Four hours to explore a major city is an ambitious task. Thankfully, Bratislava, Slovakia’s charming capital, offers wonderfully walkable streets and a compact old town – perfect for exploring at speed. This was merely a short stop on a long weekend which would see us travel eastwards, visiting the cities of Žilina and Košice, as well as the spectacular High Tatras mountains.
Despite our limited time in the city, Bratislava proved to be a wonderful place to kickstart the trip. From winding medieval streets to sweeping views of the Danube, here is our account of an afternoon in Slovakia’s largest city.
Hour one: arriving in Bratislava
Our flight from Leeds Bradford Airport landed at 1pm. With our train to Žilina departing just after 5pm, we had a little over four hours to see as much of the city as possible.
We breezed through security and waited patiently for the bus into Bratislava city centre, which departed perfectly on schedule. Out of the grubby window, warehouses and out-of-town shopping centres quickly gave way to low-rise apartment blocks interspersed with the occasional city park. The roads were busy, with the bus driver occasionally blaring his horn and juddering to a stop as cars wove in and out of our path.
Eventually, the bus dropped us off near the train station, and we began our walk towards the city centre. First stop – Bratislava Castle.
Admiring the Slavin memorial
Shortly after we set off, one of Bratislava’s most impressive landmarks came into view. To our right, high above the city, the Slavin memorial stood superimposed against a hazy sky.
This gargantuan monument is a striking sight. Built between 1957 and 1960 to commemorate the thousands of Soviet soldiers who died in the battle to recapture Bratislava from Nazi forces, Slavin’s centrepiece is a 12.5-metre statue of a soldier who embodies the spirit of the hard-fought victory.
The soldier proudly holds a flag aloft, symbolising his army’s triumph. Under his left boot, a swastika symbol represents the defeat of the occupying Wehrmacht. Beneath him, in the wider memorial complex, nearly 7,000 Soviet soldiers lie buried in the military cemetery.
Hour two: exploring the grounds of Bratislava Castle
Sweat clung to our backs as we continued to plod along the pavement. The area beneath Slavin is a sleepy suburb of Bratislava, where luxury apartment blocks stood next to embassies and consulates. An intriguing mix of national flags fluttered in the gentle summer breeze, hidden behind imposing walls.
Eventually, the road widened and became steeper. We followed it uphill, rounding a corner and catching our first glimpse of the castle’s outer walls.
On the way, a handful of cafes were doing a roaring trade. Smartly-dressed couples lounged in wooden chairs, sipping espressos and clutching cigarettes. Serving staff buzzed around the tables, busily attending to the laid-back locals.
Entering Bratislava Castle
The opulent entrance to Bratislava Castle had – predictably – been taken over by a tour group. Dozens of visitors brandishing selfie sticks and iPads gathered between the blindingly-white columns of Vienna Gate, awaiting further instructions.
Their guide, clutching a tell-tale luminescent umbrella, eventually ushered the excitable party towards a viewpoint. From here, the vast, flat expanse of Bratislava stretched out into the distance. The horizon was barely perceptible through the haze. Below us, the Danube flowed past, its waters a thick, murky brown.
It was little wonder this spot had attracted the crowds – Bratislava Castle is the jewel in the crown of Slovakia’s capital city. Standing proud above the terracotta rooftops of the old town, the gleaming fortress dates back to the end of the first millennium, when records show a stone castle on the site in 907.
The site underwent substantial changes over the centuries, with various rebuilds and renovations. The castle’s darkest hour came in 1811, when a devastating fire ripped through the complex, destroying it. For over a century, Bratislava Castle slowly decayed until restoration work finally began in the late 1950s.
Today, the fully-renovated castle attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Discovering the grounds of Bratislava Castle
Given our tight timelines, we chose not to pay to enter the castle itself. However, the surrounding courtyards and gardens are free to explore, offering splendid views of the glistening white ramparts and the old town below.
We wandered through the pristine grounds before settling on a bench in a small section of the park. Grateful for the shade, we watched as couples snapped selfies, photographers hunted for the perfect angle, and visitors shielded their eyes against the sun to gaze up at the castle’s turrets.
Eventually, with a cursory glance at the watch, we began making our way to Bratislava’s Old Town.
