Is Bratislava Worth Visiting?
Is Bratislava worth visiting? A question I asked whilst crossing over from Budapest (a more famous destination which is definitely worth exploring) for stop number 14 out of 15 on a 3-month trip across Eastern and Central Europe. After all, what would this lesser known city have which I hadn’t already seen elsewhere?
The answer is yes, it’s definitely a city worth seeing! I was pleasantly surprised by how good Bratislava was. The Slovakian capital is often overshadowed by more illustrious neighbours including Budapest and Vienna, but there’s a lot of cool stuff to see here too. In fact I would also call this one of the best solo travel spots in Europe.
Let’s start by getting stuck into what to do in Bratislava.
What to do in Bratislava
After surviving my first night in the hostel from hell (don’t book the cheapest place here…), it was time to hit the city and see what Bratislava is like. The answer to that being pretty beautiful!
It turns out there’s a lot to see and do. You can cram everything into a couple of days, however I would say 3-4 days would be better so you can see everything.
Bratislava Castle
My personal highlight. It is worth coming to Bratislava for this alone.
Overlooking both Austria and Hungary, this 10th-century structure stands high on a hill above the Danube River. It was built to protect what was then the Kingdom of Hungary from German and Czech attacks.
It lasted until 1811 when Napoleon’s troops attacked and left the castle in ruins. The rebuilding process started in the 1950s and was completed in 2010.
Today it is a lovely spot to hang out, enjoy the views, and spend some time in the scenic courtyard round the back.
Bratislava Castle has a quintessentially European feel about it, and deserves to take first place in your itinerary whilst looking at things to do in Bratislava for a day.
The Old Town
Bratislava has a beautiful old town. You could spend most of your trip walking around here and not get bored. Here are some spots you should check out in the Old Town:
Palaces of the Old Town
Primate’s Square is a wonderful place to start. You won’t be monkeying around here however. Instead you can admire the beautiful Primate’s Palace. This stunning building is famous for being where the Peace of Pressburg was signed. This treaty marked some territorial changes after a heavy French victory against the Holy Roman Empire, of which Slovakia was a part.
Not far from here is Mirbach Palace. This 18th-century palace is popular for its rustic appearance and art collections. If this is your thing, it costs €5 (£4/US$5.50) to enter, or it’s free with the Bratislava tourist card.
The Vice Governor’s Palace completes a three-minute triangle taking you around impressive looking palaces from times gone by.
Michael’s Gate
This is arguably the most popular entrance to the Old Town. It is the heartbeat of Bratislava’s cafe and restaurant scene. You will find yourself surrounded by colourful buildings and can view the city from within the tower at the entrance. A lovely spot to check out.
Statues of Bratislava
The Slovakian capital is famous for its statues dotted around the Old Town. These include Schone Naci, a friendly-looking chap lifting his hat beside a coffee shop sign. Many tourists will take photos in front of this sign.
Cumil is a statue of a man poking his head out of a manhole cover. That’s it really. But for some reason it’s popular. I can’t say it’s worth visiting Bratislava purely to see this statue, but maybe you’ll appreciate it more than I did…
The Napoleon’s Army Soldier shows a man in 1800s French military uniform leaning on a bench. As legend goes, Napoleon’s army marched through the streets of Bratislava, and a soldier fell in love with a local girl before staying behind and making Bratislava his home. This story inspired the building of this statue in Slovakia’s capital.
Another obscure statue is Posmievacik. This odd little gargoyle is tucked away in a little alcove. He is famous for what appears to be three legs on first glance, all of the same length. It turns out his third leg is actually… okay, let’s not go down that route. There are several rumours behind the statue’s origin including one where it is thought to mock the former owner of this building who would spy on pedestrians walking past.
The Blue Church
Not sure my creative writing skills are good enough to describe something that has already been accurately described in the heading above, but here goes. Yes, it’s a church, and it’s blue. It’s a 10-15 minute walk from the old town and it looks pretty awesome.
Annoyingly I didn’t take any photos either. If only I could foresee becoming a blogger a few months down the line… But this is certainly a place worth checking out.
The UFO Bridge
There’s an observation deck halfway across a bridge overlooking the Danube river that looks just like a UFO, hence the space-themed name.
You can enter the UFO Bridge observation deck daily from 10am-11pm.
