It was a 3.00 a.m. start for our drive to London Stansted for our early morning Ryanair flight to Bratislava. On arrival at the airport it was pleasing to note that bag drop was running efficiently and queues through security were much shorter than we’d recently experienced. The bonus being that we had ample time to enjoy a couple of cappuccinos each in the airside Windmill pub before our departure.

Our seats were on the third row of the aircraft and shortly after take off we were sound asleep for most of the journey. With sitting at the front, we expected to be one of the first off the plane and through immigration but as we had to board a bus to the terminal building we somehow ended up at the back of the queue. After retrieving our luggage from the baggage carousel we bought tickets from a machine in the arrivals hall to take us into the city centre. One hour tickets including transfers cost €1.30 each and just as we were completing our purchase the bus arrived so we hurried to the stop just in time. At the Racianske Myto interchange station we changed to Tram 3 which took us to Centrum (four stops) on the edge of the old town.

This was very close to our hotel the Danubia Gate where we called in to drop off our bags as it was only 1.00 p.m. The receptionist was very welcoming and after a quick phone call to housekeeping, confirmed our room was ready and we could access it straightaway. After quickly unpacking and making ourselves cups of tea we were soon ready to set off to explore the city.

The historic old town was only five minutes walk away and we soon came across the tourist office where we collected our 72 hour Bratislava Cards which cost only €28 (£24) and includes admission to museums, attractions and free use of public transport.

It had seemed a long time since breakfast, so before starting exploring, we enjoyed lunch sitting out on a cafe terrace basking in the warm Slovakian sunshine. We both settled on the special of the day which comprised bowls of vegetable broth and a creamy risotto with chicken and parmesan which we washed down with glasses of local beer.

Feeling nourished, we wandered the streets of the charming old town coming across Cumil ‘a man at work sculpture’ popping his head out of a sewer. Our stroll then continued past the beautiful 1886 Neo-Renaissance Slovak National Theatre and along to the riverside to Most SNP, the world’s largest cable-stayed bridge having just one pylon.

For panoramic city views there’s a lift at one end which takes visitors up to the top of the UFO Lookout Tower observation deck where there is also a cafe-bar and restaurant.

Rather than go up the tower we instead walked up the steep hill to Bratislava Castle, €10 (£8.58) and included in the Bratislava Card. This city landmark stands high on a hillside overlooking the River Danube. Eleven kings and eight queens were crowned in Bratislava as at one time it was the official coronation town for Hungarian kings, becoming the formal royal seat of the kings of royal Hungary.

The interior of the huge castle is absolutely beautiful with its sweeping marble staircases and gilded cornices. The castle is now home to various exhibitions of the Slovak National Museum spread out over four wings. These include displays of silver, ceramics, paintings, historical furniture and clocks, with galleries documenting Bratislava’s captivating history through to the fall of the iron curtain in 1989.

To the rear of the castle and accessed by an ornate stone staircase is the Baroque garden which was re-developed in 2016 and restored to the same design that existed in the late 18th century with its low box hedges and formal flower beds.

Leaving there, we popped into the Museum of Clocks which is located close to the castle in the House of the Good Shepherd, entrance €3 (£2.57) and included in the Bratislava Card. This rococo merchant’s house was originally built in the late 18th century and reconstructed in 1955 and is a tiny building with just one small room on each of its three floors.

Bratislava was a huge centre of clockmakers in the old Austro-Hungarian empire with almost 100 clockmakers living and working in the city between the 16th and 19th centuries. The museum houses a wide variety of clocks and it was especially interesting to be able to view the tower clock mechanism of the church in nearby Devin Castle.

There was then just enough time to call into the Museum of Jewish Culture before it closed at 5.00 p.m. Admission €5 (£4.28) and also included in the Bratislava Card. Housed in an historic building, the museum’s collection amounts to almost 5,000 items including a valuable synagogue curtain from 1783, books, parchment fragments and vases.

On completing our tour of the museum it was still so warm that we stopped off for refreshing cold drinks at a pavement cafe before returning to our hotel for a couple of hours rest as we had been up since 2.00 a.m. Feeling rejuvenated, we enjoyed an evening meal at Bratislavske Mestianske Pivovany, a beer hall quite close to the hotel.

