A Day in Bratislava

A Day in Bratislava

Back in November while on holiday in Vienna me and my boyfriend had a day trip to the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava. Being only an hour train ride from Vienna where we were staying made it an ideal day trip destination. If you're planning a trip around a few different countries, I believe these two capital cities are the closest together in the whole of Europe making this an ideal place to start.

While we were only there for a day we managed to pack in a lot of the major sights and we even got to visit the Christmas Market in the centre that happened to have just started for the season.

The city is incredibly easy to walk around and if you do not wish to walk from the train station you can cheaply get a day trip bus ticket for a couple euros. However all the sights are located in or near the main centre so this would just be needed to get to and from the train station. Below is a guide of of the sights we saw and would recommend and the restaurants we ate at on the day. I cannot recommend any accommodation as we did not stop over in the city.

Things to See

UFO Tower

One of the main attractions we visited was the UFO Tower which gives you a panoramic view over the city. It is €7.40 to go to the top where there is a view point looking out over the city and the castle. To get to the tower you have to cross the SNP bridge, located underneath there is a pedestrian walkway to the other side of the river. 

Once you have finished with the viewpoint you can relaxed and unwind in the restaurant below where they serve both food and drinks. On the day we just opted to have a drink and I had the delicious hot chocolate that was very beautifully presented below. I would recommend!

The Blue Church

After this we visited the Blue Church which was hands down the most stunning building architecturally that I saw on this trip. It was designed and built in the early 20th Century by the Hungarian architect Edmund Lechner in an art nouveau style with both the exterior and interior being painted in a variety of shades of blue.

Unfortunately the building was closed when we got there so we were unable to see much of the inside or go up the tower, however walking from the centre just to see the exterior on its own was well worth it.

Christmas Market

We visited Bratislava at the end of November and this happened to be not long after they had set up the Christmas Markets. This made the whole trip for me as for years I had always wanted to visit the Christmas Markets in Europe and the Bratislava market did not disappoint.

There were quaint stalls all through the centre selling a variety of food, drink and souvenirs. It would have been rude not to partake! We gorged ourselves on mulled wine, honey wine and sweet snacks like the Trdelník shown above. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the whole market and I would go as far as to say it was my favourite Christmas Market from the whole trip based on this.

Hrad Castle

Hrad Castle is one of the main sights of the centre, it is quite a hike up from St Martin's Cathedral but it is well worth it for the opposite view across the river where the UFO Tower is. Unfortunately the castle was closed when we hiked to the top we were however able to wander around the grounds freely.

The architecture of the castle is a sight to behold, with many statues dotted around and the building itself with its red turrets and white walls really stood out. You could see the castle from afar from multiple points around the centre.

Michael's Gate

Right in the centre and just up the road from Funki Punki Pancakes is Michael's gate. Built approximately in the year 1300, it is the only city gate from the medieval fortifications to have been preserved and located in the tower today is a museum exhibit covering the towns beginnings, reconstructions and the gates final destruction as they were preventing growth of the city. Unfortunately on the day we visited this was also closed so we were unable to have a look inside or visit the balcony viewpoint.

Man at Work

An amusing bronze statue of a sewer worker peeping out and resting at the top of a manhole after a hard days work. This was a two minute walk from the old town hall and is just randomly located on a street corner. 

Food

Funki Punki Pancakes

Our first thought on arrival was food and after a quick online search we decided on Funki Punki Pancakes as they provided both gluten and gluten free options in both savoury and sweet flavours. As it was lunchtime I opted for a savoury pancake with mince and cheese and it was incredibly tasty. The whole meal was incredibly cheap, I'm sure it was about 4 euros each for a pancake and a large glass of their coke alternative. Well worth a visit especially if you are coeliac. 

The rest of the food we had that day was from the Christmas Market stalls so I am unable to recommend a specific restaurant for these.

So there you have it my Bratislava day trip guide, hopefully next time you are considering a trip to Europe Bratislava will be higher on your list now than before you read this post. I would fully recommend a trip especially as part of a multi-trip with Vienna and Budapest.

Have you been to Bratislava before? Comment below and leave me your thoughts on this lovely European city.

Thanks for Reading!