One day in Bratislava
November 4, 2008 6:02 AM Subscribe
I have one day to spend in Bratislava, what should I do?
I'm going to be in Bratislava (Slovakia) for one day soon, can anyone suggest things to do and see?
Bonus points for anyone who suggests something that isn't suggested everywhere else ;)
Thanks!
I'm going to be in Bratislava (Slovakia) for one day soon, can anyone suggest things to do and see?
Bonus points for anyone who suggests something that isn't suggested everywhere else ;)
Thanks!
i, too, spent one unfortunate day in bratislava. i was staying in vienna for a few weeks, and a couple of my friends and i decided to take a day trip to bratislava. it was july, and although everywhere is sickeningly hot in july, bratislava was somehow approximately 50 degrees hotter and more humid than vienna. it was sunny, at least, but everything was completely dead, except for the city center, which was admittedly quite cute. but that's about it. nobody knew where anything was, the people at the tourist center were surly and depressing, and we came back to vienna incredibly dirty for some reason. if i were you, i'd stick to the center of the town, grab some food (the waiters will try to rip you off by charging you for things you never got, so double check your receipt), then sit on the danube for a while. it's really a miserable place.
posted by timory at 6:28 AM on November 4, 2008
posted by timory at 6:28 AM on November 4, 2008
There's a couple decent cafes (not on par with Vienna, but...) in the main square, the beer is overall good, the city centre has some pleasant areas with narrow streets & cobblestones, eateries are cheap (although not memorable) and... that's about it. Petrzalka is the actual city, and may be somewhat... "interesting".
A friend lived there a couple years on a diplomatic mission in the then newly born Slovakia, and when I asked him the same question, he joked that the main attraction of the city is the Tesco mall in the suburbs (I actually stopped there one day for groceries, he was not joking).
If you smoke, cigarettes are quite cheaper than Austria.
posted by _dario at 6:51 AM on November 4, 2008
A friend lived there a couple years on a diplomatic mission in the then newly born Slovakia, and when I asked him the same question, he joked that the main attraction of the city is the Tesco mall in the suburbs (I actually stopped there one day for groceries, he was not joking).
If you smoke, cigarettes are quite cheaper than Austria.
posted by _dario at 6:51 AM on November 4, 2008
It is my new goal to spend one afternoon in Bratislava. I feel a deep longing to be able say, "I too once spent an unfortunate day in Bratislava."
P.S. What, if anything, is suggested "everywhere else" with regard to Bratislava?
posted by ewkpates at 7:31 AM on November 4, 2008
P.S. What, if anything, is suggested "everywhere else" with regard to Bratislava?
posted by ewkpates at 7:31 AM on November 4, 2008
Best answer: Go to St. Martin's Cathedral. Walk around it until you find the mysterious, and gorgeous Van Gogh building (with no explanation about its purpose).
I even asked an Ask Metafilter question about it, and no one knew anything!
A totally lovely site. The cathedral's not bad either.
posted by raztaj at 7:33 AM on November 4, 2008
I even asked an Ask Metafilter question about it, and no one knew anything!
A totally lovely site. The cathedral's not bad either.
posted by raztaj at 7:33 AM on November 4, 2008
Response by poster: By 'everywhere else' I mean everywhere else I've looked, which of course you have absolutely no way of knowing.
I've looked on wikitravel and here: http://www.cometoslovakia.com/bratislava_top_sights.html and they both recommend the old town, and mention some of the buildings there.
To be fair that's probably enough for a day but I'm always interested to know about the off-the-beaten-track recommendations, although having said that it might be worth mentioning I won't have access to a car.
posted by markturner at 7:39 AM on November 4, 2008
I've looked on wikitravel and here: http://www.cometoslovakia.com/bratislava_top_sights.html and they both recommend the old town, and mention some of the buildings there.
