Day 4. A walk around Bratislava city centre

On By Little Miss TravellerIn Bratislava City Break, Northern Europe, Slovakia

Our Bratislava city break was drawing to a close but with a late evening flight back to the U.K. we still had a full day of sightseeing to look forward to.  We started off by visiting the Blue Church located quite close to our hotel in the eastern part of the old town.

Blue Church, Bratislava
The Blue Church

It’s known as the Blue Church as everything about it is pale blue from its exterior façade to its oval interior and mosaics.  The church has limited opening hours but when closed, visitors are still able to view its beautiful interior quite easily through the metal railings across its entrance.

Interior of the Blue Church, Bratislava
Inside the Blue Church

From there, we took a tram to the edge of the old town so that we could visit the Presidential Palace.  This was constructed in 1760 on the orders of Count Grassalkovich who was a nobleman and chairman of the Hungarian chamber.  The palace is now the official residence of the President of the Slovak Republic.  As it is only open to the public on one day each year it is unlikely you will get an opportunity to look inside.  However, it’s possible to watch the changing of the guard through the railings which takes place at noon each day.

Presidential Palace, Bratislava
Presidential Palace, Bratislava

After viewing the front of the palace we then wandered around to the rear where there is a large park that originally formed the palace gardens.  This comprises lawns with fountains, flowerbeds and a statue of Empress Maria Theresa on horseback.

Gardens of the Presidential Palace, Bratislava
The Presidential Palace Gardens

Moving on, we walked a short distance to catch a 147 bus, which took us close to the Slavin Memorial, up a steep hill.  We just needed to climb a few steps up to the monument which is dedicated to the thousands of Soviet soldiers killed in battles liberating Slovakia during the Second World War.  The 40m high obelisk is topped by a bronze figure of a Red Army soldier holding a banner.  It is a well maintained site with a cemetery containing over 6,000 war graves.  As well as visiting for its historical significance, the hilltop also affords panoramic views of the city below.

Slavin Memorial, Bratislava
The Slavin Memorial

We timed our visit well as we only had to wait a few minutes for the bus back down to the city centre.  This gave us just enough time to enjoy an ice cream before heading to the tourist office to participate in a one hour walking tour of the city.  Tours take place at 2.00 p.m. daily and cost €15 per person but are free to holders of the Bratislava Card.  Please note that you need to reserve a place on the tour a minimum of two hours in advance.

Old Town Hall, Bratislava
The Old Town Hall

I always enjoy a city walking tour especially if it’s on the first day of a visit to a city I’ve not been to before as it helps to set the scene for exploring independently later.  Although we’d already looked around and visited numerous museums in Bratislava ourselves the walking tour was still very interesting.  Our local guide shared lots of information about the city’s history, people and culture and pointed out many hidden gems including statues and plaques that we weren’t aware of.

Bratislava Walking Tour
Our walking tour took us along the streets of the old town

We were shown one of the 178 small gold crowns embedded into the pavement following the royal route that started from the Vydricka Gate near the cathedral leading though to St. Michael’s Gate, the only remaining entrance to the town.  The gate is a city landmark with its Gothic tower and green domed copper spire but not visible at present whilst major restoration work takes place.

St. Martin's Cathedral, Bratislava
St. Martin’s Cathedral

Our tour ended outside St. Martin’s Cathedral so after thanking Linda our guide, we took the opportunity to look inside as on our first day when we had tried to visit, it was closed.  It’s a beautiful three nave Gothic cathedral which served as the coronation church for Hungarian kings and their consorts.  A 300 kg gilded replica of the Hungarian royal crown commemorating these historic events can be seen perched on the cathedral roof.

UFO Bridge, Bratislava
UFO Bridge, Bratislava

Leaving there we crossed the UFO bridge to take a walk along the embankment and from across the river we had some excellent views of the castle and of the Danube river cruise boats moored along the river bank.

Bratislava Castle on the River Danube
Bratislava Castle taken from across the Danube

Our walk took us as far as the Apollo bridge close to the Eurovea Galleria shopping centre which comprises two main buildings divided by a small public square.  Along one side are numerous attractive bars and restaurants all with riverside terraces.  After selecting one for a leisurely meal, we popped back to the hotel to collect our luggage before taking Tram 1 back to the railway station followed by Bus 62 to the airport.

Eurovia Shopping Centre, Bratislava
The Eurovia Shopping Centre

Our flight back to London Stansted was the final one of the evening to depart so the airport was very quiet and it was quick and easy to get through.  We’d adored everything about our visit to Bratislava as the Slovakian capital with its beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets and interesting museums makes for a lovely city break.

Our visit was supported by Visit Bratislava and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.

 

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A walk around Bratislava

 

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42 thoughts on “Day 4. A walk around Bratislava city centre”

  1. I’m so late in commenting that I’m not even sure that you’ll read this, Marion! Anyway, thank you so much for introducing me to Bratislava. It is another one of those places that hasn’t been on my travel radar but, having read your your guide, I can’t imagine why! I only became aware of the capital of Slovakia when we were in Vienna and I saw signs to Bratislava. It then dawned on me the proximity of these two beautiful cities. I have never visited Budapest either, so perhaps I could combine the two in the future!

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      1. There are so many places I still haven’t seen. It’s hard to narrow it down! I quite like the idea of some independent train travel between various places. It’s boiling here in the Surrey Hills and we’re looking after two other Border Collies, for friends, as well as Zeph. We’re walking very early and very late. I wonder if you’re travelling somewhere cooler?!

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  10. Looks like you went church hopping this time around! The Blue Church is really eye-catching: I’m all for blue-themed locations (e.g. the Blue Church, Chefchaouen, etc), and this church is definitely on my list of places to check out if I ever return to Bratislava. Glad you had a wonderful time, and I look forward to your next travel post, wherever you go. Have a wonderful summer!

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  12. This brings back memories of my time in Bratislava. I particularly liked the part of the old town built in a mellow baroque style, attractive without being crazy. Thanks for sharing this.

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  15. I couldn’t agree more about walking tours. It’s a great way to learn more about the city and see some places that you might have missed entirely if you were on your own. We visited both the Blue Church and the Slavin Memorial when we were in Bratislava. Thanks for sharing all the other things we missed. Take care. Linda

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  16. Oh, the blue church is really blue … I like that! You’ve done quite a lot of walking on your last day in Bratislava – the perfect way of exploring a city, isn’t it? Thank you for showing the beauty of Bratislave to me – I enjoyed my (virtual) tour with you Marion.

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  18. You know how to make the best use of your final day. I am with you. When we are about to leave a place we like, we always enjoy one last look at the highlights. Thanks for taking us here Marion. Allan

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