Hello takealookers!
Even though I lived only 80km away from Bratislava I've never been there till September this year, which now I realise is a shame. I was probably being punished for my inconsiderate behaviour because the day I decided to visit Bratislava was one of the hottest September days. But, that didn't stop me from enjoying it.
I set on my day trip to Bratislava from Vienna's Haupbahnhof. I love being quite casual with my trips, you know, making decision in the spur of the moment, and this was an ideal one for that as there's a train every half an hour. However, I think taking a boat from Vienna to Bratislava makes for a much nicer experience, but that's for those wise people who plan. Anyway, one hour later I was already in a different country, isn't that amazing?! I love Europe! So much diversity and one short train ride later you find yourself in a different country, capital and culture.
Now, to be honest, Bratislava is rather a small capital (only 450.000 inhabitants) which occupies both banks of the River Danube. My little trip started with taking a lovely walk down the bank of the River Danube. You'll find a bunch of cute restaurants and cafes right here. The view is lovely, and if it wasn't 1 billion degrees that day, I'm sure I'd loved it there.
Now, to be honest, Bratislava is rather a small capital (only 450.000 inhabitants) which occupies both banks of the River Danube. My little trip started with taking a lovely walk down the bank of the River Danube. You'll find a bunch of cute restaurants and cafes right here. The view is lovely, and if it wasn't 1 billion degrees that day, I'm sure I'd loved it there.
My journey continued further downtown in the hunt for shed. To someone coming from Vienna architecture in Bratislava is nothing new, however, because everything is on a slightly smaller scale here, it's that much more intimate, cozy and has more soul, which is something, if you ask me, Vienna lacks. The buildings are beautiful, bright and wonderfully restored, you'll feast your eyes walking the streets.
The real gem of Bratislava is its Old Town which I absolutely loved. It's the place to be. I loved walking the narrow streets, circling around admiring lovely architecture. Walking around aimlessly, discovering each street felt like a fun game. Besides it being fun for adventurers, the Old Town is buzzing with life. It's full of character and wonderful uplifting energy. Surprisingly, for the city this size, it's very lively, there's a lot going on, especially in the evening. Tourists, locals, street performers, seems everyone is here.
I really enjoy feasting my eyes on very cute restaurants and cafes. It's my thing! I think the restaurants and cafes tell a story about the city and the culture of the people in it. Here, I think you'd find something to anyone's taste, from hipstery coffee houses, traditional restaurants, pubs, to sweet, cozy places such as the one above. Yes, I know it's a sin to visit a country and not try the traditional food, but in my defence, I've already been in Slovakia before and did the traditional food part. This time I was craving something different and Enjoy Coffee was the place! They offered lovely, healthy meal choices, I can recommend delicious and so satisfying Buckwheat with chicken and exotic fruits, fresh lemonades were divine and amazing coffee. It is with a lot of effort I omitted the cake this time, but the cakes looked lovely as well, check those pictures out!
Finally, the little tour was concluded with a visit to the beautiful Bratislava Castle. It's a little bit of a hike to the castle, but it's definitely worth the effort. The castle itself sits on the hill, tall and bright, however it's the garden of the castle that stole the show. It's truly wonderfully decorated with lovely flowers, it's a wonderful experience to just take a short break here and admire the beauty. Also, the view of the city from the castle is pretty amazing. You can see the New Bridge from there and the River Danube.
Sadly, all my joy and relaxation in Bratislava went down the drain once I realised I can barely make the last train to Vienna. Thankfully, public transport was more than reliable, another plus for Bratislava. So that concludes fun 6 hours in Bratislava.
Alright takealookers, next week off we go to a different country and slightly different scenery.
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