The largest city in Slovakia is the capital Bratislava. It is located on the Danube in the immediate vicinity of the triangle of Slovakia, Austria and Hungary.
The city is not only historically very interesting. For example, the coronations of the Hungarian kings took place here until 1918. From here you can also make wonderful trips to the region.
Bratislava a city trip – tips from us
Almost all of Bratislava’s historical places of tourist interest can be found in the compact old town. We have compiled our impressions of Bratislava here.
We found ourselves asking the question "Where is Bratislava?" when we spontaneously decided to fly to Bratislava. So we gathered some information and are happy to share what we found out through research as well as what we have experienced on our trip.
Bratislava really is a nice little town. The city reminded me of Prague. We felt very comfortable here and can recommend a short trip. Here we summarised our little highlights in Bratislava. The main highlights, such as the castle or the monument Slavín, I described in individual articles.
Monumental buildings are not unknown to us who live in Berlin. The remnants of socialist governments, which today seem unreal and oppressive and reminiscent of past times. One of these remnants in Bratislava is the Monumental war memorial Slavín.
In Bratislava you should also look at the ground when walking. Otherwise, it might happen that one trips over Čumil, one of the many sculptures in Bratislava.
What does the name SNP Bridge Bratislava mean? It means "Most Slovenského národného povstania", the bridge of the Slovakian national uprising. And why does a UFO fly over Bratislava? It is not actually flying, it rests on top of the bridge as a viewpoint.
One of the most unusual churches I have seen in a long time is St. Elisabeth, the Blue Church of Bratislava. The Blue Church of Bratislava was built in the early 1900s. Architect Ödön Lechner from Budapest designed the church in the style of the secession with oriental elements. Typical elements of the Hungarian art…
The castle of Devín is very close to the old town of Bratislava. This is one of the most important sights of the area and should not be missed during a visit to the Slovakian capital..
Bratislava Castle is situated 85 meters above the river Danube in the western part of Bratislava. The castle had many different names over the course of time: Castle Bratislava, Pressburg Castle or Bratislavský hrad.
Every year in December I catch it again – the Christ market fever. I have already visited many Christmas markets in Berlin and now I’m attracted by Christmas markets in other parts of the world. This year, it was the Christmas Market Bratislava!
Restaurants tips:
We wanted to drink good fresh brewed beer in Bratislava. And we certainly would have if we had not found something much better. The homemade lemonade, which is available in almost all restaurants, is simply irresistible. .
Every year in December I catch it again – the Christ market fever. I have already visited many Christmas markets in Berlin and now I’m attracted by Christmas markets in other parts of the world. This year, it was the Christmas Market Bratislava!
Accommodation in Bratislava:
The 4 star Loft Hotel is located in the centre of Bratislava, within walking distance of the historic old town.
Travel information about Bratislava
Journey to
by plane
There are only a few scheduled flights to M.R.Štefánika airport. There are some budget airlines landing here.
The airport is located about 9 kilometers from the old town. From there it is easy to get to the main railway station by bus.
Alternatively you can fly as far as Vienna. Bratislava is only 46 kilometers away and can be reached by various bus lines that run quite frequently.
by train
During the day, Bratislava’s main train station can be easily reached by hourly trains from Vienna or by long-distance trains from, for example, Budapest, Prague or Brno.
The main train station is located just under one kilometer from the city center. From here several tram lines, trolley buses and buses run through the city, but you can also walk the route very well.
by bus
The large bus terminal Mlynské nivy is located relatively centrally northeast of the city center. Long-distance buses from many different operators arrive here. The focus is on connections from the Czech Republic and Hungary. But there are also buses coming from Germany, Croatia or Romania. The buses of Slovak Lines, which operate the routes within Slovakia, also depart from here.
Another bus station is located below the highway bridge SNP. Many regional bus lines stop here, but also buses coming from Vienna.
by car
If you travel to Bratislava by car, you should be aware that there is a toll on almost all freeways.
From Vienna you can get to Bratislava on the A6, from Budapest on the D2.
Free parking is very limited in the city.
by ship
From Vienna the TWINCityLiner runs regularly to Bratislava from the end of March to October.
The LOD hydrofoil and excursion boats also operate on the Danube between the cities.
by bike
The Danube Cycle Route / EuroVelo 6 and the Iron Curtain Cycle Route / EuroVelo 13 are the main routes leading through Bratislava.
on foot
The European long-distance hiking trail E8 runs through the city.
Parking
Free parking is hardly possible in the capital of Slovakia. It is possible to leave the car in public parking garages and public parking lots for a fee. The parking fee is paid at the car park ticket machines. In most cases there is a payment obligation only on working days from 8-18 o’clock.
Public transport
As a tourist in a foreign city you are often looking for the best way to get from A to B at a reasonable price. As in many other cities, Bratislava offers a discount card with which you can also use public transport free of charge (Bratislava Card).
The city has a dense tram lines, trolleybuses and buses. At night there are several night bus lines.
The city is divided into zones, zones 100 and 101 apply in the inner city area, while those travelling outside the city center need tickets for other zones. In addition, when buying a ticket, you have to consider how long you need for the journey. There are tickets for 15, 30, 60 and more minutes.
Tickets for inner-city traffic (zones 100+101) Status 2020
- One-way tickets: 0,70 € (15 minutes), 0,90 € (30 minutes), 1,20 € (60 minutes)
- Day tickets: 3,50 € (24 h), 8 € (72 h)
- Luggage ticket: 0,35 € (= reduced 15-minute ticket). Is to be solved for the taking along of bicycles, dogs and “large” pieces of luggage (whereby nowhere the size is defined), as luggage ticket it is valid for 3 hours.
More information here .
Tickets can be bought at small yellow ticket machines. These are not available at every stop and they only offer single tickets and 24h tickets. Payment is only possible in coins. At the airport, central station and major traffic junctions there are modern machines (white-red), which also offer card payment. Tickets are also sold in newspaper kiosks and tobacconists.
Only in regional buses (which cover longer distances) you can buy tickets on the bus.
The ticket must be validated in the vehicle.
Sightseeing ships
Between April and October, numerous ships sail on the Danube, showing tourists Bratislava from a different perspective. The trips take about 45 minutes.
If you would like to go to Devín Castle, it takes about 1.5 hours by excursion boat.
Luggage Storage
Visitors to Bratislava can store their luggage at railroad stations and at ZOB Nivy:
- Lockers at ZOB Nivy: daily from 4-24
- Lockers at the main station: daily from 4- 23:55 ; break at 6:15 – 6:30, 10:30 – 11:00, 16:45 – 17:00 and 21:30 – 21:45.
- Lockers at Petržalka railroad station: daily from 4-23:15.
- Luggage storage is also available through the BAGBNB luggage storage network.