Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe and only carrying its present name since 1919. The dominant feature of this city is the famous, big, turreted and walled castle, high above the city, illuminated gloriously at night. It sits next to the mighty Danube river and although it is often synonymous with stag celebrations by drunken Europeans, it is also a small, perfectly formed old city of pedestrianised streets, pretty buildings and atmospheric churches.
Here is an affluent city with a beautiful Presidential Palace near the centre and a great restaurant/bar scene. It is also the only place I have stayed in where my hotel room looked straight into the President’s garden across the street!
My trip to Bratislava.
Not much on this trip I’m afraid. It was part of a three city train trip from Vienna, Austria (see blog post here) and then from Bratislava to Budapest, Hungary (see blog post here).
If you need to know how to get from Vienna to Bratislava here is the link to my post on the train journey I took between these two cities. Click here for the link.
I somehow managed to lose many of the photos I took of Bratislava but there are enough here to give you a good impression of my travels. It was a two day trip in which it absolutely poured down with rain each day and I got so wet on just a small trip out of the hotel.
My umbrella was in constant use when walking into town from the great hotel I stayed in.
Where I stayed in Bratislava.
It was stylish, modern with huge suites for a very good price. I would recommend the Loft Hotel, (click for info here), as it was superb, with a great country kitchen styled restaurant and bar and so near the centre, being just behind the Presidential Palace.
The rooms were very spacious and modern and our studio up on the top floor was so comfy and homely. As I said the view from out window was on the Presidential Palace opposite and its trees and gardens. Service was good and they gave loads of information on what to see along with a city map.
Presidential Palace
The Presidential Palace, called Grassalkovich Palace, was just down the road from us and each day we passed by it, to and from the city. Built in 1761 for Slovak nobility, it later had many uses, including a military headquarters and culminating in a school. In his day the composer Haydn was a visitor to this building, invited to play by the nobles who owned the palace.
After the Velvet Revolution of 1989 it was totally renovated and reopened in 1998 as the seat of the President. The gardens to the side are public with a large imposing government office also sitting in its grounds. In front are several large modern buildings that juxtaposes with the historical building and there is an interesting modernist water fountain with a globe in the centre of the square.
The centre of Bratislava was accessed via several pedestrianised roads. Many of the shops were newly renovated in what was clearly an attempt to reinvigorate the centre by the local authority in wake of the new wave of tourism.
Hope you love graffiti.
There was an obscene amount of ugly graffiti that had been sprayed or written onto the new fixtures. Although I understand this happens everywhere in the world there seemed to be no attempt to remove it from newly placed refurbishments. Perhaps the local authority did not have the funds but it was an eyesore in what would have been otherwise a charming city centre.
I have heard and seen photos that this has now changed and I can hopefully report better on my next visit. I have seen recent photos of Bratislava and the central area in 2019 and it now looks stunning. Lovely new pavements, refurbished buildings and all so gloriously colourful. I would now reconsider this city for another visit to do it the justice it now seems to deserves.
The Castle is dominant up on the hill and can be seen from many areas but because of the relentless rain we did not venture up the hill to it. We heard it was under renovation anyhow and not much could be seen.
St Martin’s Cathedral
We instead concentrated on the old part of town and headed for St Martins Cathedral, (click here for info). There is a huge dual carriageway directly in front of the site and it leads to a nearby huge modern bridge which really spoilt what should be a peaceful setting.
The Cathedral inside was however beautiful with ancient walls and decorations and well worth the excursion. Inside we saw a beautifully decorated music book at the altar area for all to read.
Old Town area.
Around the Cathedral is the old part of town with its narrow roads, old and sometimes dilapidated buildings. These buildings were just crying out for refurbishment and had a real atmosphere of the past.
Main Square, Hlavne Namestie, Bratislava.
The Town Hall is set in a pretty square with a Jesuit Church to one side. There is a small Palace building on the other and the French Embassy on another. In the square itself was Roland’s Fountain with a statue of Maximillian to one side – a very picturesque and well preserved area.
Restaurants are everywhere so do not worry about finding somewhere to eat! Walk along the main central area and they are everywhere. They include coffee shops and bars and are somewhat encroaching onto the walkways in their efforts to attract customers.
There is a main thoroughfare, bordered by trees, that has the National Theatre at one end and leads to the Holy Trinity Column monument at the other. Divert off this street down to the water way for a spectacular view of the River Danube. You can look towards the border with Austria on the horizon.
Well, that was a short but very wet visit to Bratislava. I really hope to come back one day in better weather that allows me to get around the city more. Hopefully the castle will have finished its restorations and be ready for a full visit next time.
Sept, 2014.
Below are some related posts on nearby places to visit. Click on the pic to view.
You truly have a way with words. Your writing is like poetry. Thanks for the useful info and nice pics too.
Thanks for that commentary – I’ve never been likened to a poet ! lol. I appreciate your input
Adding Slovakia to my list
Let me know what you thought of it when you go. Bratislava is easily a starting point.
The main square looks like it would be fun to explore. Gutted about the weather for you. Hopefully you can revisit on a nicer day!
Yep, I often wonder if the bad weather affected my opinion of Bratislava as we got soaked through twice and it was a downer. In all I feel I would have the same opinion in good weather. Next time there I will test that theory!
