Bratislava is a misunderstood destination, as it’s certainly not the first place you think of when you want to organise a trip.
The Slovak capital is an ideal weekend destination and is only an hour’s drive from Vienna, so you can combine the two.
Getting around Bratislava
The old town (because that’s what you’ll be exploring, that’s where the sights are) is so small that you can walk the whole thing. If you still want to be more comfortable you can use the buses and trams.
The airport is very close to the city and we called a taxi via the Bolt app and paid just 6€.
Accommodation in Bratislava
Park Inn by Radisson Danube Bratislava
Park Inn by Radisson Danube Bratislava is the ideal hotel for your stay. The reason? First of all, it is located on a beautiful central pedestrian street and all the attractions are close to it. Plus the hotel is next to the Danube and our room overlooked the river. The rooms on the opposite side has also a nice view, because they overlook Bratislava Castle!
The rooms are huge, very spacious and quite modern. The hotel has a big pool, sauna and spa, everything you need for relaxing holiday! For the more sporty people there is also a gym.
I have to say that their gym is very spacious, not like the basic hotel gyms. People from the city can visit it too.
Breakfast has plenty of options to satisfy all tastes. It is served in the Park Inn by Radisson Danube Bratislava’s restaurant, the fantastic Bocca Buona.
From 12:00pm you can try authentic Italian flavours, such as delicious pizzas and pasta.
It is said that they serve some of the best pizzas in the city!
Food in Bratislava
Bratislava Flagship Restaurant
One of the best restaurants to visit in Bratislava to taste authentic country flavours is Bratislava Flagship Restaurant (Námestie SNP 8, 811 02).
Bratislava Flagship Restaurant is located inside an old theatre -how impressive- and they also brew their own beer!
We tried garlic soup inside a loaf of bread (a dream!), traditional sausages, potato pierogi with cheese, bacon and sour cream and one of the country’s traditional dishes, halušky.
Halušky is a pasta made from flour and grated potato and is usually served with bryndza (sheep cheese) and bacon.
The portions were huge and the prices are very good. You should definitely put it on your bucket list!
Regal Underground
At Regal Underground (Palackého 49, 811 02) you will eat -without exaggeration- the best smashed burger of your life!
You might not be impressed when you arrive at the restaurant because it’s small, but it has a great vibe. We tried the Dvojitý smash burger (double beef burger, cheddar, smoky mayo, pickles and caramelized onions) and the Trojitý smash burger (triple beef burger, cheddar, smoky mayo, pickles and caramelized onions) with fries and awesome garlic mayo.
We liked it so much we ate it twice in three days. If you want a burger, definitely go there and you’ll remember me!
La Piazza Restaurant
La Piazza Restaurant (Hviezdoslavovo námestie 172/14, 811 02) is perfect if you want to eat Italian. The restaurant has a lovely decoration with the olive tree as the dominant element.
Everything we tried was delicious. I chose pasta with truffle cream and fresh truffle and it was probably the best pasta of my life. Plus we had delicious seafood risotto and prosciutto pizza.
If you’re a fan of Italian this place is for you.
Narbon
In the heart of Bratislava (Laurinská 1, 811 01) you will find Narbon a place with a great aesthetic. It’s a place so elegant and yet so relaxing to enjoy good food.
We tried delicious tortellini with black truffle and ricotta cheese and lasagna with rabbit ragout. Of course we didn’t leave without eating dessert. We tried their tiramisu, which they make at that moment and the cream is dreamy.
Slovak Pub
The Slovak Pub (62 613, Obchodná, 811 06) has been ranked as the 23rd best pub in the world. You can try their beers and of course eat traditional Slovak dishes.
We ate halušky again, a delicious mashed potato, sausages and an awesome schnitzel with fries. All the dishes were excellent.
The portions were very large and the prices very affordable, definitely worth a visit.
Kormuth Confectionery
A gorgeous place (Sedlárska 363, 811 01) with cakes, that takes you back to the Middle Ages.
It has a minimum consumption of 13€ per person and the sweets cost about 7-8€ each. The appearance of the desserts are very impressive, however in taste they are not special.
Attractions in Bratislava
Bratislava Castle
Bratislava Castle stands on a hill overlooking the Danube, it was founded in the 10th century and was the core around which Bratislava developed.
Entrance to get in costs €14, and if you want to walk around the castle and its gardens it’s free.
St. Martin’s Cathedral
St. Martin’s Cathedral has a rich history, as the coronation of the 11 kings of Hungary took place there.
Once there, follow the cobbled road with crowns on the pavement, passing by the St. Michael’s Gate and ending at St. Martin’s Cathedral. It is the road that kings used to follow for their coronation.
Čumil
The Čumil statue is one of the most famous sights in Bratislava. It is a bronze statue of a sewer worker resting in a manhole and looking at the people walking.
Old Town Hall
Museum in the Old Town Hall complex with exhibits about the history of Bratislava. You will find it in a very nice paved picturesque square where the Roland fountain and the Greek embassy are located.
Archbishop’s Palace
Behind the Old Town Hall, is the Archbishop’s Palace. It is an elegant palace built in 1781, which now serves as a concert hall and the mayor’s office.
In fact, it was there that Napoleon signed a peace treaty, “The Peace of Pressburg” in 1805.
St. Michael’s Gate
St. Michael’s Gate is the only remaining gate of the city from the fortified walls and towers built in the 1300s.
Below Michael’s Gate is the ‘kilometre zero’, the topographical point where the kilometric distances from other cities begin to be measured. Athens, based on the disk reading, is 1253km from that point.
The entrance fee to climb the tower costs 6€ and when you reach the top you will come out on top to enjoy the panoramic view of the city.
Grašalković Palace
The Grašalković Palace is the residence of the President of Slovakia. It is located in Hodžovo námestie, near the Summer Archbishop’s Palace.
It’s worth a stroll, but it’s nothing special.
St. Elizabeth’s Church
The trademark of the city, St. Elizabeth’s Church, also known as the blue church.
The Blue Church is one of the most famous attractions in Bratislava because of its original colour. It was built in 1908, originally as a chapel of the adjacent high school and looks like a fake one.
UFO Tower
Last but not least, the UFO Tower. The flying UFO-shaped tower is located on a bridge over the Danube. Entrance to go up costs €9.90, and €11.90 on public holidays – a price I find exorbitant because we didn’t stay more than 10 minutes.
Inside the tray is a restaurant, which offers panoramic views, and you can enjoy the view from the observation deck at the top.
What you need to know before your trip to Bratislava
- Slovakia’s time is one hour earlier than Greece
- Mobile data is available for roaming in Slovakia, and therefore also in Bratislava
- Haluski, soup in bread, schnitzel and sausages are just some of the dishes you should try on your trip to Bratislava.
To see more from my trip to Bratislava, visit my Instagram profile.
