I'm all for exploring the least touristy cities and going to places that are off the beaten track, but some destinations just ain't it. Last time I talked about how overrated Marrakech is, this time, I'll talk about how underwhelmed I was in Bratislava.
I've already planned to visit Poland on that particular trip, and I really wanted to go to Vienna. I've heard that Bratislava is just an hour away from Vienna and is a hidden gem, so I thought, why not? Coming to think of it, we should've probably gone to Prague instead. Cities like Bratislava and Madrid make me feel like capitals just aren't the most fascinating for travelling. These are what I did during the 20 hours I was there.
19:20 ARRIVE
We arrived at 19:20 after an 8-hour bus ride from Krakow, feeling super drained after the long ride, and it was already dark outside. Walking from the bus station to the hostel where we stayed for the night, we walked past a bunch of similar-looking office buildings. Nothing stood out for me. There wasn't as much character as the first impression and felt like every other newly developed town.
Dinner
After checking in to Business & Family by Ambiente Apartments, it was quite late already, so we just went to Burger Bar nearby for dinner. Both the burger and the fries were terrific. As a burger fanatic, it got my approval. Also, the locals here seem to speak English quite well.
UFO Tower from Old Bridge
As it was quite late and we didn't want to walk all the way to the town centre for the Christmas markets, I opted for some night views. The Old Bridge (the green bridge shown above) across the Danube River wasn't too far from our place. It was quite windy but also a decent walk with not many people there. From the Old Bridge, we could glance back to the old town and see the Bratislava Castle sitting on top of the city. In my opinion, it looked better lit up and from afar than from close up during the day. Its whitish colour made it stand out more in the dark than against a whitish sky.
You can also see the iconic UFO bridge and tower at its not-so-flattering angle, but with a weird green light, making it even more alien-like. I'm personally not a massive fan of this piece of structure or observation decks with a hefty fee, but I can see why it's popular among tourists. On the other side of the Old Bridge, you can also see the Apollo Bridge lying across the Danube River. After crossing to the other side, there wasn't much exhilarating stuff going on, so we just headed back to the other side of the Old Bridge.
MORNING
The Blue Church
I thought we had a super packed day visiting all of Bratislava in one morning, so we got up quite early. The first attraction we passed by during our walk to the town city was St. Elisabeth Church, aka the Blue Church. Built during the 1910s, it is a noteworthy example of art nouveau architecture. Perhaps it's the fact that it is relatively small in size, or the blue facade was merely painted on, the church was pretty unremarkable to me. It lacks the sophistication of Gothic or Renaissance churches, and it doesn't provoke curiosity like modernist architecture. The exterior felt a bit childish to me, and the interior wasn't open to tourists that day.
If you walk all the way from the town centre, I would definitely not recommend coming. If you simply love the colour blue, go to Porto and look for all the azulejo tiled buildings instead!
Man at Work
Walking into the Old Town, the first thing we encountered was a massive crowd circling this little bronze statue. "Man at Work" is a cute little bronze statue of a sewage worker peeping at the passerby from a hole in the street. I couldn't find much history behind it, making it a bit tacky compared to Wroclaw's dwarves statues. There were so many people around, that we just stopped for this quick snap and moved on.
Breakfast
The food here in Bratislava was definitely more attractive than the tourist attractions. So when we passed by Zeppelin Cafe and Souvenirs and saw the dazzling Christmas decorations and the delicately decorated cakes, we went in without any hesitations. We had cakes and coffee for breakfast there, and the food was super lovely. It was a relaxing place to get away from the crowd and have a rest before continuing our day in Bratislava.
Michael's Gate
Michael's Gate didn't seem too impressive to me when I was doing research, so I didn't plan to visit, but we passed by it regardless when we were wandering around in the old town. According to the internet, it is the only city gate that has been preserved of the four previous entrances to Bratislava and ranks among the oldest buildings in town, being here since the Medieval times. If not for the statues of St. Michael and the Dragon sitting on top, it was easily missed when you passed by. There's an observation deck on the 7/F of the Gate for a view of the city. But it didn't look tall enough for a superb view for me, so we didn't bother to head up.
