Bratislava

Bratislava (Hungarian: Pozsony, German: Pressburg, known as Prešporok before 1919), is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. It has a population of more than 475,000 (2021), and is the administrative, cultural and economic centre of the country. For most visitors, it is the entry point into the rest of the country.

Located on the border tripoint of Slovakia, Austria and Hungary, the city has sat in the very hearts of empires since its earliest mention in the 10th century. As such, the city is a place of contrasts; the city centre features the medieval and renaissance old town, as well as the skyscraper-heavy business and shopping district; the outskirts feature both hillside villas, and communist-era apartment blocks.

Understand
Bratislava has a very pleasant medieval inner city with narrow, winding streets, a hill-top castle next to the river Danube, and many historic churches and buildings to visit. The old town is centered on two squares, Hlavne namestie (main square) and Hviezdoslavovo namestie (Hviezdoslav square, named after a famous Slovak poet). Of a rather different architectural character are some of the communist-era buildings found in the modern parts of the city; a prime example is Petrzalka housing estate, the biggest Communist-era concrete block housing complex in Central Europe, which stretches on endlessly just across the river. Move further east and there are plenty of rural places to explore. There are farms, vineyards, agricultural land, and tiny villages less than 50 km to the north and east of Bratislava.

Bratislava and its surroundings form the second-most prosperous region in Central and Eastern Europe, with a per capita GDP of around 167% of the EU-27 average. Bratislava is the sixth richest region of the European Union, and GDP per capita is about three times higher than in other Slovak regions

History
After the fall of the Great Moravian Empire, Slovakia became part of the Kingdom of Hungary from the 10th century (later included with the Austro-Hungarian Empire) until the end of the First World War. The city was the capital (1536-1784), the coronation city (1563-1830), and the seat of the Diet (1536-1848) of the Kingdom of Hungary for three centuries. In this period, eleven Hungarian kings and queens were crowned at St. Martin's Cathedral. At that time, the city was called Preßburg in German and Pozsony in Hungarian, and had a clear German (42%) and Hungarian (40%) ethnic majority (1910 census). In 1919, the Treaty of Trianon created Czechoslovakia, and Bratislava was attached to the newly founded state. In the same year, the name Bratislava was officially adopted for the first time.

Between 1939 and 1944, Slovakia was a Nazi puppet state. In 1941–1942 and 1944–1945, this government collaborated in deporting most of Bratislava's approximately 15,000 Jews to concentration camps, where most were murdered. Bratislava was occupied by German troops in 1944, and eventually taken by the Soviet Red Army on 4 April 1945, after a failed insurrection of Slovak partisans, now commemorated as Slovenské národné povstanie, or "Slovak National Uprising".

After the Communist Party seized power in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the city witnessed profound demographic and urban transformation. In 1969 it became the capital city of the Slovak Socialist Republic, one of the two component states of federal Czechoslovakia.

Bratislava's dissidents anticipated the fall of Communism with the Bratislava candle demonstration in 1988, and the city became one of the foremost centres of the anti-Communist "Velvet Revolution" in 1989. In 1993, the city became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic following the "Velvet Divorce".

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain and especially with the accession of Slovakia to the European Union (May 2004) and later the Schengen Area, Bratislava is often marketed together with Vienna as "twin cities" due to their closeness. They are the two European capitals with the shortest distance to one another and should you ever get bored with Bratislava, Vienna is certainly an interesting day trip. You can even cross the roughly 60 km of distance on a bike in a single day if you're moderately fit.

Visitor information

 * Visit Bratislava

Bratislava Milan Rastislav Štefánik Airport
The following airlines operate regular scheduled, seasonal, and seasonal charter flights to Bratislava:
 * AirExplore: Split, Zadar
 * Flydubai: Dubai–International


 * Ryanair: Alghero, Athens, Beauvais, Bergamo, Birmingham, Bologna, Charleroi, Dublin, Eindhoven, Girona, London–Stansted, Malta, Manchester, Niš, Paphos, Rome–Ciampino, Thessaloniki Seasonal: Burgas, Corfu, Eilat, Leeds/Bradford, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca
 * Smartwings: Seasonal: Antalya, Burgas, Catania, Corfu, Heraklion, Kos, Lamezia Terme, Larnaca, Palma de Mallorca, Rhodes
 * Wizz Air: London–Luton, Skopje, Sofia

If you are flying with Ryanair and have check-in luggage, do not let the small size of the airport fool you. Arrive at the airport well in advance of your flight, as the queue can get very long.

