Historical center Bratislava and St. Martin’s Cathedral in the foreground ()
For your next fall trip, somewhere as historically rich and beautiful as Bratislava should be added to your plans. Historically called Pressburg, this Slovakian capital is surrounded by the Little Carpathian Mountains with elaborate fortresses placed throughout, intended to protect this small landlocked country. Slovakia is an affordable European destination, so you can easily see everything you want to see if you just give yourself the time to do so.
You can travel into the city by train but be flexible (bring something to read or listen to) if your train is delayed or rerouted. Once you are in the city, you can take the trams around if you need a break, just buy a ticket at a bus stop kiosk or on the bus and validate it when you ride. I recommend you spend at least one day exploring the city, but over a weekend is even better so you don’t find yourself overly exhausted. Trust me and bring good walking shoes because Bratislava is well-known for being pedestrian friendly.
OLD TOWN
Hit the cobblestones in the heart of the city by starting in the Old Town, or “Staré Mesto.” You can check out the Old Town Hall’s city history museum and the 18th-century Primate’s Palace, which now acts as an elegant cultural center displaying paintings and tapestries. It also contains the Hall of Mirrors, where a peace treaty was signed between France and Austria in 1805. It was a peace that only lasted four years before French forces returned, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, for a second siege.
I suggest spiraling out into various squares and tree-lined streets, where you likely won’t miss Michael’s Tower, a fortification from the 14th century. It welcomes visitors into its weapons museum. There is also an extensive display of historical artifacts at the Museum of Jewish Culture, which highlights the long history of Orthodox Judaism in Bratislava.
Slovak Pub
For a menu with a variety of Slovak offerings, the Slovak Pub will hit the spot. Sweet and savory dumplings, hearty soups and sheep’s cheese from a local farm will have you not wanting to leave (or unable to until you have a digestif, which is no problem with their full bar).
My favorite detail of this cathedral is the striking Gothic tower, topped with a mint green and gold trimmed spire, finished with the symbol of the Hungarian crown on top. As the coronation site of many Hungarian kings and queens, its whitewashed stone walls house a replica of the crown used for such ceremonies that are still re-enacted annually. The four chapels and nave are worth exploring every nook of, along with gorgeous stained-glass details.
Also known as the Blue Church, this 20th-century church announces itself from a distance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. A mixture of Art Nouveau meets wedding cake and Disney castle, it is full of bright colors and magnificent detail. While it is worth wandering around the outside, if you want to see inside as well, the open hours are limited and often closed to tourists due to weddings or mass, so be sure to check their website beforehand.
FROM GREAT HEIGHTS
If you want to target locations where the view of the city is especially vast, these sites would be a worthy adventure.
A key city symbol is the Bratislava Castle, which apart from being well maintained, offers great views of the city from its terraces and Baroque garden. You can gracefully walk down the wide beautiful staircases and get up close with many medieval artifacts on display in its Museum of History and become immersed in the stories they tell.
A key city symbol is Bratislava Castle, which apart from being well maintained, offers great views of the city from its terraces and Baroque garden.
The Slavin War Memorial is hard to miss as it overlooks part of Old Town; it’s worth visiting, especially near sunset. This is also a burial site for Soviet Army soldiers who fell during World War II.
In the hilly outskirts of Bratislava, the ruined fortress “Hrad Devín” or Devín Castle overlooks the union of the mighty Danube and small Morava rivers. If you can make the 21-minute bus ride from downtown, be prepared to climb 212 meters up for a serene view of the landscape. Winding around to walk up the steep incline, you’ll see the precariously perched Maiden’s Tower on a rocky outcropping. Before Slovakia’s currency switched from the koruna to the euro, the Maiden’s Tower was featured on the 50-halier coin. Stop in the cool depths of the castle’s museum before heading to a cozy place to eat some traditional food.
If you don’t get queasy with heights and want a riverside view, hop up to the observation deck at the UFO Tower over the Danube River. Towering up one side of the bridge “Most Slovenského národného povstaniat” or “Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising,” it is 10 to 12 euro for an adult ticket to go up, depending on whether you visit during the weekend or a weekday. Here you can also dine at its sky-high restaurant, which has a higher-end price range (from 39 to 49 euro for the main course only) in exchange for a very memorable meal.
Scavenger Hunt of a Lifetime
Napoleon left his mark
In the Old Town Hall, a cannonball is still lodged in the tower wall from the siege of 1809. In fact, throughout the buildings of the town square, some of these dense projectiles are still lodged where they came to rest all those years ago. Residents decided to leave some in place as a way to remember the eventual victory when Napoleon failed to take Bratislava (then Pressburg).
Statues, so many statues
The city has a chance to show off its quirky and artistic side with the many statues around the city to admire. My favorite bronze statues were Čumil, a sanitation worker gazing at passersby, and The Witch, an airy figure hanging out with a bunch of crows in an empty courtyard below the castle. Perhaps you’ll run into the bronzed Hans Christian Andersen or the Soldier from Napoleon’s Army, too!
