A Brief Tour of Beautiful Bratislava

One of the great things about Vienna is how close it is to so many other places. Not that you would ever run out of things to do in Vienna, but if you want to explore elsewhere, there are lots of options nearby. The closest city for a day trip is Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

Formerly known as Pressburg, Bratislava has a long history. It has been part of the Hapsburg Empire, the kingdom of Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. Bratislava has been a seat of power on the Danube for centuries. 

The city's coat of arms

Today the prominent language in the city is Slovak. I was grossly under-prepared for this, and didn’t recognize one word. For my own education, I am going to try to list landmarks in Slovak and then in English in this post.

I started my trip with the one-hour train ride from Vienna to Bratislava. Tickets are only eight Euros each way, and the trains run every hour. Once I got to the Hlavná stanica (train station) in Bratislava, I took bus 93 to the historic city center.

My handy map

A helpful local told me to get off as soon as I saw the castle, but my brain didn’t process that. We stopped by the castle, and there I sat. Next thing I know, we’re trundling over the bridge across the river. I had to get off and take the bus one stop the other way. It was my first lesson in how compact Bratislava really is.

The view of the castle from over the bridge

By the time I made it to the city center, it was time for lunch. I wandered the streets, admiring the beautiful architecture and hunting for the right café. Eventually I landed on one targeted at students, so they had great prices. Eager to taste the regional specialties, I ordered Bryndzové Halušky, potato dumpling with sheep’s cheese and bacon. It was a very hardy meal, and quite tasty.

With my hunger satisfied, I set off to see Bratislava hrad (castle). It’s up on a hill, so you have to climb up about 100 steps to reach the top. It’s not too bad. On my way up I had the good fortune to meet some fellow travelers from Macedonia and Poland. They were very friendly and told me about the city and the castle. It was once owned by the famous Hapsburg empress, Maria Theresa. We walked all around, admiring the building and the view, and then back through old town. It was really fun to hear stories of their travels through the years, and stories just about their lives. Everyone always says that traveling alone is the best way to meet interesting people, and that was definitely the case in Bratislava.

The stairs up to the top of the hill

The view

One of the castle gates

We eventually split up, and I walked down to see Grassalkovičov palace (Grassalkovich palace). Built around 1760 for the Earl of Grassalkovich, it is now the seat of the Slovakian president. I didn’t realize that meant the public was not allowed in, so I promptly tried to waltz right past the guards. Luckily, I wasn’t arrested. There is a public park in the back that I walked around.

The front

The back, with the park

Next, I decided to visit the Stará radnica (old town hall) where the city museum is housed. The building was built by Mayor Jacobus II, but was eventually joined with several surrounding buildings to create the town hall. Over the years it has served a variety of city administrations and undergone several renovations. The exhibits inside went into great detail about the history of the building. What I found that I was more interested in was seeing the rooms. The rooms where the court used to meet were stunning. Unfortunately, no photographs were allowed of the inside.

The back of the city hall, where the museum is

The city hall from the front

A bonus attraction of the museum is the tower. You get to climb to the top, and there are great views of the city center along the way. I think over the rooftops of the main square of the city was one of the most beautiful sights I saw all day.

Check out that view!

My next stop was Kostol svätej Alžbety (The Church of St. Elizabeth) or as it is more commonly known, Modrý kostolÍk (the blue church). Built in 1908, it reflects the Hungarian secessionist, Art Nouveau style. And the whole building is blue! I don’t know why I thought that was so cool, but I was in love with this church. It isn’t very big, so it is adorable, different, and beautiful. I stood outside just staring at it for a long time. The doors were locked, so I didn’t get to go inside.

According to Wikipedia, the inside is blue too!

I meandered around the city center some more after that. Usually strolling around a city and taking pictures is not my travel style, but it was such a nice day, I couldn’t stop myself. The historic center of Bratislava is cozy and stuffed to the gills with famous landmarks, exquisite churches, and regular buildings that take your breath away.

The State Opera

 

Michael's Gate

After I had thoroughly traversed the city center, I stopped to rest at a hidden café I had found. It was in a courtyard behind the Primaciálny palace (Primate’s palace), which is the office of the mayor. At first, I thought it was some kind of fancy zoo. The café had vaulted ceilings and a suite of armor inside.

The Primate's Palace

The sun was setting on my day in Bratislava, however. I made my way slowly back to the train station, taking one last opportunity to drink in the sights.

When I’d arrived in Bratislava, I had a plan for how my day was going to look. I ended up not following my plan at all, and having an amazing time. The wonderful atmosphere of Bratislava just invited me to enjoy myself.