Hour three: wandering through Bratislava’s Old Town
The route from Bratislava Castle to the Old Town descended a flight of stairs. A handful of locals were practising a dance routine in the park, limbs flailing wildly to the repetitive ‘thud-thud’ blasting out from a crackly Bluetooth speaker.
We crossed a bridge over the busy Staroměstská road, which skirts the outer walls of the old town. Sandwiched between the historic castle and the Old Town, the dozens of speeding cars were a jarring sight.
Walking under an ancient stone archway, we were immediately greeted with a taste of Bratislava’s rich history. Bax Tower stands on the edge of the Old Town complex, and its crumbling remains are the first things you see when you take the route over the bridge from the castle.
Reputed to be the oldest remaining tower from Bratislava’s medieval fortifications, Bax Tower is a charming nod to the city’s storied past.
The sights and sounds of Bratislava’s Main Square
Eventually, as you make your way further into the Old Town, the labyrinth of streets converges on Hlavné námestie – the main square. Flanked by some of the city’s most historic buildings, including the Town Hall and the Church of the Most Holy Savior, the square is a natural meeting point for groups, couples and friends alike.
Locals rested on benches, sheltering from the afternoon sun under the shade of the sporadically-planted trees. Worshippers flitted in and out of the heavy wooden doors of the church, where a service was in progress. The faint drone of organ music carried on the breeze.
Near the entrance to the local history museum, a small queue had formed at a pop-up coffee shop. A well-dressed lady, trailing an exhausted-looking dog behind her, threw back an espresso and marched away. Next to her, a nun collected a large takeaway cup and shuffled off into the distance.
We wandered a little longer before bidding a reluctant farewell to the square.
Hour four: fries and fountains
With little time left before we had to leave for our train, our thoughts turned to food. We planned to grab dinner in Žilina, just over two hours away by train and our base for the night. A snack was, therefore, the order of the day.
We stumbled upon Orbis Street Food, a short walk from Bratislava’s main square and purported to serve street food from all over the world. We weren’t fussy – their Belgian fries looked delicious, and they seemed to be doing a roaring trade.
Perfectly fluffy and delightfully crispy, the fries were served in a recyclable paper cone that was perfect for eating on the go. We stood at the outside table for a few minutes, making as much of a dent in our mountain of fries as possible, before setting off for the station.
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Strolling through the streets of Bratislava the station
It took us a little over thirty minutes to walk back to the train station. We passed through the 14-century Michael Gate, one of the most photographed locations in the Old Town, before tracking past the Presidential Palace. The streets were busy with cars and hurried pedestrians dragging wheeled suitcases noisily along the pavement.
We walked alongside Freedom Square, where socialist architecture takes centre stage. In the middle of the concrete-laden complex, Bratislava’s largest fountain was in the final stages of renovation. The work has just been completed, with the stainless-steel fountain quickly becoming a favourite among local families.
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Arriving at Bratislava train station
A short walk from Freedom Square, Bratislava station is functional and unspectacular. There is little to dislike, but it lacks the grandiose architecture of other European main stations. Frankly, it’s not somewhere that is worth spending much time at all – aim to leave soon after you arrive.
Except for a few coffee kiosks, there is also very little by way of food and drink. On the platforms, water fountains stood dry and decrepit. The vending machines appeared to be broken without exception – much to the annoyance of an angry man in a ripped leather jacket who spent the best part of a minute kicking each machine, his eyes filled with rage.
Mercifully, our train was waiting for us on the platform. We hopped on, finding our carriage empty and comfortable. Before long, the engine spluttered into life, and we pulled away with a judder. Apartment blocks and warehouses flashed past the window again, mirroring our arrival a few hours earlier.
It didn’t take long to leave the city behind. Next stop, Žilina.
An afternoon in Bratislava: how we did it
- Ryanair flies from Leeds Bradford to Bratislava. Tickets from £18.92 one way
- The number 61 bus goes from Bratislava Airport to the city centre. The timetable aligns with the flight schedule, with up to eight buses an hour at peak times. A 60-minute ticket costs 1 euro – make sure to validate it!
- The walk from Bratislava train station to Bratislava Castle is 2.3 kilometres and should take just over 30 minutes.
- Entry to the grounds of Bratislava Castle is free.
- Belgian fries from Orbis Street Food cost from 2.70 euros.