There are no dedicated airport shuttles, however the airport is served as part of the municipal bus network. Use bus No 61 (or N61 at night) for a direct connection to the Central Train Station (Hlavná stanica). Or change for a tram at Trnavské mýto to get to the city center (in order to get to the tram stop, use the underpass and the exit marked "Centrum" (city center) and take any tram in the direction towards center. You can't buy tickets from the bus driver (see "Get around" below) so you must buy tickets in advance. Use the vending machines at the bus stop, but you will need euro coins as the vending machines don't take notes (there are also two big red ticket machines in the terminal building close to arrivals, which do accept banknotes and credit cards). You can also buy tickets in the tourist and exchange offices in the terminal, but they have only limited working hours. Be aware that the airport shops and kiosks are not very helpful when it comes to changing bills into coins. A screen in the arrivals hall displays actual departure times of next public transport buses and buses to Vienna. Public transport buses are cheap – a single ticket to/from the city centre (validate the ticket in the marking machine in the bus; valid for 60 minutes from the moment of validation; transfer to other public transport lines allowed) costs €1.20 including any number of interchanges. Overstaying your ticket can be expensive, but during night and low travel the 30-min (€0.90) ticket can be sufficient for travelling between the airport and the bus station (or vice versa). Travel to and from the train station at night (with no cars around) is 31 min so you are better of with a 60-minute ticket.

Taxis taken directly from the airport are expensive (more than €30 for a 15-minute journey to the city centre) and even worse, taxi drivers do not respect the price you agreed with them in advance. If you like a taxi, call one or use Uber, Bolt, Hopin or Liftago apps: these are reliably working in Bratislava.

Direct bus services operating in approximately hourly intervals connect the airport with Vienna International Airport and the city of Vienna (travel time to Vienna is c. 80–90 minutes).

Vienna International Airport
Vienna International Airport/Flughafen Wien is about 45 km (28 mi) from Bratislava, near to the town of Schwechat in Austria. The airport is the home base of the flag-carrier Austrian. Most European airlines and several international airlines have direct connections to Vienna from their respective hubs.

There are three companies providing bus services between Vienna and Vienna International Airport and Bratislava, each running hourly. In Bratislava, all buses stop at Einsteinova (Petržalka) and Most SNP (under UFO Bridge) and/or Coach Terminal (Autobusová stanica (Mlynské Nivy), in timetables abbreviated as Bratislava AS). All but RegioJet buses continue towards Bratislava Airport every two hours.

A quick summary of transport options (schedules and prices as of June 2018):
 * You can book online here.


 * You can book online here.


 * You can book online here.



Alternatives
Brno Airport has a very small selection of destination offerings. Budapest and Prague airports are about a 4-5 hour journey but can mean substantial savings on intercontinental trips, especially to New York City or Beijing.

By train
Most international trains stop at




 * Vienna: 1 hr. There are two regional express services from Wien Hauptbahnhof (Vienna Central Train Station) to two different stations in Bratislava: one to Bratislava Hlavná stanica (Bratislava Central Train Station) via Marchegg and the other to Bratislava Petržalka station via Kittsee – each operating in hourly intervals, with first daily service leaving around 05:00 and the last train leaving around 22:30, to Petržalka at 23:15. The prices of regular tickets for the different routes are not the same. But with the advantageous return-ticket called Euregio Bratislava-Ticket which, purchased in Vienna, costs €18 (children under 15 years of age: €9), you can indiscriminately use any train on both routes. It is valid for 4 days, but the trip must be started on the first day of validity. And on the first day it also serves as a day-pass for all public transport in Bratislava allowing the free use of the urban public transport till 01:00. You even will benefit from this return-ticket if you go only one-way to Bratislava-Petržalka via Kittsee, because it's cheaper than the regular full-price one-way ticket! Also, transporting one bicycle on the train is free. You can obtain it from ticket counters as well as from all ÖBB ticket-vending machines, but not by entering the destination, rather by choosing, at the bottom, "More products" and then "Tickets for neighbouring countries".
 * Prague: 4 hr, EC trains every 2 hours operated by Czech railway company ČD (České drahy). Online tickets are much cheaper than the tickets purchased at the station, but you should buy them at least 3 days in advance. It is possible to get on a through sleeper car on the Euronight train EN 477 "Metropol", however, the journey only takes 6 hours meaning you won't get too much sleep.
 * Also the Czech private low-cost carrier RegioJet provides three direct connections (timetable) to Bratislava, which continue to Budapest. Travel time just under 4 hours. Although RegioJet has ticket counters in Prague, the best way is to book tickets online (here) well in advance in order to obtain best-price tickets.


