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Why Bratislava is a MUST SEE in 2024
#bratislava #slovakia #centraleurope #travelblogger #adventure
Let’s go to the top of the UFO.
Remember my last trip to Vienna – and what’s that got to do with this post? How are these two connected? How much history do these cities share? Why are Bratislava and Vienna so close to each other? Is Bratislava a good one-day excursion when visiting Vienna? Is Bratislava expensive? What can one do in Bratislava? I invite you to read on, to have these questions answered.
One-day excursion from Vienna
Why am I starting this story with the name of the neighborly capital? Last time I went to Vienna, I promised to come again, having fallen in love with the city one more time But on this occasion, I promised myself I will take a day to visit Slovakia’s capital, only an hour away. Did I have any grand expectations? Honestly, no. Did I have any major plans? Also no. I wanted to pin myself in one more country, to finalize newly visited states in 2023. That was the only goal I had with this city.
Fortune (which follows the Courageous) was about to change my intentions and show me why Bratislava has had to be on my bucket list! I did close the year by visiting my 35th country in a row. 33 by 33 was overdone by one more contestant (after the Netherlands and Belgium). I remember how everyone was talking in such a grandiose manner about one more neighboring capital – Prague – which turned out to be a can do, but doesn’t have to. In fact, stay tuned for a comparison post – Bratislava or Prague. As for Bratislava, I was finding articles named “Is it really worth visiting Bratislava when in Vienna”. My expectations were in rubble. But let me tell you why I made such a huge mistake.
Cute and cozy
Bratislava is a small city, nested in the middle of Central Europe. Whichever tour you decide to take, or whatever you decide to read about Slovakia, you will see the name Austria-Hungary appear immensely. This is because all three countries used to be one empire, despite evident cultural and original differences. Yet, they still persist to maintain the glory of the days of unity.
The Slovak capital is quite small in size, and the most popular parts can be easily traversed in less than a day. Getting around is also pretty straight-forward. You need not rush anywhere, just simply follow the chill rhythm of the city. In fact, compared to Vienna and Budapest, the capitals of Austria and Hungary respectively, Bratislava is by far the chilliest. Everything is in such a slow and can-do motion. There’s no chance you can be late anywhere when visiting Bratislava. And the people are just like that – chill and can-do.
The Bratislava Castle
One of the reasons why I love Central Europe, despite its unfriendly climate, is the gothic atmosphere, as if from a post-medieval Batman comic series of some sort. And Bratislava is no different, although I believe Prague will be the strongest contender in this category, with the Astronomical Clock and all the stories of alchemy. On the other hand, the colors of Bratislava are much whiter and lighter. There is this strange, slightly gothic atmosphere around the central area, as incredible as that sounds.
The Castle is probably the most popular landmark of the city. And it is nothing unique in representation, since quite a number of European capitals and major cities has a castle atop a hill. Even in the Balkans, you can find this in Banjaluka and Belgrade, that don’t really belong to Central Europe in an architectural or spiritual sense. However, the Bratislava Castle is something different. It lies on a hill above Danube (cliché much?) and in the past it used super-deep wells to supply itself with water in times of war. It’s not particularly fortified, compared to other similar castles. It looks like a great location for filming music videos. For us, it was an amazing cause for a photo session.
The Old Town
Just like all other cities in this area, Bratislava has an Old Town right below the Castle. The buildings are pretty much in Austria-Hungarian style, and do not differ much from the ones in other regional capitals. What I found 100% unbelievable is the content of the Christmas market. As we managed to visit quite a number of them in the past months (and believe me, you are looking at a story about all the Viennese ones), I cannot state enough how amazed I was with the market in Bratislava.
Rather than a small market every few streets away, Bratislava had a single major Christmas market, throughout the main square. However, unlike the ones in Brussels and Antwerp, and even Vienna, this one was so rich in local products, having absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. Honey, glass objects, different kinds of liquor, local fast food, I cannot even recollect it all. The only things it was not necessarily abundant in were gingerbread and mulled wine.
The Blue Church
Remember what we saw in Mini-Europa Park in Brussels? Even though I was dissatisfied with so many models, this one in particular caught my eye. It was my first time to ever see this church. Although I am not a fan of visiting religious objects, even if they have a back-story about a saint person’s life, this one was simply different. It is so vibrant and inviting! It is unique in style, as well as in energy. Also, its colorfulness does not contribute to the gothic atmosphere of the city one bit. It is situated only about 15 minutes of walking away from the Old Town. Definitely a must see when in the area!
The UFO
We were forced to watch it from afar, as the entrance was closed, due to a corporate party. Of all 365 days in a year, why then?! The UFO is Bratislava’s most famous café, located atop its bridge crossing the Danube (location in the map, at the beginning of the post). The pictures really don’t do it justice, as you cannot take one from near the café. On the other hand, we weren’t able to go in and take pictures from the inside. When you decide to visit the city, do not skip this destination.
Hop-on-hop-off tour
This is quite a funny name, as this tour really requires no hopping off. The bus takes you around the city for about 45 minutes, and tells you about its plentiful history, mentioning the Austria-Hungarian Empire uncountably more times than Czechoslovakia (don’t hate, I needed to look the spelling up). I guess, due to obvious reasons, of how long each of the countries lasted in history. It takes you around some of the most famous buildings that you may or may not want to walk to, such as the Radio Building. Right before its last stop, the bus will take you to the Castle and allow around 20 minutes to go into the courtyard. Still, I suggest walking to it on your own accord, at your own pace. The tour does not bring you to the Blue Church, you’ll have to take this walk on your own accord. However, it does drive next to the Danube bank, allowing for some insights about the river’s flow. Highly suggested, and quite cheap – if I’m not mistaken, ours was 15 EUR / 16,3 USD. Generally, the whole city will be quite inexpensive, especially if you just visited Belgium and the Netherlands a day before.
To wrap up with the first question, Bratislava is an amazing choice for a one-day excursion while situated in Vienna! It can be reached by train for just 18 EUR / 19,5 USD, and all the public transportation in Bratislava will be included in the price – although you will not be needing to utilize it frequently. The train leaves every hour, in both directions. Due to the size of the city, both the Main Station and the Petržalka Station will be just a few bus stops away. Also, if you speak any Slavic language, you’ll be able to use it in Bratislava, and you are bound to understand Slovak easily.
Many instances of the Bratislava voyage reminded me of the trip to Prague I took in 2022, which I never really posted about – even though this was the year when Courageous Wanderer was founded. This visit gave me a reason to do just that, as well as make a comparison between the two capitals. And for all those of you who waited, The Grand Viennese Adventure will follow right after. Stay tuned!
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