Tickets vary in price, but the most expensive cost €11.90 (£10/US$13) for an adult during peak times, which are 1pm-11pm during the week and all day on weekends.
There is also a restaurant, and the entrance fee to the observation deck is waived if you purchase a main meal here instead. Although they cost 4 times the price of the entry fee, so you are paying a premium if you wish to do this instead.
Bratislava City Museum
The Old Town Hall is Slovakia’s oldest city hall dating back to the 15th century, which makes it fitting that the country’s oldest museum is based here.
The 150-year old Bratislava City Museum is home to some of the city’s most important cultural artifacts.
If you want to learn all about the history of Bratislava going back thousands of years, this is the place to come.
It takes around 1.5-2 hours to visit and costs €5 (£4/US$5.50) for an adult ticket, with children and pensioners paying half of that.
Do a Free Walking Tour
My top recommendation for any city you visit. I think free walking tours are the best way to learn about a place with the help of a local guide who doesn’t just explain everything you should know about Bratislava (or whichever city you visit). They also show you the best places!
There are normally around 10-20 people on each tour on average. Although I have done tours in Peru and Bolivia where I was the only person to turn up. Equally I’ve done 30-40 person tours which aren’t so good as it can be tricky to get close enough to the guide to hear properly.
Free walking tours are technically not free, they are tips-based which means you can pay what you want. Whilst yes, this does mean you can pay nothing, remember that this is your guide’s job and in some cases, their only source of income will be your tips. So always offer some cash at the end. An average tip is generally £5-10 (€6-12/US$6.50-13).
How to Get to Bratislava by Air
The main airport in Slovakia is Bratislava Airport (BTS), officially named M. R. Štefánik Airport after famous WWI general Milan Rastislav Štefánik. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is the closest airport to the capital.
It has several direct flights from the UK and southern Europe, as well as a handful from Egypt and Lithuania.
Unless coming from one of these places, your best route into the country is via Vienna Airport (VIE) in neighbouring Austria. I’ve flown there several times and it’s one of Europe’s best flight hubs with several destinations in North America and Asia as well as numerous in Europe.
Check out the next section for information on how to go from Vienna to Bratislava.
Budapest Airport (BUD) in Hungary is the other viable option, again covering big chunks of Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. Again, read a couple of sections further down for transport information from Budapest to Bratislava.
Elsewhere in Slovakia, the country’s second-biggest international airport is in Kosice (KSC), over 4 hours from Bratislava if you drive, and much longer on public transport. Therefore this may not be your best option.
Likewise, Poprad-Tatry Airport (TAT) is over 3 hours from the capital, and only has flights from London (Stansted and Luton airports).
Can you do a Day Trip from Vienna to Bratislava?
Yes. This is one of the most popular day trips to Slovakia if you don’t wish to explore the country in more depth or don’t have the time to do so.
Check out the Austrian Railways website for ticketing information and timings. A return ticket starts from £28 (€33/US$36). Trains run hourly from 4:45am until 11:45pm heading from Vienna to Bratislava.
Trains run at least hourly from Bratislava to Vienna starting at 4:16am and going until 11:16pm. Up until 7:16am there are more frequent trains, although you will most likely get caught up in the commuter rush.
You will be travelling between Vienna Hauptbahnhof train station in Austria and Bratislava-Petrzalka station in Slovakia.
The journey takes around an hour.
You can find slightly cheaper tickets for £20 (€23/US$25), although these generally require a change at Marchegg, an Austrian station near the border. This route takes 1.5 hours.
From Bratislava’s train station, it will take around 20 minutes to walk into the Old Town.
Can you do a Day Trip from Budapest to Bratislava?
Yes, however distances are much longer (it will take 2.5 hours for a one-way trip). Buses are much better than trains for this route, as they cost less than a third of the price for a slightly shorter journey.
Buses cost from £19 (€22/US$24) for a return ticket, with the earliest leaving Budapest’s Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvarat station at 6:45am and the latest back from Bratislava Bus Station at 11pm.
Please note that you will most likely have to pay a little above the £19 minimum fare (anything from £1-£28 more), but even at the higher end, it’s still half the cost of the train.
Is Bratislava Expensive?
Bratislava is cheap compared to most places in Europe, and can only be considered expensive compared to Eastern European countries, particularly in the Balkans.