 * Budapest: 2½ hr, eight EC trains a day in daytime, departing from Budapest Nyugati station; and one EN train from Budapest Keleti station leaving and arriving in the evening. The trains shuttle every 2 hours in both directions. From Budapest, the cyclic two-hour EC schedule is from 05:41–17:41, with one additional train at 08:41; the EN train departs at 20:25 (EN 476 "Metropol"). From Bratislava, the first train starts at 05:54 (irregularly, EN 477 "Metropol"), then EC trains run on true cyclic two-hour schedule from 07:53–19:53, with one additional train at 16:53. In June 2018 a Budapest–Bratislava ticket was €17.50 (which includes a return trip within a month, making it the best available deal if you're coming back to Budapest). Same price and conditions for a return-trip ticket Bratislava–Budapest bought from Slovak railway company ZSSK.
 * Berlin: 8½ hr, five day-time EC train connections every two hours. Except for one direct train (EC 173 "Hungaria"), all other trains require to change in Prague. No direct sleeper service, but one with only one change in Prague at a reasonable time of day. Tickets bought directly before departure or on the train usually are a lot more expensive than advance purchase fares (not earlier than 90 days prior to departure), which may be very cheap when bought as early as possible (starting at €29). Note that there is a €2 surcharge for tickets bought at the counter, but you can get information at the counter and later buy at the machine anyway, at no surcharge. Tickets can also be bought online at Deutsche Bahn's excellent website.
 * Warsaw: 7 hr, daily one direct train (IC 131 "Varsovia") and two connections with change at Břeclav; 10¾ h on night train EN 407 "Chopin" with change at Břeclav. There is a limited offer (SparDay for daytime trains, SparNight for sleepers) of discounted tickets to Budapest via Bratislava, they're much cheaper than normal tickets to Bratislava.
 * Belgrade: 12¾ hr in total, starting on INT/D 344 "Avala" towards Budapest, there transfer from Keleti to Nyugati train station in order to continue on EC 270 "Metropolitan" to Bratislava. Trains from Serbia are often delayed, but in Budapest you have a 2-hour gap. Alternative: 11½ hr with INT 342 "Ivo Andrić" to Budapest, there changing onto EN 476 "Metropol", with a transfer time of 20 minutes at the same train station. (There is no direct train anymore.)
 * Kyiv: 23 hr, minimum travel time with only one change, starting on overnight train D 40749 "Hortobágy" to Budapest, there transfer from Keleti to Nyugati train station (gap of 1 hr 40 min), and continuing on train EC 278 "Metropolitan".
 * Rijeka nightly via Ljubljana and Csorna, continuing to Břeclav, Brno, Pardubice and Prague. It's run by Regiojet, booking essential.

By bus
Coach lines connect Bratislava with all of Slovakia, a high number of Czech cities and a number of EU destinations, including London, Paris. Between Bratislava and Budapest there are daily connections, so does, for example, Flixbus provide a bus service about every two hours.

From southern Germany there are a few connections as well. For more on the newly emerging domestic market as well as some information on international routes (operated by mostly the same companies) see Long distance bus travel in Germany

The most frequent international coach connection by far is Vienna, though. There are three companies – Postbus/Slovak Lines, Flixbus, and RegioJet – providing bus services between Vienna and Vienna International Airport and Bratislava, each in hourly intervals from different points of departure within Vienna. In Bratislava, all buses stop at Einsteinova (Petržalka) and Most SNP (under UFO Bridge) and/or Coach Terminal (Autobusová stanica (Mlynské Nivy), in timetables abbreviated as Bratislava AS). All but RegioJet buses continue towards Bratislava Airport every two hours. A trip from/to Vienna takes about 1½ hours.

The fare to Bratislava is the same, irrespective of whether the travel starts in Vienna or at Vienna airport. To Bratislava airport the fare may be the same or higher with Flixbus, while Postbus/Slovak Lines generally charge a higher fare.

Hourly departures from Vienna (schedules and prices as of June 2018):
 * Slovak Lines: from Vienna Central Train Station (Wien Hauptbahnhof; Bus Terminal is adjacently situated at Südtiroler Platz / Wiedner Gürtel) 06:00–22:00, 23.30; to Bratislava airport from 06:00–14:00 and 15:00–19:00 every 2 hours. You can book online here.
 * Flixbus: from Vienna U3 Erdberg VIB (Vienna International Busterminal) 06:30–23:30, 0:45; to Bratislava airport from 07:30–21:30 every 2 hours. To Bratislava centre there are two additional buses from Vienna Central Train Station operated by Polski Bus under the umbrella of Flixbus. You can book online here.
 * RegioJet: from Vienna Central Train Station (Wien Hauptbahnhof; Bus Terminal is adjacently situated at Südtiroler Platz / Wiedner Gürtel) 06:25, 08:25–22:25. You can book online here.
 * For more details see Vienna International Airport / Flughafen Wien.
 * For more details see Vienna International Airport / Flughafen Wien.

By boat
Regular tourist boat lines operate on the Danube from spring through fall on routes from Vienna. You can find routes and schedules here.

