A pink palace, UFO Tower, city beach and a bronze head poking out of a manhole cover!
Bratislava is full of surprises!

A few facts about Bratislava:
Capital of Slovakia.
Situated along the River Danube the city covers 142m².
Official language: Slovak but English is widely spoken.
Currency: Euro

We arrived in Bratislava on a Regiojet train from Prague. Rail travel in Europe can be remarkably cheap, we booked business class tickets several weeks ahead online. The four-seat compartment was extremely spacious and comfortable. The at seat steward service included complimentary tea, coffee, bottled water and magazines. Shortly after departure we were offered either fruit juice, or a small bottle of prosecco also included in the ticket. All this for just £24 per ticket! I should add that the train also ran on time! The journey takes around four hours.

The taxi from the station to our central hotel, The Radisson Carlton cost €22 / £19.

Compact with many sights and landmarks close together Bratislava Old Towns cobbled streets are largely pedestrianised so navigating on foot is easy. The streets are clean, well-kept and lined with architecturally interesting buildings and niche shops. In comparison, if you wander away from the main streets you will find unmade lanes / roads & derelict buildings which are well worth discovering and give an insight into another side of the city.

You will have no problem finding somewhere to eat & drink, there are many cafes, restaurants & bars around the city, all with outside seating so that you can enjoy the sights and watch the world go by whilst taking refreshments.

If Gelato is your thing, you will have plenty of choice, vendors offered an amazing array of delicious flavours! Two scoops were a mere €4 / £3.40!

Places of interest we discovered during our three-night (two full days) stay:

Old Town Hall in the Main Square (Hlavna Namestie) – one of the most respected landmarks in the city, the tower dates to the 1300’s.

St Michael’s Gate – at the east entrance of the Old Town, it is the only medieval gate remaining in the city. It’s easy to find as its blue / green tower which you can climb & look out over the city dominates the skyline.

St Martins Cathedral – on the western side of the Old Town. Consecrated in the 1400’s the Kings of Hungary were once crowned here.

Primate’s Palace (sometimes called the Pink Palace due to its colour) – was built in the 18th centuryand was home to the Archbishop. Today it is the office of the mayor, it also houses a rare collection of English tapestries dating to the 17th century. One of the most beautiful buildings in the city it is located just off the Main Square on Primacialne namestie.

Cumil – (Man at Work) – is a bronze of a man peeking out from a sewer on the ground. It is located on Panska, you can’t miss it as there is always a crowd of people round it taking photos!

UFO Tower – An observational deck built in the 1960’s it is located above the New Bridge on the opposite side of the River Danube to the Old Town. A lift takes you to the top, it stands 95m high with a visibility on a clear day of 100km!

Bratislava Castle

We passed through the medieval Sigmunds Gate to reach the castle.

The castle is basically a huge rectangle with towers on the corners.

The views make a visit to the top worthwhile, on a clear day you can have great views of Bratislava, Austria and other areas of Hungary.The gardens were lovely to walk around with some interesting statues and old wall remains. On the day that we visited there was a meeting of the Porsche Drivers Club taking place – Rich was very pleased about that!

Salvator Apotheke (apothecary / chemist) – built in the early 1900’s, we came across this interesting building with a statue of Christ on its facade, on our way to the castle. The building looked derelict, but the presence of a few old medicine bottles & drug scales in the window prompted us to peek through the window, what we saw was nothing short of amazing! The interior was fitted out in what looked like the original apotheke polished furniture complete with some glass bottles on the shelves & a beautiful ceiling. A little research later revealed that the apotheke is being restored with the original features! It’s located on Panska near St martins Cathedral.

Slovak National Theatre – a splendid renaissance building with a garden & grand fountain in front of it. It stands at the end of Hviezdoslavovo namestie.

The Danube River – we enjoyed a lovely walk along the promenade by the river. It’s picturesque with lots of river cruise boats passing along or moored up for a day or two. There are lots of places to sit & watch the activity on the river. At one end there is a city beach with plenty of seating, day beds & beach bar & music.

Where to eat & drink – all prices September 2023
Our favourite place to stop to chill out with a drink or snack was a bistro called Linos which was on Panska just about opposite the British Embassy.
The Vyprazany sry (fried cheese) with a portion of fries was enough for us to share for a lunchtime snack & was delicious (€9.90 / £8.60). I tried the hummus with bread & salad, also delicious! (€5.50 / £4.80)

Our favourite restaurant for dinner was La Pala Trattoria just opposite our hotel, The Radisson Carlton on Hviezdoslavovo namestie.
We can highly recommend:
Fillet Steak in a Wild Mushroom Ragu with Tagliatelle – €19.90 / £17.25 – beyond delicious!
Four Cheese Ravioli with Prosciutto – €15.90 / £13.80 – delightful.
Prosciutto Crudo Pizza with Mascarpone & Rocket – €12.90 / £11.20 – one of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten!

If you’re looking for a destination that is less busy than some of the more popular cities such as Budapest and Prague, easy to navigate, all major sights accessible on foot, riverside views, cafes, bars & delicious food then Bratislava is for you.