What to see in Bratislava. This beautiful city is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. It is located on the banks of the Danube, near the borders with Austria and Hungary, about 70 km from Vienna.
As we said it is very close to Vienna, so it is an option to visit it for the day from the Austrian capital, there are also those who visit it from Budapest distant about 200 kilometers, but we decided to spend a night in it and thus be able to dedicate a whole day.
Indice:
Things to see in Bratislava
As always, we think that doing a free tour should be a good option when you arrive in this city.
Slovakia is a country we have not talked about until now and that we had not visited before this time either.
Officially called Slovak Republic is part of the European Union, its currency is the euro. It borders Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic.
The collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989 also meant the end of Czechoslovakia as such and the creation of two successor states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which became independent of each other in 1993.
We will start at the
St. Michael’s Gate
It is one of the oldest buildings in the city and is the only gate that has been preserved from the medieval fortifications. It was built in 1300 and in 1758, with a reconstruction of the same, it was given the baroque appearance that we see today and the statue of Saint Michael was placed at its top.
Below the gate there is a zero kilometre with the sides of the world, showing the distance between European and world capitals from Bratislava.
We will go through the gate and begin our walk, enjoying the streets of Bratislava. We will pay attention to the number of crowns on the ground, which accompany the path from the gate to the cathedral, since this city was a city of coronations and marked the path that the kings took from the moment they arrived to the cathedral, the place of coronation.
On this tour of what to see in Bratislava we will get to…..
Old Town Hall in Hlavne Square
Bratislava’s Old Town Hall is located on Hlavne Square.
You can access the inner courtyard of the building where the Municipal Museum is located, dedicated to the history of the city, and you can climb the tower to get views of the city. The entrance fee is € 7.
Hlavne Square is a lively place with cafes, restaurants and various souvenir shops. In its centre is the Maximilian Fountain.
Street sculptures are at ease in Bratislava, and here in the square we find Napoleon’s Soldier or the beautiful Ignatius.
We take a very short walk and arrive at the
Primate’s Palace
Entering the building, on the first floor you will find the Hall of Mirrors, where in 1805 Napoleon and Francis II of Austria signed the so-called Peace of Pressburg after the Battle of Austerlitz. Admission to the courtyard is free.
We will continue the tour to reach another curious sculpture
Man at Work
This working man who peeks out of the sewer catches the attention of all of us who pass through here. It has been here since 1997.
Blue Church
We leave the historic center a little to come and see the Church of Santa Isabel, better known as the Blue Church.
The small church has a parish building that was one of the first to be built in the area. It originally belonged to the campus and was intended to be the chapel for the secondary school, located next to it. The temple is dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
We continue the beautiful and relaxed walk looking for what to see in Bratislava and we find the..
Slovak National Theatre
The Slovak National Theatre is the second oldest professional theatre in Slovakia. It has 3 ensembles (drama, opera and ballet). A beautiful building in the neo-Renaissance style, it was built in 1885-1886 during the time of Austria-Hungary. This is the old building, the National Theatre also has a modern building.
The place where it is is beautiful too and you will find a lot of places with all kinds of souvenirs.
St. Martin’s Cathedral
St. Martin’s Cathedral is the largest and most important church in Bratislava and a must-see in Bratislava.
It is built mainly in Gothic style. The building was started in the 13th century, on the site of an old Romanesque church. It was consecrated in 1452.
Very close to the cathedral we find remains of the city walls.
Most of the medieval fortification system was demolished in 1775 by order of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, and the rest was torn down in the 18th and 19th centuries. The only remaining consistent section of Bratislava’s walls is this one from St. Martin’s Cathedral.
We now go to the place that is the postcard of Bratislava, its castle.
Castle
We will do the hike from the Cathedral, a nice walk because from the ascent we will begin to see the Danube River and the city in the distance.
The castle was begun to be built in the x century. Within the limits of the enclosure is also the building that currently houses the official residence of the president of the Slovak Republic. Its four side towers are considered the symbol of the city. It is a must-see in Bratislava and so are the views.
From here we see the
UFO Tower
The so-called UFO tower, due to its shape, has become a symbol of the city. You can climb it, the price of the climb is €9.90 in low season, and €11.90 in high season. There is a restaurant at the top.
Where do we have dinner?
Koliba Kamzik, located in the historic center was a good choice. The food and attention were good.
Where do we sleep?
The accommodation chosen was the Vip Apartments, the location is next to the Puerta de San Miguel, so it was very good.
You can’t get there by car because it’s a pedestrian zone, so we had to leave it in the nearest car park, which offers a discount. The same thing I told you about other cities where this has happened to us, if you’re only going for one night, pack your carry-on and don’t take a big suitcase because the cobblestones in historic centres generally make it very difficult to get around with them.
The tour of Bratislava as you can see can be done in one day but as in any place if you have more days you will enjoy it in a more leisurely way.
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