A high speed ferry boat travels to Vienna at a higher cost than other means of transport. A one-way ticket from Vienna to Bratislava by Twin City Liner costs about €25-30 (whereas a return train ticket is less than €15). The Twin City Liner's boats travel at 60 kmph and the journey takes about 1 hr 15 min from Vienna to Bratislava and about 1 hr 30 min from Bratislava to Vienna (almost as much as the train). Unlike the train though, which stops at stations distant from the center (about 2–3 km), the boat stops are in the very centres of both Vienna (Schwedenplatz) and Bratislava (Novy Most).

By kayak and canoe
Danube river is getting very popular for multi-day tours. Some people do their paddling all the way from Germany to Black Sea (more than 2516 km / 1563 mi), also known as TID. Bratislava is well developed for paddling. There are several paddling clubs at "Karloveske rameno" with accommodation possible at Paddler Club at river km 1872, near "Stary most" at r.km 1868. Free camping is possible along river shore; good places are around km 1872 right, 1864-60 left.

By car
Bratislava lies on the border of two other countries and has a relatively good road system. The town can be accessed by motorways (i.e. limited access highway) from northern Slovakia and Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary as well as Austria. As a result, you can pass the town without having to leave the motorway at all. Similar to most countries in Central Europe, you have to pay for using the highways. Similar to Hungary, the payment is all done electronically (so you do not have to have a sticker on the windshield) and can be bought online, on most petrol stations and in kiosk on border. The motorways within the boundaries of Bratislava town can be used for free.

After entering the city, a parking information system is in place to lead you to the next free parking spot. In the center of town you either can use one of the paid underground garages or buy a parking card from vendors in yellow vests and try to find a free spot in the streets. The former is recommended on weekends as finding a parking place in the one-ways can turn into a real head breaking puzzle. If you do find a spot in the street and it's a weekday between 08:00 and 16:00 you have to pay for parking. Parking meters are usually available at the corners, are signed posted with blue and yellow sign and take coins only.

It may be a good idea to leave the car at the Aupark parking lot which also serves as a "Park and Walk" facility for tourists (note that the indoor parking facilities as well as parts of the outdoor parking lot are closed from 24:00-06:00, the rest of the parking space is free to use 24/7). You can leave your car here and walk through the park and across the Danube to the city center, which is a 10-minute stroll, or just use public transport. It is not recommended to leave the car in residential areas outside of the city center to avoid paid parking, as foreign cars may attract car thieves.

Renting a car is also an option, especially if you are visiting destinations outside of Bratislava. All major rental companies have a stall at the airport but most have a city office as well plus there is a lot of local car rental companies, some even deliver the car to your hotel/apartment. Use common sense to pick the reliable one.

By bike
Bratislava has nice surroundings for biking and an international bike route leads along the southern shore of the Danube river (Donauradweg, or EuroVelo 6). The route from Austria via Bratislava down to Hungary is well marked, and also accessible for hiking on foot. Motorised transport is prohibited on the bike route.

However, the town has not many biking routes and they are mostly ignored by car drivers. There are millions of ways though to bike in the Carpathian hills and along the rivers Danube and Morava. Read some more in "Do" below.

Get around
Generally, Bratislava is a walking city, though as of the early 2020s with increasing number of cycling lines. The center is very small and cosy and you can easily walk from one side to another in a few minutes. The city center is a pedestrian area but be aware of cyclists and occasional cars that use to drive rather quickly in between the walking people and outdoor cafes.

Public transport
If you want to travel outside of the centre, use the trams or trolley buses if you need to get from one point to another quickly. Bratislava has a rather good public transport system mainly operated by the city transport company DPB (website in Slovak only) although a lot of their vehicles are quite old. Buses tend to be the slowest means of transport. Stops typically have to be requested, except for trams. To enter bus/trolleybus one has to be standing visibly on the bus stop. To exit, one needs to press a button nearby doors and the driver will stop at the next stops. Bus doors have to be opened by passengers (except for few oldest buses), just push a button on the door or near the door.

A single-journey ticket costs €0.70, valid for 15 minutes only. There is a longer validity ticket available for €0.90 (valid for 30 minutes). All tickets can be used for any number of travels within the specified time period. If you are staying for a holiday, consider buying one from a choice of longer term tickets valid for 1, 3 and 7 days (24, 72, and 168 hours from validation) for, €8 and respectively. For more information about tickets, check the IDS BK (Integrated Transport System) website. Note that you also need to buy a separate ticket for your suitcase or other large luggage; buy a reduced 15 minute ticket for and that will cover your luggage.

You must validate your ticket in the validation machines on the bus/tram immediately after boarding (via any door). When it comes to proving that you have not exceeded the time stated on your ticket (e.g. 15 minutes on a 15-minute ticket), official schedule times are decisive — not the actual travel times (do not give in to unfriendly ticket inspectors claiming the contrary). You can find out the scheduled travel times in the left-most column of the schedules, left of the stop name or via the internet (see below).

