Bratislava

Questions I wouldn’t blame you for having:

1. Where is Bratislava?

2. What do you do there anyways?

I found out both when I caught the travel bug and had only one day to get it out of my system. The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava lies 2 1/2 hours north of Budapest, and round trip train fare is only about €23. So before I knew it, I hopped off my train, exchanged my Forints for Euros, and discovered how to spend an afternoon in Bratislava.

First Impressions

The Fountain of Friendship in Freedom Square

You don’t have to spend much time in these Central European cities to see remnants of their complicated pasts, and Bratislava is no different. My walk from the hlavná stanica train station to the city center took me through streets lined with Communist buildings and regal homes alike.

Coffee Break
While nearly missing my train gave me a morning shot of adrenaline (and a gentle reminder to start exercising again), three hours later I was craving some caffeine. Away from the tourist center of Old Town, I wandered down a side street and snagged a cozy cappuccino at Randevu before seeing more of the city. And after a short detour frolicking in a snowy park, I found my way to the Old Town.

Walk the City

My inner treasure hunter spent some time in the main square’s vintage shop, Textile House–and also lingering wistfully at the window displays of the abundance of second hand stores I came across afterwards.

There are cafes and restaurants aplenty, and my friend and I stumbled on the gem of Los Mexikas for lunch. Authentic Mexican was the last thing I expected to eat in the capital of Slovakia, but hey, I’m not going to question fate when it puts a delicious quesadilla in front of me.

Friends have often told me that you don’t really need more than a day to explore Bratislava, and I agree. Old Town was small enough to see in an afternoon–and it’s inexpensive nature (a cappuccino ran me about €1.50 and lunch with an entree and drink €7) made it a cheerful, espresso filled one. I might take a trip back to see the castle and the nightlife, but I’m pretty satisfied with everything else that I saw. By the time I hopped back on my train to Budapest, my head was swirling with pastel memories.