This sounds like a very charming place where there’s a nice mix of modern, fresh architecture and historic architecture. I love it when a location has both elements as it adds to the beautiful and evolving history of a place.
The city was charming (except for the abundance of graffiti). I fully intend to revisit it when it nots experiencing a rain storm and the castle is fully open, so I can appreciate the city more.
I also don’t understand why there are so many graffities in Europe. It mustn’t be hard to do a clean up.
I agree. The problem however is that the graffiti is put on private property (walls, posts etc) so the owners have to remove it not that local authority. Owners can’t be bothered or it costs too much for them to remove it. They argue that if it removed it gets re-grafittied again. Studies show that constant removal of graffiti deters re-offending as the artists want it to stay there as a advert for there hyper-egos. They won’t re-graffiti an area that is regularly cleaned because of the effort – but try convincing owners of that ! I know because we had a graffiti problem in my home area and we removed it as soon as it appeared, eventually no-one re-graffitied the area as it was know as a removal area… so it does work.
Beautiful post! Thank you for sharing, it was lovely to see the town through your eyes.
Thanks for commenting. I’d love to re-visit sometime soon, to see more
Oh Barry, you have to come back to Bratislava, it’s such a charming place especially in the summer. Shame you had rain during your stay. I can confirm that it has been a lovely and neat town. No graffiti whatsoever. The Old Town has charming gelato-coloured houses, impressive architecture and so many cafes to sit in and enjoy coffee. The castle is lovely too, there’s a little greenery from which you can enjoy the views and find shade during the heat. Lots to see and explore but I would say it needs more than one day.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
Am so glad that the city has ridden itself of the graffiti. It was the one thing that really spoiled it for me, as it was overwhelming, even in historic areas. I could see the potential of beauty if they solved it so am so glad they have. Another return trip is needed I think to see the city in its glory now. thank you for the update for me and my readers.
The weather on my trip to Bratislava was not too dissimilar to yours. Maybe a little less rainy. But I still throughly enjoyed Bratislava even if I did visit at a quiet time of year. I loved the history, exploring the castle and city walls, and all the gorgeous buildings. I also have to return and spend longer there. I didn’t notice too much graffiti but I also don’t always pay attention to that so could still be some there. I agree about some of the run down buildings, I saw a lot on my walk from the train station, but like any city there are areas that get less attention than others. I’ll be back to Bratislava one day, I hope you get back too
I hope to get back there one day too. My experience wasn’t the best but I now here that so much ahs improved that it is worth a revisit.
Sometimes you get lucky with the weather and sometimes you don’t! But despite the rain, Bratislava definitely looks worth a visit. We have wanted to see Slovakia for a while and would very much like to explore this city. Shame about the graffiti, although it sounds as though that may have been remedied. The old town and main square look like charming places to walk around and it’s good to know that there are plenty of restaurants. Did they serve local cuisine? I didn’t realise that Liszt played his early concerts here, so it was lovely to see the memorial.
The city has some lovely areas to explore and I’ve heard that much has been improved, so I really need to get back there one day soon.
Slovakia is now on my list! The Bohemian notation manuscripts in the Cathedral are stunning. As a musician I would love to see those for myself as well as walk in the places of two of my favourite composers, Haydn & Liszt.
I’m glad to read they have cleaned up the graffiti — it really is off-putting to see a city covered. I hate that in Athens, too.
Great post, thanks for sharing.
Lyn | http://www.ramblynjazz.com
The city certainly has some important historical musical connections. Hopefully the graffiti has been cleared up, just as I have heard.
Another really nice post here looking at Slovakia. A European gem it seems. I have looked up this city a few times and this post has made me rethink booking a visit again. While the weather wasn’t on your side for your 2-day stay it looks like you managed to visit a few nice places anyway. The presidential palace looks like an awesome structure. Crazy to think it dates back to 1761!
The city is very walkable and compact and thus much can be covered in a short period of time. It would definitely be nice to revisit the city without the rain and be able to appreciate it more.
We were supposed to visit Bratislava for a wedding in 2020 that got cancelled unfortunately, but I’ve heard wonderful things about the city and Slovakia in general! It sucks when we get rain on our travels, but sometimes it helps highlight those hidden gems. For example, I find that architecture is often more beautiful in the rain because it sometimes shines or changes color in the rain.
I find I tend to do more indoor explorations if I encounter heavy rain on a trip and that opens up areas that I may not have previously thought about. I need to get back there and rediscover the city without the wetness!
I actually like the pics of the old streets and buildings in the rain. The city looks charming in spots, but I can see how it didn’t capture you. I am a fan of street art, but not graffiti. I’m curious to know how much the city has changed since your visit, perhaps they took your recommendations and cleaned it up 🙂
I’ve heard the graffiti has been dealt with and that would be a huge improvement. Maybe it’s time for me to revisit and gain an new appreciation of the city.
If I was excited and curious about this city before, I’m even more so now! Bratislava has been in my sights for some time now and I can’t wait to explore every corner of this charming city.
A city that, from the photos, is a delight for the eyes, with the traditional architecture of that European region. I wondered what it would be like to walk through these streets, discovering the little secrets hidden around every corner.
Bratislava is one of those cities that is a joy to just walk through. You find wonderful buildings as each turn and so the city streets themselves can turn into a major attraction.