Bus and tram drivers in Bratislava do not sell tickets, therefore you need to obtain a ticket prior to entering a bus or a tram. There are ticket vending machines at most stops in the town. Only coins and contactless credit cards can be used at the yellow machines (which can be quite frustrating if you need to buy a longer term ticket), but at larger stops there are also new big red machines which sell the full range of tickets and accept all cards and even banknotes. SMS tickets are also available, but only if you send a text message from a cell phone with a Slovak SIM card, which rules out all short-term foreign tourists. SMS tickets cannot be used on S-trains.

If you purchased a "Eurgion Bratislava-Ticket" return ticket in Vienna, it also serves as a pass for all public transport on the date shown on the ticket, and does not need to be validated on Bratislava public transport.

Besides vending machines, tickets are also sold in many news stands and — very conveniently for travellers arriving by train, late in the evening or at weekends — in railway stations at the ticket counters (ticket counter 16 at the main railway station). You can also purchase tickets for public transport in every tourist information bureau. Try asking for the Bratislava City Card which combines a 1 to 3-day ticket with various discounts and is available at information bureaus, but note that the City Card is significantly more expensive than public transport tickets alone, so make sure it is the best option for you!

Tickets can also be bought using an app for Android or iOS.

There are 3 main interchange points in the close city centre where you can get a bus or tram to nearly anywhere else:
 * Hodžovo námestie (Presidential palace) for Northwest- and East-bound bus connections
 * Námestie SNP / Kamenné námestie (down the pedestrian area below Hodžovo námestie, on the northern edge of centre) for trams
 * Most SNP (close to St. Martin's Cathedral and the Danube banks) for trams and for west-bound buses as well as bus connections to Petržalka.

Main tram, bus and trolleybus lines operate from 04:30 until approximately 23:30. If you need to travel by bus at night, go to the main railway station which is the main night line interchange point or use the bus stops at Presidential palace (Hodzovo námestie). All night lines have common departure times from the main railway station at 23:30 and then every 60 minutes for every line and outbound direction until 03:30. Some lines have an extra outbound departure at midnight. You will need a night ticket for €1.40 in night lines. When travelling by night lines, every stop must be requested. Especially around midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, the buses tend to be very crowded on some lines as young people return from clubs.

The routes of the public transport do change sometimes, especially due to trackworks and renovation. For example, in June 2019 the tram lines were all completely changed. If you have an older map, old tourist guide, etc., chances are the transport lines (numbers, destinations, transfer points) are no longer valid. Check online at either the official IDS BK site or at the unofficial iMHD site which has a wider range of maps, the information at stops (available in English), or ask your fellow passengers if not sure.

If necessary, it is also possible to walk to Petrzalka station from the city (some 25 minutes). The path is clearly marked now but note that Petržalka is just a little more than the biggest block flats housing estate in Central Europe. Head for the bridge with the flying saucer-like looking tower atop it (Most SNP or also known as Nový most). Once you reach the bridge, you will notice that there is a walkway running along the underside of it, for pedestrians. Once on the other side of the Danube river, follow the right hand-side of the bridge with a walkway made of red paving. This will lead you to the station. Alternatively, you can walk through Bratislava's equivalent of the Central Park called Sad Janka Kráľa and visit the Aupark Shopping Mall at the park. Once exiting Aupark on the other side, turn right and follow the street to get to the pavement mentioned above. The route is very safe during the day, but for typically western-looking tourists, it might be dangerous at night (although not more than in any other European "panelák" (see above) housing estate). Take a guide, if needed. If you want to walk from the station to the city, turn right outside of the station building and follow the path described above in reverse direction.

Taxis
Do not take taxis waiting outside of major transfer points and tourist areas, such as main railway station, airport, bus station, Petrzalka train station, in front of Alizee nightbar at the northern corner of the city centre, etc. as they will rip you off. Taxis are cheaper in Bratislava when called in advance than when hailed on street. As a tourist, your best bet is to use one of the apps - Uber and Bolt are both present in Bratislava, although sometimes with longer waiting times compared to other cities. Other reliable taxi apps are Liftago and Hopin, they support both payment by card or cash to the driver if you do not want to enter your card details (payment method has to be selected before ordering the taxi).

Museums and galleries
For museum-goers, Bratislava is the place to go, with some bigger and loads of small museums around town. Every year in the weekend around 24 April Bratislava celebrates a festival called "Bratislava for All", giving locals and visitors the possibility to visit most of the facilities governed by the city for free or a reduced fee, this including most of the museums and galleries. In May, the city's museums and galleries keep their gates open to visitors until late at night, this being called the "Night of Museums and Galleries".



