About Us
We, Mark & Herta, are currently backpacking through Europe, and eventually planning to settle in London. Beyond that? The possibilities are endless.
Read Mark & Herta’s full story.The capital cities of Austria and Slovakia are only separated by a 90-minute train ride. So, logically, our next stop after Vienna was Bratislava. We didn’t really know what to expect from Slovakia, as it is a country often overlooked. But, we figured, why not spend a day in Bratislava to see what it is all about.
As always, we opted for doing a walking tour of the city. We started at the calm and green Hviezdoslavovo Square, and made our way towards the Danube river.
The main bridge across the Danube is called the UFO Bridge, and it is obvious why. In the UFO, there is a restaurant and viewpoint to get a panoramic view over Bratislava. We, however, continued onwards, and headed into the small streets of the Old Town.
Our first stop in the Old Town was the St. Martin’s Cathedral, built in the 15th century. Even though it is centuries old, it remarkably still is one of the highest buildings (85m) in Bratislava.
One of the most remarkable sights is the Man at Work sculpture. It depicts Čumil, a sewage worker, peeking out of the manhole. As far as we know, there is no real history or reason as of why this sculpture was placed here, but a funny sight it sure is!
The Old Town of Bratislava is quite small, and lined with shops and small eateries.
We arrived at the narrowest street in Bratislava; Baštová street.
We followed this street and ended up in front of the only remaining city gate: Michael’s Gate. After passing underneath you are now outside the city walls. From there, we walked about 15 minutes to our last stop of the day.
This last stop was the remarkable Church of St. Elisabeth. Painted blue, this church is one of a kind. It was only built in the early 1900s, in art nouveau style. And if you are wondering, yes, the inside of the church is painted blue as well.
From the bus stop underneath Nový most you can take a direct bus that in 30 minutes brings you to Devín Castle, near the border with Austria. Its strategic position along the Danube river made the fortress very important in medieval times, with both the Celts and Romans in charge.
Nowadays, visitors can stroll through the castle grounds, and enjoy the views of the river and surrounding hills. Plan to visit for an hour or two maximum, as the castle grounds are not that big.
We, Mark & Herta, are currently backpacking through Europe, and eventually planning to settle in London. Beyond that? The possibilities are endless.
Read Mark & Herta’s full story.