pizza. I mean, we ended up having some very mediocre Slovakian food that was outrageous overpriced. I guess that’s what you get when the guides don’t tell you that when it’s Christmas Eve, everything is closed! Telling you this now in case you want to travel over the holidays and to avoid disappointment.

I had only booked the one night in Bratislava which, by now, am good at reading a map and can tell just how much time I’ll need in a city. All of the attractions looked like they were quite close together - the size and proximity reminded me of Cordoba - and I was right! Old Town was located right by the hotel I stayed in, Sheraton Bratislava Hotel, and was an easy place to walk from. The hotel was located right by the Danube River and the room I received opened up to a rooftop balcony with stunning views of the water. Beautiful!

From there, I walked through to town, a mere 10 minutes away, and was able to see a lot of the attractions (albeit from the outside as it was Christmas Eve) Bratislava had to offer. The Blue Church, Primatial Palace, the main square, the UFO building, and Bratislava Castle. The views from the castle were absolutely jaw dropping. Being from a high vantage point gave me a gorgeous panoramic view of the city and the other side of the Danube. Really wishing that more things were open to get a brief of history. Whenever I travel, I make an effort to try and educate myself on the past warfare and political regimes which makes the city and country. Of course, a lot of my focus is on food to get to the heart of the culture but the history is so important. I unfortunately had no choice but to learn about the history after I left Bratislava due to my super awful timing.

All in all, Bratislava makes a great day trip from Vienna (you can actually see Austria from Bratislava’s high points due to its close proximity to the border) and I would say, based on this trip, that it’s great for a one-night stay. My sister absolutely adored Bratislava and we “saw’ everything that was on her list, minus the famous cake store! Le sigh. Next time?

It was still nice to wake up to Bratislava on Christmas Day, although I had a heart attack and realized I had missed my train to Budapest, forcing me to take a last minute FlixBus to Budapest instead - oops? Be sure to always triple check what departure you have. I had trusted my best friend but realized she had booked a different train ticket than me - oh well. C’est la vie! Luckily I’m swift and hopped on this 25 euro bus trip instead with a similar arrival time…and am writing this post as I speak. Merry Christmas to me?

Know before you go:

Bratislava uses the euro (EUR) for currency. Because it is in euros, it’s not as cheap as say, Prague or Budapest, but it is very similar. There are a lot of touristy joints which will get away with charging you a lot more but eh, those were the cards that we were dealt with because of the city-wide closures.

Getting around Bratislava:

Walking - Bratislava’s main tourist destinations are clustered in the Old Town. Very easy to walk around with and explore. The walk by the Danube River is also a treat as well and closeby. Even the uphill walk to the castle was a breeze! Transportation by your own two feet is highly recommended.
Bus - Busses are very frequent here and come every 10 minutes - even on holidays! Fares start at 0,70 euros and can be bought at the little yellow ticket boxes at each station, not on the actual bus.
Tram - Trams run frequently around the city as well! From what I saw, they run in a circular direction and can get you from point A to B easily. They cost the same amount as the bus - 0,70 euros and are an easy way to get around town as well if you want to give your feet a break.
Train - Are you coming in from Vienna? Gyor? Prague? Traveling by train is an easy option. I traveled here from Prague and it was a smooth ride with a strong WiFi connection, coat hangers, restaurant cart and mobile coffee cart - bonus! From there, the 210 bus went straight to SND which was right by our hotel and took a quick 15 minutes. Yay.

What to see in Bratislava:

Bratislava Castle - One of the best attractions to see in Bratislava. Held high on top of a hill, the castle offers an outstanding view of the city and Danube River. You can even go inside the castle as well. I never got a chance to but I’ve read that the best room of all would be the Hall of Mirrors.
Primatial Palace - This stunning pink building features Neoclassical design and is iconic for a number of reasons: it was the old palace which housed the archbishop of Austro-Hungary, the current offices of the Bratislava mayor, and where the peace treaty was signed that ended the War of the Third World. The architecture from the outside was beautiful and I was happy to just admire that!
Blue Church - It really is blue! A gorgeous church that sits on the edge of the Old Town. There was a Christmas Eve mass going on at the time that I visited but I did take a quick peak inside and it looked like a standard church from what I saw!
Danube River - The Danube River penetrates many Central and Eastern European cities (I first saw it in person when I visited Belgrade earlier in the year). I enjoyed walking along the promenade. Around my hotel, there were a number of restaurants that overlooked the Danube which were connected to Eurovea, a major shopping mall in Bratislava. There are also a good handful of river boat restaurants that sit alongside the waterfront.
UFO Tower - You can see this funny looking building from just about anywhere in Bratislava. It’s actually an observation deck. I was more than happy with the view of the tower from Bratislava Castle which offers equally great panoramic views - up to you if you want an alternative view or of the castle!
Old Town - Cobblestone steps, old buildings and shutters. The Old Town of Bratislava is in the centre of town. It’s small enough to walk around within an hour or so. Be sure to duck into some of the stores and restaurants if you can as well!

What to eat in Bratislava:

Pirohy - Slovakian pirogies! Complete with sour cream, bacon and onions. Yum!
Palacinky - Savoury crepes. Can be filled with roasted peppers, mushrooms, meat and more.
Schnitzel - Schnitzel isn’t just an German or Austrian food. It’s also found in surrounding countries in Central Europe as well…and is equally delicious!
Bryndsove Halusky - Remember the dumplings found in Prague? Surprise, surprise! They also have them here in Bratislava. Grated potato dumplings with a thick and cheesy sauce, usually accompanied with bacon or lardons. Definitely very rich, indeed!

I suppose I didn’t have the most cohesive opinion of Bratislava, unfortunately due to the many Christmas closures. I did enjoy what I saw - I guess it just gives me another excuse to revisit in the future!

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