I’m so pleased we found this restaurant as it had a great atmosphere, friendly service and most importantly reasonably priced meals together with a wide selection of its own beers. We both ordered beef dishes which arrived in generous sized portions and we accompanied these with large glasses of light beer. After that, it was back to the hotel and off to sleep in seconds as it had been a long day.
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We visited Bratislava a few years ago, but were only here for a day. I were pleasantly surprised at how walkable it was. We didn’t have enough time to go into the Bratislava Castle, but it looks beautiful.
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I’m so pleased that you have also had an opportunity to visit Bratislava Linda. It’s such an attractive small city.
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My time in Bratislava was largely cold and miserable but it’s still such a lovely city. Definitely feeling a little nostalgic seeing your photos though, I hope to return one day with similar weather to your trip!
Also, being the first off the plane only to be the last off the bus does seem daft. Glad Stansted was running fairly smoothly though! I think I’ve only been to Stansted once this side of Covid which is quite unusual given how long has passed.
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Yes,it was a bit of a downer ending up last off the bus. We should have stood by the doors! It was a great trip though and lovely weather.
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Oh wow!!…very interesting tour to know..thank you for sharing this with me!!!
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Thanks Edmund, I’m glad you enjoyed reading about Bratislava.
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That looks like an interesting city and appears to be good value too. Thanks for posting.
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Bratislava is a hidden gem, lovely architecture, good priced food and accommodation and cheap flights so a definite win, win destination! Thanks so much for commenting.
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A good post
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Thanks Sergio for your kind words.
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A very interesting city.
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Thanks for your interest, Bratislava is both scenic and full of history.
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ahhh somewhere I have been! without a doubt one of Europe’s hidden gems of charm!
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Great to find out that you have also made it to Bratislava Andy. Definitely one of Europe’s hidden gems.
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Bratislava looks gorgeous. I adore Cumil!
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Bratislava is a beautiful city and Cumil such a fun sculpture.. Thanks for commenting.
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I remembered our time in Slovakia with great warmth, but couldn’t remember visiting Bratislava, nor seeing the sites you showcase here. So I went back to my blog and realised we were in Nova Lesna, and the area around the Tatra Mountains, waaaay over to the east. Maybe next time, we should explore this area. My goodness! It’s only an hour from Vienna. Wow~
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Bratislava is a lovely place to visit if you have an opportunity. I haven’t been elsewhere in Slovakia but would like to do so.
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Those gardens look absolutely beautiful Marion…what a fabulous day you had albeit very long having gotten up at 2am…
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It was worth it though we were tired at the end!
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The castle is out of this world, beautiful architecture!
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Thank you, I thought the castle was beautiful too.
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I had cake at ufo tower with my grandmother when I was a kid. I later revisited Bratislava as an adult.great little town
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It’s lovely isn’t it Tanya and not at all over touristy. Thanks for commenting.
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I enjoyed it. Very much ❤️❤️❤️
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Thank you.
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The Bratislava Castle looks so beautiful, and the gardens as well! That is neat that it overlooks the River Danube.
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The castle is very beautiful with its commanding position over the Danube. The city is so nice and not so crowded. Thank you for your welcome thoughts.
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Lovely, and so good to see a bit more about Bratislava. I went on a hen do, but as you can imagine, I didn’t see much!
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I bet you had lots of fun though !
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Lovely to see Bratislava in the sunshine, Marion. Stayed there some years back around Easter and it snowed. Very picturesque, but crossing that bridge twice a day – brrrr.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Bratislava is such a delightful, small capital city and it was lovely in the warm sunshine but I would think also pretty with a covering of snow.
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One of the cities I would have loved to travel to. Thanks for taking me there virtually, Marion.
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It’s my pleasure Amanda. So nice to hear from you, hope things are going well.
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You visited Bratislava when it was sunny! Sadly, my one day in Bratislava some six years ago was an overcast day, so not very cheery at all…all the same, the Old Town is small, but very quaint (along with that cheeky Cumil statue, haha!). Didn’t go inside the Bratislava Castle, but I’ll have to if I ever return! Glad you had a wonderful first day of your city break in the Slovakian capital, and I look forward to more from you. 🙂
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Yes, we were fortunate that our visit to Bratislava was warm and sunny and we enjoyed exploring the picturesque old town. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Rebecca, it’s much appreciated.
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Hey Marion, how fun to read your perspective on Bratislava. As you may recall I spent a year living there in my mid 20s. That castle has certainly had a makeover in the intervening years! ‘Man at Work’ is one of numerous fun sculptures peppered around the old town. Did you see Schöner Náci? (The man greeting passers by with his hat held aloft). There used to be a paparazzi sculpture too but I think he’s gone. Will definitely visit that beer hall if I ever go back, looking forward to seeing what you got up to during the rest of the trip.
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Yes I remembered you lived in Bratislava and I’m happy this post brought back some fond memories for you. I did see the man with his head held high but I’m not sure I took a photo of him. The beer hall was great and we ate there quite a few times!
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Glad to see a post on Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. People usually pass through this city or take a day break here. We stayed for 3 nights and thoroughly enjoyed each moment. It’s a quaint old city, the castle on top of the hill surrounded by modern buildings with the Danube flowing through….your post brought back memories. Wonderful pictures… don’t forget to visit the Devin Castle and see the confluence of Danube and Moravia rivers from the top!
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I’m so pleased to read that you enjoyed this post and it brought back happy memories for you. I hope my post encourages more visitors to this charming city.
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What a beautiful city to explore with you today! I really love the architecture everywhere, but the interior of the castle is absolutely stunning with that white and gold. Looking forward to reading more on this city 🙂
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Thanks so much for your good wishes and interest in this post on Bratislava Meg. It’s a great city and ideal for a day trip to Vienna.
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Another wonderful city Marion and one I’ve never been to. The castle looks amazing and all that history too
Europe is great for mini breaks like these
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Bratislava is a great city with so much to see and do and a great base for visiting Vienna from.too. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Alison.
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Another place I’ve never been! I miss Europe but not as much as I would miss Australia if we moved 😏
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Although we both love to travel Alyson it’s good to know that you are content with where you live like me.
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It’s a good feeling 😍
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Another nice city break. I always envy those who can sleep on a plane. No such luck here. Bratislava looks like a great place to explore Marion. Allan
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Thanks Allan, Bratislava is such an interesting city with beautiful buildings on the river Danube.
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How lovely is the old town (and lucky that your hotel was so close). I agree with you Marion, the castle’s interior is so elegant and it has such a lovely garden. I’m looking forward reading more about your stay in Bratislava.
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I’m so pleased you enjoyed to read about our first day in Bratislava. We had such a lovely time there.
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What an incredible first day! I’ve heard good things about Bratislava and they look to be true 🙂
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Thanks so much Lyssy. Bratislava is a great city to visit on the beautiful river Danube.
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Good read. bookmarked it.
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Thanks so much Karen, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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It’s indeed! Check out my stories, when you get time. Thanks
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I will indeed.
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Another interesting tour, thank you! My wife is Hungarian so this little snippet of Hungarian history delighted her.
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I’m so pleased your wife enjoyed this post Ian. Bratislava is such a gorgeous, small city and a pleasure to visit.
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