12 hours in Bratislava

Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, is a lovely city which is easily explored on foot. It lies in the extreme south-western side of the country, so close to Austria that it is only an hour by road to the capital city of Vienna. This makes Bratislava and Vienna the two closest capital cities in Europe. Bratislava is full of old-town charm, mouth watering food and interesting history. We did it as a day trip from Vienna and really enjoyed our trip - our highlights are below!

When to go: April-September most temperate weather. However, a lovely place to visit all year round and quieter in winter. We visited in January and it was VERY cold but enjoyable.

Essentials to pack: Trainers for all the walking you’ll be doing! A scarf for when you’re at the top of the castle - it’s very windy up there.

Currency: Euro - £1 = €1.15

Must see: Bratislava Castle, St Martin’s Cathedral, The Main Square, The Old Town, The Blue Church, The Presidential Palace, The Danube, Čumil

How to get there: Train from London to Amsterdam (www.eurostar.com) and then Amsterdam to Vienna (www.trainline.com) followed by Vienna to Bratislava approx. £400 return, between 20-25 hours of travel time each way. Bus from London to Bratislava approx. £120 return, 33 hours travel time each way (www.flixbus.com). 2.5 hour flights from London to Bratislava approx. £80 return (only direct flights are in peak summer periods).

Public transport: There are busses and trains which you can use to get to places nearby but most of the city centre is pedestrianised and walkable.

Where to stay: We didn’t stay the night here, as we visited from neighbouring city Vienna and had accommodation there. However, there is a lot of availability on Booking.com and Airbnb for cheap places to stay smack bang in the middle of the city.

12 hour itinerary:

9am:
Arrive in Bratislava. Head to Urban House where the atmosphere is quirky and the resident DJ spins tunes from a custom made platform. This place had some of the best coffee we sampled in the city at really reasonable prices, and they do breakfast too.

10am-12.30pm:
Now it’s time to head to the main square. You’ll find yourself gawking at all the historic buildings that surround you as you walk there, but don’t take too long as the free walking tour kicks off at 10am sharp next to the fountain. We booked through Walkative who run free tours across Europe and did their “City and Castle Tour”. As the name suggests, this walking tour takes you around the main sights of the city and up to the castle too. It was two and a half hours long and our guide was really informative.

https://freewalkingtour.com/bratislava/bratislava-old-town-free-tour-slovakia/

From the historic main square our guide took us to see Čumil, the city’s famous bronze statue of a sewer worker. His name translates as “The Watcher” which sounds a bit spooky but he’s a very cherished landmark in the city.

We visited the Primate’s Palace which is a beautiful pink-hued building in a neoclassical style which dates back to 1780. In the courtyard which we visited on the walking tour you will see the fountain of St George, showing the knight slaying the dragon. According to one legend the figure of St George represents the archbishop, and his fight with the dragon symbolises the efforts of the Catholic Church to banish the Reformation from the city.

After this we began our ascent up hundreds of steps and steep winding streets towards Bratislava Castle. First mentioned in text in the 9th century, the castle is thought to have occupied it’s position on the isolated rocky hill above the Danube and in the middle of the city for hundreds of years. It has been rebuilt, extended and remodelled countless times over this period. Because of it’s size and location it is the main dominant feature of the city and can be seen from a long distance away. When you arrive at the top the views from the castle walls are incredible and you can see Austria as well as Hungary on clear days. You can pay extra to do a tour of the inside of the castle which we didn’t do.

After our visit up to the castle - where the views were incredible but the wind was extremely cold at -4 degrees! - as a group we headed back down towards the Old Town. Our guide took us through interesting alleys and pointed out several pieces of history before leaving us near to Michael’s Gate, an old part of the city wall which you can climb for a great view.

We actually decided to climb the tower of the Old Town Hall as it was nearby too. The views from the top of the tower were incredible and the price was only about 2 euros per person. There were a lot of steps to get to the top - around 300.

13:00:
Head to Slovak Pub for a bite to eat and a few drinks - you’ve earned it after that lengthy walking tour and information overload! This place serves up some great Slovakian beers and wines and also the famous Garlic Soup served in a bread bowl. A great way to warm back up if you visited in cold weather like us!

14:30:
Leaving the Slovak Pub, you’re not far from the beautiful Blue Church (The Church of St. Elizabeth) which is well worth a stop to admire the architecture. Whilst not that historic - it opened in 1908 - the design is unlike anything we’ve seen elsewhere. The pale blue and white façade rise up majestically to meet the sky, and the seamlessness of the architecture makes it appear almost artificial, as though it is a Christmas decoration or something made to look like a building.

15:30:
If shopping is your thing, head straight for Eurovea, about a 10 minute walk from the Blue Church. Eurovea is a fairly modern shopping centre which you could spend all afternoon in. If you’re like us and you simply want to explore more of the city, cut through the shopping centre and you will discover a raft of riverfront bars and restaurants waiting to be sampled. Enjoy a drink overlooking the Danube, before following the riverside footpath back towards the city centre.

17:00:
The river pathway will take you pretty much back to the centre of Bratislava where you can spend an hour or so wandering the streets of the old town, where charming shops stay open late for browsing and buying souvenirs, and small locally run bars are lit up by lanterns and fairy lights strung through the streets. Take some time to revisit some places you saw earlier - Michael’s Gate, or the Old Town Hall, for example, as most things here are lit up spectacularly at night.

If you get time to stroll out to the Presidential Palace, this is also beautifully lit up, and when we visited in January there was still an incredibly big Christmas tree at the front of the building - worth the walk out of town.

18:30:
A short but steep incline will bring you to St Martin’s Cathedral - a must see whilst in the city. The gothic design, large building and prominent spire of the church mean that you will easily locate it. Built on the site of a previous Romanesque church in 1452, there is a lot of history in this building. It has four chapels: the canons’ chapel; the Gothic chapel of Sophia of Bavaria, widow of the Czech King Wenceslas IV; the chapel of St Anne; and the baroque chapel of St John the Merciful. The portal of the southern antechamber represents the oldest example of Renaissance architecture in Slovakia. It is free to enter the church, however if you want to climb one of the towers you have to pay a small fee.

19:30-21:30:
Time for a well-earned dinner. Our recommendation is Modra Hviezda (Blue Star) restaurant near to the cathedral. On weekends it is advisable to book ahead as this is a very popular restaurant which employs local staff and serves Slovakian cuisine in a quaint and romantic setting.

We got the privilege of dining in the section of the restaurant which is directly underneath the castle. The menu is well thought out and showcases the best of Slovakian cuisine. A great way to end your day-trip in Bratislava.

”Na zdravie!” (Cheers!).

A day in Budapest

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Blog Gallery