Ted and I unexpectedly fell in love with Bratislava. While it’s Slovakia’s capital city, Bratislava still feels a little off the beaten path and that’s exactly why we loved it. It’s a smaller Danube river city that doesn’t receive as many visitors like Vienna or Budapest. Bratislava is small enough to see in one day, but rich enough in history and culture should you wish to extend your visit. Ted and I only had twelve hours to visit the city so read on to see how we made the most of this half day.
How To Get There
We considered taking a private tour to Bratislava for around 50 euro. But going on our own we were able to customize our trip and leave as early and stay as long as we liked. You can get to Bratislava by bus, train, or even boat – we chose the train. After taking the train and seeing just how easy it was to navigate, I would do this route again and avoid getting there via the more expensive tour option.
We left from Vienna’s international train station, the Wien Hauptbahnhof. The cost is cheap! It’s about 15 euro round trip and the trip only takes about an hour and a half! The trains leave every hour going there and back, so you don’t have to stress about planning your trip around train times, its extremely convenient. It’s amazing how in just about an hour you travel to a country with a completely different culture and language base. Its one of the things I love about central Europe.
Once you get to the main train station in Bratislava you can take a short 15 minute walk to the city center. Ted and I did this without wifi or GPS since we had our phones turned off so trust me when I say its easy. Just follow the signs which will guide you to St. Michael’s Gate, the entrance to Bratislava’s Old Town. There’s also a tram or bus that you can take but I highly recommend the walk. When you see the tower of St. Michael’s Gate you’ll know you’re about to enter into the Old Town. It’s the only remaining structure from Bratislava’s medieval roots.
What To Do
Free City Tour –
We spent the first few hours in Bratislava walking around on our own soaking up the atmosphere and people watching. But, we wanted to take a tour and learn more about the city’s history. One of the things I’ve learned through all of my world travels is that every major city has some sort of free tour option. All you have to do is find the meeting place and time to tag along. Of course nothing is really free since at the end of the tour you pay the guide what you feel the tour was worth. We’ve done a ton of these all over the world and really like the format.
Because the tour guides are working for tips they make a lot of effort to be interesting and funny. We intended to do this one which met at 10 am – but we were so tired that we ended up sleeping in and missing it. Since we arrived at around 10:30 am – we took a tour via the Tourist Info Center for 15 euro each. It met at 2pm and took about 2 hours. We learned about the city’s history and culture – my favorite fact is that the city was one of Napoleon’s favorites and visited frequently by Mozart and Beethoven. So if you make the free tour – wonderful, but know that there are other options should you need to sleep !
Visit the Castle –
Our afternoon tour had focused on exploring the Old Town, so Ted and I made sure to take a hike up to the castle to see the views. Like most Slavic towns, Bratislava is built around an old hilltop castle that looks over the Danube River. The castle itself is gorgeous ! It has turrets and a beautiful garden that was in full autumn bloom when we visited.
To get there walk away from the main city square until you see a highway. From there its easy to cross over the pedestrian bridge and you’ll see a gated stone archway that leads to a set of steps. Follow these steps ups the hill and you’ll end up at the castle gates. It’s a very pretty walk and not too strenuous. We didn’t go inside the castle but enjoyed the sunset and views that overlooked all of Bratislava and the Danube river.
Try the Goulash –
After a full day of walking around and enjoying the city Ted and I were starving. While traveling we have a habit of eating bigger breakfasts and skipping lunch to fit in as many sites during the day. So by dinnertime we are ravenous. Fortunately, Slovakian food is hearty. Think potatoes, stews, roasted meats, cheese, bread. If you find a salad or some green vegetable consider yourself lucky.
We asked our waiter for the most traditional meal we could get and the goulash was it. Ours was made with a beef and tomato base and was a little spicy. I don’t have the best photo of it – but you can see its served in a massive silver pot! I ended up getting chicken and potatoes since my stomach is always a little more delicate – nevertheless my meal was so flavorful and delicious.
Overall, Bratislava ended up being one of the favorite cities we visited on our vacation. Bratislava has a little more grit than big, wealthy cities like Vienna – it feels more lived in and has seen wear and tear over the years which is something I like to see. We always end up liking the smaller, less visited places. They’re less crowded and have a more authentic air. I hope you get a chance to visit one day because it should not be missed.
Stay tuned for more posts coming up on Vienna, Austria & Munich, Germany!
