Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. Budget flights from Edinburgh take just under three hours and the city offers a great selection of well-priced hotels and apartments to suit all tastes. The Baroque architecture and narrow cobbled streets of the Old Town contrast with a vibrant café and bar culture, so it’s the perfect choice for a winter or spring weekend away.
Traditional Slovakian dishes tend towards the brown and beige, stodgier, rib-sticking comfort food style, with noodles made of potatoes, pork and little dumplings on the menu. Bryndzove Pirohy are tiny sheep cheese dumplings, often served with pork crackling and sour cream. Pastiersky halusky consists of potato noodles with sour cabbage and ribs. Kapustnica is a cabbage, sauerkraut and sausage soup that is rarely conducive to a romantic evening. Koliba Kamzik is a popular restaurant choice if you want to sample the traditional cuisine, though Bratislava also boasts everything from seafood to pizza places, Peruvian restaurants and cat cafes like MacKafe Club. The Central Market Mileticova offers a bewildering selection of street food and local delicacies.
In Bratislava, they take their food heritage seriously, even forming a guild of Goose Roasters to safeguard the tradition of roasted geese in Slovenský Grob, where a select few places hold the designation. Where Bratislava excels, however, is in brew pubs and cafes. There are hundreds of local craft beers to sample and some decent local wines worth trying too.
Dunaj Brewery sits on the banks of the Danube and you can explore the entire production process before trying it for yourself. Fabrika is a great choice if you’re looking for a beer and a burger, or you could take a more spiritual approach with a visit to the Monastery Brewery, Klastorny Pivovar. If you’re thirsty for more knowledge of Slovak beers, then you can take a Craft Beer Tour, or hop on a beer bike for a tour of the Old Town.
Take a tram to Stara Rača, on the outskirts of Bratislava, home of the Chvoskek Winery which offers tastings and a wine shop. Rača is renowned for its red wines from the Blaufrankisch (Lemberger) grapes, also known as Frankovka. The local wines are said to have made the Empress Maria Theresa forget the headaches and troubles of ruling the empire – though we’d question how many glasses this necessitated.
If you can drag yourself away from wine tastings or the bar, then there’s lots to explore. Head for Stare Mesto, the Old Town, with quaint cobbled streets and photogenic backdrops. St. Martin’s Cathedral is a Gothic fantasy, or you could head to the powder-blue Art Nouveau church of Modi Kostol. The opening times vary, so it’s worth checking in advance.
The austere whitewashed walls of Bratislava Castle are worth the climb to the top of the hill for the views over the city and a relaxing stroll in the gardens. The UFO Tower has an observation deck that lets you see for 100km and an upscale restaurant that makes a great spot for dinner, or you could explore the galleries at the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum. For a more immersive experience, try Multium, which is a gallery of mirrors, space and optical illusions. It’s probably best to visit before you’ve sampled the beer.
If you’re feeling particularly cultural, then the Slovak National Theatre and Opera House are worth visiting.
Outwith the city, the riverside ruins of Devin Castle offer scenic combination of history and great views and wildlife spotting, while the Little Carpathians region has lots of pretty vineyards and villages. Bunker BS-8 is a WWII bunker with some great tours and informative
uides and the forest park and zoo make for a pleasing diversion for a few hours. Bratislava Forest Park also offers the chance to ride in a cable car between Železná studnička and Kamzík or enjoy a romantic sleigh ride with views over winter landscape.
Until the start of March, the local race track in the Dostihová Dráha Park in Petržalka is transformed into Winter Wonderland, a fairy-tale themed collection of light installations that involves over eight million lights in captivating displays. Talk to trees, dance with penguins, meet a unicorn or a giant crocodile and meet fairy-tale characters and a surprising amount of Smurfs.
When it comes to shopping, there’s a mix of modern shopping centres, galleries and independent boutiques, delicatessens and odd little design and vintage shops that make browsing a delight. Most shops are open till 8pm. Slavica is an essential stop for locally designed pieces. Kompot sells t-shirts packed in jam jars, Ceramel specialises in honey. Popping in to Salvator Pharmacy is like stepping back in time. The pharmacy was founded in the 17th century and still contains period furniture as the staff wander around dispensing remedies. If you prefer a more modern shopping experience, Eurovea
Bratislava has stores selling everything from global designer labels to brands not available in the UK and diamonds to pet supplies and Asian supermarkets.
Go on, book a trip and be a perfect BRAT.