Bratislava: A nice little Eastern European day trip

Jeff and I went to Bratislava on a whim (sort of), and I’m glad we did. It’s just about an hour train ride from Vienna, and here’s a fun fact: Bratislava, Slovakia, and Vienna, Austria, are the two closest national capitals in the world (source: my husband, probably dictating from a Rick Steves book).

I loved the city. It’s small and walkable, mostly recovered from its communist past, with its wear and tear a bit more evident on a lot of buildings compared to its more “posh” neighbors. But, I like that because it feels a little bit more real to me. The city is not touristy, it is cheap (we paid about 40 Euros per night for our bed and breakfast), it is colorful (both the buildings and the apparent art scene), and the food is really good. Needless to say, I would recommend this as a day trip.  I’m sure it’s even more beautiful in the summer with a blue sky, green trees, and an active main square. Plus, it sounds like even during the heavier tourist season, it’s still not a major destination — so it may offer a nice break from all the camera-toting crazies.

As an aside, what is with tourists using iPads as cameras? The pictures are terrible! And PS, you look ridiculous.

Regardless, here’s a really good blog post from our favorite travel writer about the city. Worth a read: Blooming Bratislava.

And here are a few (well, several) pics from our day there.

Jeff and Hans Christian Andersen. I made them hold hands. Big hands, Hans.

Rubberneck. According to Bratislava’s tourist website: “A unique Bratislava curiosity: no other city in the world has a statue emerging from a manhole. After Rubberneck had lost his head twice due to careless drivers city councillors decided to help him by erecting a road sign to warn drivers: another world-first…” (Source: http://visit.bratislava.sk/en/vismo/dokumenty2.asp?id_org=700014&id=1225&p1=3993).

Jeff and Rubberneck.

According to the city’s tourism site: “This statue commemorates a unique figure in Bratislava’s history. Not a statesmen, a sportsman or soldier: instead, the Schöner Naci, whose real name was Ignác Lamár, is remembered for being one of Bratislava’s social institutions. Born in 1897, he was famous for wandering the streets of the city, elegant in morning suit and top hat. He would frequently doff his hat to the ladies he passed and offer them flowers or a song.” (Source: http://visit.bratislava.sk/en/vismo/zobraz_dok.asp?id_org=700014&id_ktg=1037&p1=3993).

Napoleon’s Solider statue in the town square.

Here he is again, with more of the square in the background. I’d love to see this place in the summer.

Hey bear, raise the roof.

Random celebrity grills.

A run-down church. I’m pretty sure the doors were locked.

I push for wine.

Basically sums up my feelings about life.

Inspecting the beer for alcohol content.

Yum.

A nice cozy lunch and a break from the cold rain.

Shot of Bratislava Castle from town. It was such a nice, sunny day.

A glimpse of St. Martin’s Cathedral, the largest in Bratislava, known for the coronation of many rulers, including Maria Theresia — the only female ruler of the Habsburg dynasty.

Narrow roads.

Not entirely sure.

A perfectly safe-feeling rundown neighborhood.

Every town has a little ghetto.

LOVE this door. Slightly obsessed with European doorways.

Another random street without a person in sight. Don’t you love these captions? I just hate how the photos look so bare without any words to accompany them.

Closing in on the Cathedral. Unfortunately,the doors were locked when we arrived the first day, so we finally went inside Wednesday morning before we left.

Do you have the key to my angelic, alien TV heart?

Jeff with alien tower in the background.

St. Martin’s.

UFO tower.

After a 45-second elevator ride to the top of the UFO tower, you are offered a nice view from the bathroom.

You are also offered a nice view of the castle and cathedral from the open-air lookout tower. (This shot was taken before I realized I could leave the shutter open on my camera somewhat indefinitely. Oh well, still learning. Plus, Jeff was getting a little tired of me dorking around with the settings. So, we began our journey to the castle.).

Atop the UFO tower.

Heading across the bridge that connects the UFO lookout tower to the old town and essentially divides the city down the middle. It is rumored that this highway will eventually be built as a tunnel underground. If it’s anything like the Big Dig in Boston, it might be a few generations before the project is completed.

Heading to the castle…

Met a nice dog along the way.

Getting closer.

Closer.

There!

We had a wonderful and delicious dinner, but don’t recommend ordering the “headcheese.”  Sounded good, as it was dressed with caramelized onions… not so much.

A miniature outdoor “van Gogh” exhibit.

And a monument dedicated to the rack of a female superhero. This one’s for you, Jeff. (Actually, I haven’t a clue what this is. Strange for what appears to be a residential courtyard).