To be fair that's probably enough for a day but I'm always interested to know about the off-the-beaten-track recommendations, although having said that it might be worth mentioning I won't have access to a car.
posted by markturner at 7:39 AM on November 4, 2008
Eat some pizza at Pizza Mizza. To have a really unfortunate day head over the Danube to the communist apartment blocks, etc. Walk up to the castle, etc....
posted by rumbles at 8:45 AM on November 4, 2008
posted by rumbles at 8:45 AM on November 4, 2008
Apparently there is a pretty good Hostel to stay in ;-)
posted by lamby at 8:57 AM on November 4, 2008
posted by lamby at 8:57 AM on November 4, 2008
Best answer: I spent a day in Bratislava in June & found it quite interesting. Quite hot though, but I imagine it's cooling down in central Europe now.
It's pretty small and I can see earlier people's point about it being somewhat dirty, but it's all part of the fun really, isn't it. The language can be a barrier as fewer people speak english & it can be a challenge to wrap your tongue around some of their words.
Aside from doing the standard walk around town, I would definitely get on a bus to Devin castle (about 20 minutes), which is built on a bluff over the Danube. This was the highlight of my time there.
Have a look at the UFO bridge, but don't bother going over or up it. Give the walk to the square castle on the hill in town a miss as well. It was basically a construction site when I was there. Have a good wander through town - make sure you catch the sculpture of the manhole worker - eat, drink & be merry.
Have fun
posted by MatJ at 12:11 PM on November 4, 2008
It's pretty small and I can see earlier people's point about it being somewhat dirty, but it's all part of the fun really, isn't it. The language can be a barrier as fewer people speak english & it can be a challenge to wrap your tongue around some of their words.
Aside from doing the standard walk around town, I would definitely get on a bus to Devin castle (about 20 minutes), which is built on a bluff over the Danube. This was the highlight of my time there.
Have a look at the UFO bridge, but don't bother going over or up it. Give the walk to the square castle on the hill in town a miss as well. It was basically a construction site when I was there. Have a good wander through town - make sure you catch the sculpture of the manhole worker - eat, drink & be merry.
Have fun
posted by MatJ at 12:11 PM on November 4, 2008
I was in Vienna this May, but didn't have enough time to see Bratislava as I had hoped. You might find the WikiTravel page about Bratislava helpful though.
posted by tomwheeler at 3:45 PM on November 4, 2008
posted by tomwheeler at 3:45 PM on November 4, 2008
Okay I had to jump in after someone mentioned Hostel.
I spent three days there in 2003 in the summer. I was wracking my brain trying to think of what we did. I remember staying in a really really scary hostel (seriously). Alright it wasn't that bad, it was just a run down college dorm that stunk of sewage. Communal type showers way down in the basement, long pitch black hallways even in the middle of the day. But it cost 21 dollars for two rooms for three nights. We only needed two beds but ended up with two rooms for some reason.
Anyway, we walked all over the city and the one place that stands out is the old town and the castle. Thats pretty much it. Didn't find much for nightlife although I am sure there is plenty.
posted by WickedPissah at 6:52 PM on November 4, 2008
I spent three days there in 2003 in the summer. I was wracking my brain trying to think of what we did. I remember staying in a really really scary hostel (seriously). Alright it wasn't that bad, it was just a run down college dorm that stunk of sewage. Communal type showers way down in the basement, long pitch black hallways even in the middle of the day. But it cost 21 dollars for two rooms for three nights. We only needed two beds but ended up with two rooms for some reason.
Anyway, we walked all over the city and the one place that stands out is the old town and the castle. Thats pretty much it. Didn't find much for nightlife although I am sure there is plenty.
posted by WickedPissah at 6:52 PM on November 4, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
But I did, eventually, get out and about. The UFO Bridge is particularly ugly. In one day, I'd suggest just hitting the pavement and checking out all the old, Soviet-esque buildings. Contemplate the gray sky. Look forward to moving on.
posted by nitsuj at 6:15 AM on November 4, 2008