Monuments




Do


Take a stroll through the centre of the town. Bratislava has one of the smallest historical centers of any European capital but the charm is more concentrated. The streets have been completely renovated over the last ten years, bringing life back here. Since then a multitude of cafes, bars and restaurants of all kinds have opened here, accompanied by a few souvenir shops and fashion stores. On warm days almost every cafe has an outdoor seating section in the street, bustling with life and giving the city a unique cozy feeling.

When it comes to sightseeing, Bratislava Castle generally is a must and is already opened after the reconstruction. You can visit also Slavin memorial for some really astounding views of the city. It's a calm and romantic spot but beware, it can get really windy up there. The City Museum located in the Old Town Hall offers visitors climbing up the steep stairwells of the clock tower or seeing the town's historical dungeons, an exhibition that was quite outdated but still scary in 2008.

In summer, you can also visit Bratislava Zoo, providing a nice walk between the animal enclosures, the latest addition being some rare white tigers. The facilities of the zoo are slowly being renovated to attract more visitors and the zoo is a favourite for families on sunny days. You can also go to the Botanical Gardens of Comenius University (Botanická 3, take tram X6 to stop Botanická záhrada) for quiet and peaceful strolls in this green space. There are also several lakes opened for bathing. The biggest and probably the most famous lake is called Zlaté piesky (Golden Lakes) or Vajnorské jazerá, known as Bager lake (the later is used for bating only unofficially).

For a relaxed afternoon in the park, head either to Sad Janka Kráľa park (on the right bank of the river Danube and next to Aupark shopping centre), the oldest public park in central Europe, relax at the embankments on both sides of the river or head to Horský park (Forest Park) north off Slavin memorial for a civilized stroll through the forest. There's a small café here as well as a pub, the latter mostly populated by students from the nearby campus. For a more outdoorsy experience, hop on bus No 203/213 to Koliba and walk up to Kamzík (takes about 30 minutes uphill) or try the newly renovated facilities of Partizánska lúka and Snežienka, all with extensive picknicking areas and loads of fireplaces for grilling. The area is several kilometers long and you can either walk here from the terminal station of bus No 212 (Vojenska nemocnica) or take a bus to Patronka and use bus No 43 driving up the area and back every 15–30 minutes (depending on time of day/year as well as weather). Only cars with a permit can enter the area but there is a parking lot at the entrance, close to a bus stop. Snezienka's grass fields and the top of Kamzik hill are connected with a chairlift, operating Thursdays through Sundays and on holidays, the price for one ride being approx. €3.

In December, be sure to indulge in the scents and flavours of the traditional Christmas Market in front of Old Town Hall and on the Hlavne namestie (main square). The market - compared to the ones in Prague and Vienna - is smaller, but has a much friendlier, almost family-like atmosphere and feels much more traditional and less overtly commercialized than others in the region. The people of Bratislava love to meet here for a drink and a bite to eat; try the 'varene vino' (mulled wine).


 * Bratislava Free Tour. Free walking tour covering the city's sights, culture & history. Every day at 11:00 and 15:00.
 * Bratislava Free Tour. Free walking tour covering the city's sights, culture & history. Every day at 11:00 and 15:00.

Culture
Bratislava is the home of the world famous Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra so if you love classical music, you should consider attending one of the concerts in the historic Reduta building. For more cultural indulgence, the Slovak National Theatre offers a wide selection on ballet, opera and theatre performances. Although most of the activities have been moved to a city-district-in-the-making on the banks of the Danube, some performances are still being held in the historical theatre building, which gives them a unique feeling but a higher price tag as well. The old theatre building is right in the middle of the city at Hviezdoslavovo namestie. The new theatre is accessible by bus No 88 from the Coach Terminal at Mlynske nivy (get off at Landererova) or by buses No 50, 70 and 78 (stop is called Wüstenrot). None of these stop directly at the theatre though, so you should count on a 5-10 minute walk from the bus stop to the theatre. You cannot miss the building as it is of unmistakably communist megalomaniac design covered in white marble. The entrance is facing the Danube so you need to walk around the building to get in.

Sports

 * Football: The men's national soccer team play at Tehelné pole (capacity 22,500) 2 km northeast of city centre. SK Slovan Bratislava the leading club also play here in Slovak Super Liga, the top tier.
 * Ice hockey is the national sport of Slovakia. The local hockey team, HC Slovan Bratislava, plays games frequently throughout each year beginning in September and concluding in the spring of the following year. Since this team plays in KHL league, even more Slovaks started visiting its matches. Home games are played at Ondrej Nepela Arena stadium, Odbojárov 9. Many Slovaks are passionate about both watching and playing ice hockey. The stadium can be reached easily by public transport.
 * Adventure sports: Bungee jumping from the Lafranconi bridge has become very popular among Slovaks as well as tourists in the last couple of years. Another popular activity among locals and tourists especially during a stag party is target shooting in Bratislava and its near vicinity. For some extreme adventure in the pure nature Slovaks and visitors can try to sail the river Small Danube in a canoe. Water sports in general are among the most beloved sports activities with many successful sportsmen such as the Hochschorner brothers.

