Bratislava & Vienna city break

Things to see in Bratislava | Castle

So this year I decided to join some friends on a Europe city break to Bratislava, of all places. Honestly I hadn’t really heard of the place before, let alone knowing it as the capital of Slovakia. I had pondered over taking my camera but decided against it. That is until the last-minute when I asked my wife to borrow her bridge camera. At least then I’d have something that’s better than my shoddy camera phone. We all had mixed expectations and only a few of us did research price of beer and few sight-seeing opportunities. That said, we were pleasantly surprised by what Bratislava had to offer. A city of architecture, statues, castles and culture, perfect for photographers!

We had early flights from Stansted airport so weren’t up for doing too much on the first day. After a rest, we had some drinks downstairs and a handfuls of the complimentary peanuts before setting off into town to watch a game of ice hockey. This was a first for me, but it was an enjoyable experience. Both teams put on a good show and Slovakia managed to secure a victory of 3-2. The atmosphere was fairly intense, with some kind of fan-club on the end stand equipped with their own drum kit. Their repertoire reminded me of a scene from the Mad Max movie.

Slovan ice hockey, Bratislava stadium

Vienna, Austria

The next day, we decided to head straight to Vienna. A one hour trip that cost just €14 each way from Bratislava train station across the border into Austria. I think we initially organised this trip in case there wasn’t much to see or do in Bratislava. We did as much walking around as possible during the day, taking in the sights and stopping off for food and drinks. Below is some of what we saw on our walks through the streets of Vienna.

The highlight in terms of sight-seeing in Vienna had to be climbing the 343  steps of St. Stephen’s Cathedral’s south tower. It cost about €5 for the pleasure, but was worth it to see the views. My only gripe being that there were just a few small windows to see out of, so you had to queue to get close enough to take pictures.

Just before heading home we took a walk along the canal to see some of the art from the 2016 Street are festival. Below are a few snaps, but I think it would have been best appreciated in daylight. I also think being on the canal, a lot of the better artwork had been painted over.

Back to Bratislava, Slovakia

The next day we walked up to the castle. It was about 25 minutes from our hotel, but probably one of the best sights in the city. Below are a few images from Bratislava Castle.

Bratislava City Break

This next image is the view of the Slovenského národného povstania, or UFO tower as it’s commonly known. According to the government it’s the lowest of the tallest towers in the world. An odd way to put it I thought! Anyway, the lift took us up 95 meters to the top in less than a minute which was pretty impressive.

Bratislava City Break, UFO Tower bridge

The top consisted of a lower deck for people to sit down and order food or drinks. The upper level was an open-top view-point, pretty cold and windy in November by the way. Here are a few panoramics I took.

Lastly I’ve included some shots of the artwork in Bratislava, again, left from the 2016 street art festival.

This concludes today’s post. For anyone thinking of visiting Bratislava, I hope this has given a small insight into what’s about and what’s nearby.

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