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Bratislavia, Slovakia travel guide and things to do: Nine highlights
THE ONE CASTLE
From ghostly ruins to opulent chateaux, castles scatter Slovakia, a mostly mountainous, much-invaded slice of central Europe celebrating its 30th year as an independent nation in 2023. In the capital, a fortress has capped a rocky plateau above the River Danube for over a millennium, but the one you see today, Bratislava Castle, whitewashed with four stocky, red-roofed towers, is a 1950s reconstruction, mimicking an earlier renaissance design. Artefacts from the Slovak National Gallery grace the castle, while baroque-style gardens and panoramic terraces afford wide-ranging views of Bratislava, a popular port of call on Danube cruises. In clear weather, it's also possible to peek across the border into Hungary and Austria. The latter's capital, Vienna, is just an hour away by road or rail. See visitbratislava.com
Bratislava's Stare Mesto (Old Town) spreads out in the castle's shadow, separated by a freeway that skims the former city walls. Threaded with cobbled lanes, pretty pastel buildings and enticing spots for food, drink, opera and shopping (with prices kinder than Vienna's), this compact, pedestrian-friendly quarter flourished during the 18th-century reign of Queen Maria Theresa, when Bratislava, then known as Pressburg, was a key domain of the Habsburg Empire. Royal coronations took place at the gothic, green-spired St Martin's Cathedral, one of the sites covered on Bratislava walking tours (which some cruise companies, like Viking, include in their fares). See vikingcruises.com.au
THE ONE BRIDGE
Illuminated at night, the imposing Novy Most (New Bridge) might be the quirkiest structure spanning the entire, 2850-kilometre-long Danube. Dubbed the "UFO Bridge", it opened in 1972, when Bratislava was part of Czechoslovakia, a country founded after World War I following the Habsburg Empire's collapse. Connecting the Old Town with Petrzalka, a district dominated by Communist-era housing blocks, the bridge has an observation deck and an upscale bar-restaurant in its flying saucer-like tower-pod. A Skywalk attraction sees adrenaline seekers dangling from the windowsills, secured by steel ropes, 85 metres above the ground. See u-f-o.sk
THE ONE CAFE
Like many European counterparts, Bratislava had a thriving, smoky 19th-century coffeehouse culture only to see it dwindle during Communism, with the Soviet-led authorities not so enamoured by these potential hotbeds of revolt. The Old Town's revived traditional cafes and cool newbies offer caffeine hits, liplickingly-tempting cakes and pavement seating. Tucked down a side street, Black Coffee is a bright modern space serving good flat whites and cortados. Perch yourself by the window and watch the Bratislavans breeze by, or sit in the lounge, where co-workers chat and tap away. See blackcoffee.sk
Richard C Lewis who married a Slovakian woman
For most tourists, Slovakia and its capital city, Bratislava, are still seen as secondary stops on the express train between Prague and Budapest or other better-known Eastern European destinations.
But Bratislava is charming, vibrant and will especially appeal to visitors who enjoy mixing with the locals - rather than bumping into other visitors at every step as in other European hotspots.
The city is also awash in new construction and new wealth, the spoils of Slovakia's recent entry into the European Union. Yet the mostly mountainous countryside beyond the city remains as undiscovered as ever.
