After reading this article you will:
- take your passport
- start packing your bags
- look for flight tickets
- and visit Bratislava as soon as possible!
See what you can find there! Beautiful greenery, floating on the Danube river, exploring the medieval castle ruins and wandering around the classic Old Town is waiting for you! Don’t miss your opportunity and plan your trip to the capital of Slovakia with us!
Visit Bratislava in just one day
We got to Bratislava with a bus (it took us 12 hours from Warsaw). But it was great! It was so comfortable – we booked a bus that got toilet and hot drinks and television. For us it was an attraction itself. We were travelling by night so at 5 a.m. we got to Bratislava. At first we took a walk to the Danube (near the bridge SNP) and at around 6 a.m. we ate breakfast there – at that time there were almost nobody there apart from us. Maybe Bratislava doesn’t seem to be the most touristic place in Europe but we loved it and eating breakfast by the Danube at 6 in the morning in the summer is something we will never forget.
We spent there some time and then went to our host from Airbnb just to leave our backpacks and freshen up a little. We booked a double room on this site in advance and paid just $20/night. It was a good deal for Bratislava standards and it was definitely cheaper than in any hotel in the city, so we recommend you to find the place to stay for your next trips on Airbnb too. Our accommodation was not so far from the center, about 15 minutes by tram.
Devin Castle
A day was sunny warm so we were lucky to have good weather during our whole sighteeing :) At first, we wanted to see Devin Castle, which is the most interesting spot in the city and decided to get there by bus. It took us some 20 minutes as the castle is located in the suburbs. We bought tickets for entrance (there was a little queue at the time so we had to wait about 15 minutes) and then went for a walk.
At first we spent quite a lot of time with animals – there were some sheep, goats and donkeys and they were very friendly and loud!
The ruins of the castle are at the small hillock, so there are beautiful views from there – we were admiring Danube and taking a lot of pictures. We spent there about 3 hours and we think it is enough to see everything but if we had more time we would stay even longer. For us it was the best place to see during our delightful stay in Bratislava. We’ve heard some opinions that it’s not worth to visit Bratislava, but is was often said by people that missed the castle. Devin Castle is a perfect place for those, who like to be around nature and want to quieten down. It’s a perfect spot for those who love peace and stillness.
Breathtaking Danube River
To get back from the castle, we took an opportunity to float on Danube – it took us half an hour. It’s also a very nice attraction in Bratislava. At first we were surrounded only by nature and trees and later we also saw some buildings and floated under the SNP bridge. You will definitely feel encouraged by this attraction, just see the photos we’ve taken there :)
Place to eat
When we got to the centre, we were very hungry and very lucky to find a nice place to eat something. We ate at Kuskus Fast Food and we can definitely recommend it – the prices were fine and the food was really tasty! It was a nice surprise that when we ordered a set meal with schnitzel for one person, we got two cutlets :) that’s a great surprise for someone very hungry!
City centre
Then we took toward the centre. Before reaching it we passed the Bratislava Castle. It’s located on a quite big hill. We decided not to go there and see it closely, but the views from the bottom are still very impresive too.
Cumil
When we got to the centre we wanted to find Cumil at first – a bronze statue of man that works in the sewage. Surely it’s not a kind of attraction, for which you organize the whole trip to Bratislava just to see it. Still the city centre of the capital city of Slovakia deserves a walk and while you are already there, it’s worth to see the famous statue as well. It doesn’t take much time but as in summer there are definitely more tourists there, we had to wait a little while in a queue to take a photo with well-known sewer man.
Bastova Street
Our next point was Bastova Street – the narrowest street in Bratislava. It’s worth to take a walk there as well. We spent there couple of minutes and took some photos and headed to the next spot.
Michael’s Gate
Beside the Bastova Street we found well-known attraction of Bratislava’s center – Michael’s Gate. It’s the only city gate which remains in Bratislava to this day. The tower differs from other nearby buildings in terms of the architecture and it’s worth to have a stop there for a while.
After that we ran into a show of Indonesian culture. They were many women wearing traditional costumes and performing folk dance on the stage. It was really interesting and brought a bit of the Far East atmosphere to the European capital.
Basically, the city centre has a lot to offer. The streets are cobbled and buildings are colorful and at the same time elegant, which undeniably gives the Old Town a special character. There are many many restaurants, coffee shops, bars but also some museums and souvenir shops. So as you can see the city centre is small itself but also has plenty of small spots to visit. You want have an opportunity to get bored there :)
Our final thoughts to visit Bratislava
We walked around the streets and in the evening came back to our apartment to get fully rested. We had to prepare for the next day, because we were setting off for Vienna in the morning!
At that point we were very tired but we were very satisfied as well. It’s amazing that we managed to visit Bratislava in just one day and see all its main attractions. We think its worth to go there in summer to float on Danube river and see Devin castle surrounded by greenery and animals. These are definitely the best attractions of Bratislava.
It’s also very interesting that Bratislava is known as a city of love. And we can admit that it’s true. We have never seen so many kissing couples before – even in Paris! So if you want to organize an unforgettable date abroad for your other half, you should choose Bratislava <3
We hope you now feel encouraged to visit Bratislava. Please write us in a comment below :)