I spent an average of £26 per day here (€30/US$33) which was pretty similar to my spending in Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.
Budapest in neighbouring Hungary was cheaper than Bratislava, with accommodation and food costs being higher in the Slovakian capital.
It is however much cheaper than the likes of Greece, Italy, France and the UK.
Is Bratislava Safe?
Yes. Before we get into my experiences within the city, let’s start with this important question.
If coming from Western Europe or the USA then you will be pleasantly surprised. Bratislava is ultra safe and the odds of being robbed or attacked here are only a fraction above zero. Central and Eastern Europe (excluding Ukraine currently of course) are two of the safest regions on the planet.
If you’re staying in hostels or connecting to the internet on your devices, then I have some safety tips that can help you. But otherwise, you don’t need to prepare for a Bratislava trip as if you’re going to somewhere in a less safe country like Ecuador or Brazil.
Arrival in Bratislava: The Low Expectations Effect
After under 4 hours travelling by bus from Budapest, I arrived in Slovakia’s capital with zero expectations. After all, what could this country offer which the 13 I’d previously visited on the same trip couldn’t?
By this point I was a little bored of Europe. Cities began blending into one with little differing between them. Another orthodox church, another WWII Memorial, another statue commemorating past heroes…
A stark contrast from South America where neighbouring countries often felt like different planets.
I kept wondering, is Bratislava worth visiting for tourists?
My rule whilst travelling is to visit new countries, even if they don’t seem exciting from the outside. Why? Because this way you discover hidden gems and realise in some cases that a place you had little expectation for is actually a real beauty.
This is where the low expectations effect comes into play. If you go somewhere expecting it to be 10/10 amazing, but it feels more deserving of a 9/10 ranking, you will feel underwhelmed. Yet if you head to somewhere with 2/10 expectations and it turns out to be a 4/10 destination, you will be pleasantly surprised.
I went to Bratislava with little more than 4/10 expectations. Therefore the bar was low and the ceiling was high. It didn’t get off to the best start with a terrible experience at a filthy hostel with dreadful staff. But thankfully, everything else proved to be positive.
Is Bratislava Worth Visiting?
The Slovakian capital is absolutely worth a few days of your time. This charming little city has a lot going for it, and it’s also pretty affordable. Not quite super-cheap Balkans prices, but certainly not as expensive as neighbouring Austria or Western European countries.
Unfortunately the poor timing of my trip just in time for Easter meant not having long enough to see it all. Popular Devin Castle on the outskirts of Bratislava was one place that eluded me. But I will certainly be back.
If you live in Europe, you can easily leave work on a Friday night, fly to Bratislava and cram in two days of activities before returning on Sunday evening. Whilst it would be nicer to spend a little longer here, you can still squeeze in a memorable trip, see most of the highlights and be happy that you’ve experienced a good bit of the city.
Even one day allows you to do a fair bit, although I do think Bratislava deserves longer than that.
Where Should I go After Bratislava?
UNESCO World Heritage Site Banska Bystrica in central Slovakia is one of the country’s most popular stops outside the capital. This typically-European city combines gothic architecture with stunning mountain views.
The High Tatras mountains offer some spectacular hiking opportunities in the summer, with skiing taking over when snow falls in the winter. These mountains are located on the Polish border and offer a great alternative to expensive Alpine destinations in Italy or Switzerland.
Internationally, there are trains coming regularly from Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria. Previously there was also a service connecting Slovakia with Ukraine and eventually Russia. This no longer operates for obvious reasons.
Buses also run to and from Slovakia’s neighbouring countries, if you prefer bus travel to trains.
Final Thoughts on Bratislava
Next time you consider heading to standard European holiday spots such as Italy, France or Spain, give Slovakia some thought instead. If you were wondering whether Bratislava is good for tourists, the answer is a resounding yes.
It is a much cheaper alternative than better-known cities and countries. Yet it still has its fair share of food, sightseeing and culture all wrapped into one.
The beauty of travelling to every country, is that you get to experience places that were never on your radar, which turn out to be real gems. Bratislava is one of those.
If you wish to read about every country I have visited on my journey to see them all, please check out my destinations page which has posts from every country I’ve written about so far, with a lot more to come.
Slovakia is one of many countries to exceed expectations and hopefully you will find content on here which inspires you to check out more of the world’s hidden gems.