Meet people
Over the last two decades, many foreigners have been moving to Bratislava to study and work at the many international companies that created new jobs. After work, many expatriates and their Slovak friends hang out at casual events where everybody speaks English and enjoys the evening together. For travelers to Bratislava, joining these usually free events is an excellent and fun opportunity to meet local people and learn from them about what one should see or do in Bratislava next day.

A few recommendations are:

Bratislava Language Exchange Meeting, where people from different countries get together at tables and teach each other a foreign language.

Toastmasters Club Bratislava, a speech club where people practice their public speaking skills.

Bratislava Expat Meetup and International Meetings for the more business-oriented crowd that seeks to expand their network while having a glass of Martini in a stylish sky bar.

International Students Parties, where the foreign exchange students dance the night away and knock out their brains.

Upcoming events can be found in this calendar of events.

Work
Slovakia is a member of the European Union, therefore, any citizen of a European Union, European Economic Area country or Switzerland can work and live there without restrictions.

Qualified third nationals can get a work permit. This system still uses bribes.

For more information on working in the Slovak Republic, see Slovakia.

Buy
Tourists seeking duty-free goods should be warned to make their purchases before returning to the airport as duty-free goods available in the departure lounge are roughly double the cost of identical goods purchased in local supermarkets.

Shop in the large and expanding shopping centers:



Eat


Bryndzové halušky (small, spaetzle-like dumplings with sheep's cheese and topped with pieces of meat) is the national dish of Slovakia and recommended to try. Potent garlic soup (but perhaps not on a date) and Slovak white wine (due to its cooler climate, Slovakia's reds pale in comparison with some of Europe's other offerings), schnitzels, goulashes and other typically Central European foods. Fresh vegetables are more common here thanks to the large amount of land given over to agriculture.

In December, don't miss the Christmas market in front of the Old Town Hall. The traditional foods of the Christmas market are roasted pork or chicken sandwich burgers ("ciganska pecienka") with mustard and onions, potato pancakes ("loksa") with various fillings ranging traditionally from plain ones with goose fat, with garlic or goose liver to poppy seed, nut or chocolate. Bread with pork fat and onions is also popular. Also there are a few stands which offer specialities from other European countries. You can wash down the food with a cup of red or white mulled wine or a small cup of honey wine, also tea with or without rum is available, as well as grog or other "hot mixed drinks" like the Červený medveď (red bear).

There are a large number of restaurants in the center of Bratislava in all price ranges so there are plenty to choose from.

Budget
Bratislava's special form of junk food is richman, a big bread roll filled with cabbage and cheese and/or meat with mayonnaise. Richman stands can be found on Kamenné námestie, in front of the Tesco building, and in Safarikovo square. You can also try a sub sandwich from one of the many cafeterias in the city. Another excellent cafeteria is on Zelená Ulica between Ventúrska Ulica and Hlavné námestie. A big sandwich, a bageta (from the French baguette) with cheese, ham and eggs would cost you about €1.50.

Another specialty in Bratislava (but also available in other regions of Slovakia) is treska. It is a cold salad made of cod (fish) with mayonnaise. There are also vegetables such as onions and carrots in the salad. It has a distinctive taste, somewhere between sour and bitter. You can buy it fresh in most "Lahôdky" shops, which means something like "delicacies", but generally stands for old-fashioned fast food shops which sell salads, soups, etc. Treska is very good with rolls. Can also buy it packed to take home.

If you want to self-cater, the largest supermarket near the centre is the underground Tesco on Kamenné námestie ( Centrum). You could easily have lunch consisting of a couple of bread rolls, ham, cheese, fruit and maybe a cake or two, for €3-4. New shopping malls with big cinemas and of course food courts within reach of the centre are Aupark on the right bank of the Danube (next to Sad Janka Kráľa park, some 10 minutes from St Martins's Cathedral), Eurovea (next to the old bridge on the old town bank of river, close to the bus station), Polus City Center on Vajnorská Street to the north of the city (some 10–15 minutes from the city by tram) and Bory Mall on the north-western edge of the city.

Mid-range
Interestingly, it is rather hard to find a Slovak restaurant among all the Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Indian and other eateries.



