Backpacking Europe: Bratislava

Bratislava is a very pleasant medieval town with narrow, winding streets, a hill-top castle next to the river Danube, and many historic churches and buildings to visit. The main places of significance are situated around the old town. Budapest is the capital city of Slovakia. A country formed as a part of the Velvet Revolution, the fall of Communism led to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into two separate and independent nations: the Czech Republic, and of course Slovakia (Slovak Republic).

Our bus to Bratislava from Vienna was at 7 am. We woke up on the call of the alarm at 5:30 am and frantically headed towards the bus station. It was a small 1-hour journey from Vienna to Bratislava.

The weather in Bratislava was a bit foggy. The bus dropped us slightly on the outskirts of the city. From there we took the day ticket the old city. Even though Slovakia is a relative new Country, it gives a good competition to the other fairly developed European Countries.

We reached the old City and started walking. The first strikingly remarkable building we came across was the blue church, we went inside but it was already full of people. The Christmas Market near the fountain was slowly opening up.

Read other Eurotrip Blogs:

• Backpacking Europe : Lucerne and Zug
• Backpacking Europe : Zurich
• Backpacking Europe : Versailles
• Backpacking Europe : Paris
• Backpacking Europe : Manchester
• Backpacking Europe : Liverpool
• Backpacking Europe : Munich
• Backpacking Europe : Bled
• Backpacking Europe : Ljubljana
• Backpacking Europe : Innsbruck
• Backpacking Europe : Darmstadt
• Backpacking Europe : Bratislava
• Backpacking Europe : Vienna
• Backpacking Europe : Budapest
• Backpacking Europe : Prague
• Backpacking Europe : Milan
• Backpacking Europe : Rome
• Backpacking Europe : Berlin
• Backpacking Europe : Amsterdam
• Backpacking Europe : Trek to Herzogstand

The Church of St. Elisabeth

At a Restaurant

At St Micheal’s Gate

Old bicycles in old town

Childrens in the skating ring

As we were walking in the city we came across the famous Statue of old Guy peeping out of manhole happily, its called the men at work.

The bridge over the Danube river, with its flying saucer-shaped structure housing a restaurant called “UFO”. There is an observation deck on its roof, open from 10:00 – 23:00 daily, offering great views of the old town. Below the bridge is the MOST SNP the local main bus stand of the city.

UFO bridge

Most SNP

Men at work

Written on a Dustbin

Love locks on Dunabe Bridge

Bratislava Castle is a major attraction that is easily reachable from the St Micheal Church. To our luck, the Castle had just opened after the reconstruction. One guide told us that in a clear day the castle provides a good view of the city and also of the nearby countries like Austria, Hungary.

Bratislava Castle

The King Over looking his city

St. Martin’s cathedral

Boutique Gardens

Statue of a child singing Flutes

Nice Cabin in the Garden

Wall Gardens

Statue of Crows looking at a lady

Old Ruins in the city

From the Bratislava Castle, we went to Most SNP and took a bus no. 29 to a nearby village where there are the very famous old ruins of Castle Devin. According to the Pamphlet Guide, The site has been settled since the Neolithic Age (11000 BC) and fortified since the Bronze and Iron Age and later by Celts and Romans.

The cliff (elevation 212 meters) was an ideal place for a fort due to its position at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers. Looking like a just out of a scene out of a Game of Thrones episode, the fort watches over an important trade route along the Danube as well as one branch of the Amber Road. From the top of the fort, you can see the Austria - Slovakia Border in the middle of the river. Pretty Amazing.

Walking Up to the Castle

Taking TimeLapse of the fog surrounding the village

Other hill of Devlin

At the edge of castle Devlin

Bratislava castle in the Night

With Bratislava our Chrismas market city hopping trip came to an end.

Trip Cost Breakdown Per Person