The capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava, has been greatly overlooked by tourists in the past. At first it seems unattractive compared with the likes of Prague and Budapest. However, dig a little deeper and you will find a town rich in culture and art, fine restaurants, elegant buildings, churches, cathedrals, museums and galleries. It has an inescapable charm and, these days, quite a cosmopolitan buzz and ambience.
The city, which has a population of 400,000 and is situated on the border of Austria and close to Hungary, has a long and fascinating history. For two hundred and fifty years it was the capital of Hungary, the site of coronations until the mid-19th century. In 1809 Napoleon besieged the city and you can still see a cannonball, allegedly shot by him, wedged into the side of the church on the main square. Bratislava also has a strong musical history, with several prodigal composers having played there in their youth - Franz Lizst at nine years old, and Mozart at six years old in Palffy Palace. To this day the Slovak National Opera is highly reputed (and very good value) and the city boasts several annual music festivals, including an international jazz festival in October.
Apart from wandering around the old town and absorbing its ambience, sites to be seen include Bratislava Castle, which boasts an interesting exhibition on the history of musical instruments, and St Martin’s Cathedral which was built in the 14th century and the site of the coronations.
The controversial Novy Most (new bridge) has a lift up to a café where you can grab a coffee and admire the panoramic views of the city. Just off the main square is the beautiful Primate Palace and it was here in 1805 that Napoleon signed the Pressburg (Bratislava’s former name) Peace Treaty. More recently it appeared in the Hollywood movie ‘The Peacemaker’ starring Nicole Kidman and George Clooney!
Accommodation ranges from hostels such as Gremium (Gorkeho 11), and Spirit (Vancurova 1), where you can expect to pay about Ł5 a night to four star hotels such as the Hotel Forum (Hodzovo nam. 2), Hotel Danube (Rybne Nam. 1), and the recently refurbished Hotel Carlton (Hviezdoslavovo, opposite the opera house), which will set you back around Ł100.
The number of restaurants, cafes and bars has exploded in recent years and offers a variety of cuisine including American, Italian, Mexican, but it’s worth trying out a few of the local haunts such as the lovely Prasna Basta (Zamocnicka 11) or Korzo (Hviezdoslavovo nam. 11). One word of warning: don’t try Slovak Pizza! It’s normally only available from street vendors but is basically pizza bread with onions and lard. A more palatable national dish is Bryndzova Halušky (cheese dumplings), although it can be somewhat heavy-going and best accompanied by some Budvar or Becherovka! The relaxed pace of the old town invites you to spend your days and evenings sitting in bars and in pavement cafes watching the world go by.
To get to Bratislava, the most direct route from the UK is to fly to Vienna and catch the airportbus, which costs around Ł8 in Austrian Schillings or Slovak Crowns and runs almost hourly. Otherwise you can fly to Prague or Budapest and take the train (about 5 hours from Prague, 2 hours from Budapest). Once you’re there the city can largely be explored on foot, although taxis are reasonable and if you want to go further afield there are hire car facilities available at several of the hotels (Hotel Danube for example).
And finally, I would say that despite the recent bad press following the England vs. Slovakia football match, Bratislava is not a dangerous or hostile city, or at least I never found it to be in the two years that I lived there.
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Very useful review of a place I would greatly like to visit. Alex
volodja 08.01.2003 00:19
just returned from new year trip to slovakia! really true - worth visiting, though there are plenty other sites to see around and in Bratislava!
emmayaffe 12.11.2002 23:49
I think that too many people limit themselves to the likes of Paris and Amsterdam when just an hour or so further away are the wonderful cities of Eastern Europe. I've seen Prague and Budapest but never had the fortune to visit Bratislava.. not yet anyway!
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Advantages: Relatively quiet compared to it's near neighbours Prague, Vienna and Budapest Disadvantages: Ironically it sufferes in some respects from not being as well-visited as the above
fizzytom 06.01.2004 (27.04.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bratislava (Slovakia)
Advantages: Relatively quiet compared to it's near neighbours Prague, Vienna and Budapest Disadvantages: Ironically it sufferes in some respects from not being as well-visited as the above
fizzytom 06.01.2004 (27.04.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bratislava (Slovakia)
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