St. Martin's Cathedral
The winding streets eventually brought us to the square where St. Martin's Cathedral is located. Again, the crowds there hinted that it was a popular tourist spot. The 13th-century Gothic mixed Romanesque Catholic cathedral looked a bit beaten and not well-maintained. In fact, the whole area looked a bit tainted. It didn't look like a very impressive church to me, and the thing that genuinely attracted my eyes was this wall with paintings on it. But honestly, I'm still super confused if these two pictures are part of St. Martin's Cathedral lol
Outside the cathedral was also a decent spot to look at the UFO tower as you would be perfectly aligned with the UFO bridge. Looking across the Danube, it felt like I was back in Asia, with glassy office towers insight.
Bratislava Castle
Bratislava Castle wasn't originally on my itinerary, but we just had too much time to idle, so we decided to take a look as well. So, we began heading up to the Castle via Sigismund Gate. I guess on a clear day, you can overlook the city as there were observation platforms with telescopes along the way. But unfortunately for us, the fog began to creep in as we climbed. We had glimpses of the UFO bridge and the residential areas behind the mist, but in my opinion, the view from the Old Bridge on the previous night was better.
As for the climb, it wasn't that bad for us, but we were young and energetic and very used to fast-paced travelling.
Since I read online that lots of people do not recommend touring the interior of the castle, we mainly stayed outside. (They said that a lot of the rooms were either empty or filled with replicas. And it was so heavily renovated nothing felt authentic in there.) Plus, we were gonna visit several palaces in Vienna after leaving Bratislava, so it made sense for me to save the entrance fee for those instead.
The gardens were a bit meh for me, especially after visiting the ones in Vienna and Spain. It just was quite empty, with lots of people taking photos of nothing. Maybe it looks better in spring or summer? I don't know. The exterior of the castle looked cool and different from other extravagant palaces, though. But we already had a good look at that from the Old Bridge the night before. Otherwise, there wasn't much to do up there.
Lunch
Surprise, surprise, it was mealtime again. We went back to the Old Town area for lunch, settling for Gatto Matto Bistro. Fantastic food, beautiful interior of the restaurant. The only downside was after three meals, I still couldn't figure out what Slovakian cuisine was supposed to be like. But the choice of food in Bratislava was undeniably up to standard.
We finally visited the Main Square and the Christmas market there after lunch, saving the "best" to the end. It was a bit mindblowing to me why there were so many people that it felt like walking in Mong Kok in Hong Kong. It was quite suffocating walking towards the Main Square, and the crowds there made the Christmas market a big turn-off for me.
Drowned in the crowds and the market stalls, I didn't notice the Old Town Hall when I was there. The Old Town Hall is one of Bratislava's oldest buildings, but it didn't look too remarkable and blended in quite well with the buildings beside it. Unaware that it was the Old Town Hall, I actually followed the sound of Christmas tunes into the courtyard (top right). Again super packed inside the courtyard, so we left we headed back to the hostel. I really appreciated them decorating the streetcars for festivity nevertheless.
We left Bratislava at 15:30 by train, and less than an hour later, arrived in Vienna. I think the main reason that I didn't enjoy Bratislava was due to I couldn't really grasp its character. As for the historical stuff, it was nowhere near the nearby Vienna, Prague, or Budapest. Most noticeable at the castle or the cathedrals.
For its more modern components, it was incomparable to home. For example, at the UFO Tower, the Festival of Lights is held annually when the tower emits laser beams from what I read. Not to brag, but we have Symphony of Lights every night and tall skyscrapers with observation decks everywhere, so those elements didn't impress me.
Overall it was a bit lackluster for me. I don't particularly enjoy tourist attractions where you just go take a picture and leave. I like doing something or learning about something new. For Slovakia, I would like to visit the Tatra Mountains instead. And if you really are considering visiting Bratislava, I would recommend you take a look at Vienna or Wroclaw instead.
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