Drink
Try Kofola, a Slovak and Czech soft drink with a similar colour to Coca-Cola, but lower in sugar and caffeine (and carbonation). Some places serve "draft Kofola" which indeed is draft from a barrel in a way similar to beer (it used to be co-produced by a Bratislava brewery). Some Slovaks say draft Kofola is even better than the bottled version and that it is best enjoyed outside in the sun, for example after a hike or a bike or rollerblade ride. Kofola is a popular alternative to beer if you want to hang out but don't want to drink alcohol. Vinea is another genuine Slovak soft drink made from grapes, offered both in "white" (green grapes) and "red" varieties (red grapes) and even in a rather sweet and maybe not-so-tasty "soft" version without carbon dioxide.

There are quite a few Slovak beer brands, e.g. Zlatý Bažant, Šariš, Smädný Mních and Topvar. Stein beer is a local Bratislava variety which used to be brewed practically in the city centre. There are three micro-breweries offering beer in Bratislava, Mestiansky Pivovar, Richtar Jakub and Patronka.

If spirits are more your thing, perhaps you will enjoy Slivovica, a fruit-plums brandy of high quality that is associated with Slovakia.

Bars
The best pubs offering Slovak beers can be found in the Old Town: Kristian in Michalska street or Bar Parada in Hviezdoslavovo square. All of them are quite cheap (about €1 per half-liter glass of beer). Obchodna street is also full of cheap bars targeting students and younger crowds, for example Baron and Starter (you can also smoke inside).


 * Bukowski, Namestie SNP 24. Cozy bohemian bar with a nice courtyard next to Fuga Club. Drinks are cheap, beers at €2.
 * Bohema Bar, Namestie SNP 30. Similar to Bukowski, more upscale, very busy on weekends. Sometimes they play music with dj sets or live bands. Gin Tonic €4.10.
 * Bukowski, Namestie SNP 24. Cozy bohemian bar with a nice courtyard next to Fuga Club. Drinks are cheap, beers at €2.
 * Bohema Bar, Namestie SNP 30. Similar to Bukowski, more upscale, very busy on weekends. Sometimes they play music with dj sets or live bands. Gin Tonic €4.10.
 * Bohema Bar, Namestie SNP 30. Similar to Bukowski, more upscale, very busy on weekends. Sometimes they play music with dj sets or live bands. Gin Tonic €4.10.

Clubs
Larger clubs in Bratislava include Luna Bar (entry only with passport) and The Club. There are a few small underground clubs with electronic music, such as Fuga on Namestie SNP, Teleport at Michael's Gate and Radost (very small but atmospheric) on Obchodná Street. Avoid places like Channels and Trafo where it's 90% men and bouncers are rude.

Gay and lesbian
Although some cafes are considered gay inclusive, there are at least two bars dedicated to the gay and lesbian crowd in Bratislava, all of them in the city center, close to the Presidential Palace.

Sleep


Accommodation prices usually do not include city tax. For 2012 the city tax was €1.65/person/night. Students up to age 26 and youths up to 18 do not need to pay city tax.

Connect
As of Sept 2021, Bratislava has 4G from O2, Orange and Swan, and 5G from Telekom. You might also get a signal from any of the Austrian or Hungarian carriers. Wifi is widely available in the city.

Similarly with mobile calls, check before dialling which country's network your phone is latched onto.

Stay safe
Bratislava is generally very safe by Western standards. It is quite small and the crime rate is low. There is a significant police presence in the city, especially the historical parts, and it is generally not a problem to walk around the city at night. The centre especially is under camera surveillance.

There is very little violent crime in Bratislava. Walking alone after midnight outside of the historical centre is not recommended on Fridays, since you could have an unpleasant encounter with rowdy drunks who could congregate around cheaper establishments. If a problem occurs, you can reach the police on phone number 158. General emergency number (police, fire dept., ambulance) can be reached by dialing 112.

Always ask for printed receipts in establishments to avoid being overcharged. Especially taxi drivers might try to do that. For reference, the usual fare is around €4 around the town, and you shouldn't be charged more than around €10 getting anywhere in Bratislava. Your best bet is to call a taxi dispatch or use one of the mobile apps (see above). Ask around for a recommendation in your hotel/hostel.

On pedestrian crossings without traffic lights, watch out for aggressive drivers. Some of them might not give you the right of way.

Embassies

 * 🇦🇹 Austria
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * Georgia
 * 🇵🇱 Poland
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Go next

 * The castle Červený kameň is located about 30 km north-east of Bratislava; it can be reached by bus from Mlynske Nivy bus terminal.
 * Do like the locals and hike in the Small Carpathians mountain range. Bratislava lies on the southeast slopes of these mountains. Hiking routes are well indicated.
 * Visit the Small Carpathians Wine Region; on the southern slopes of the Small Carpathians there are extensive vineyards and typical wine villages and towns like Rača, Pezinok or Modra. If you are more interested in local wines, follow the Little Carpathians Wine Route.
 * Visit Cachtice castle, associated with the blood-thirsty deeds of countess Bathory. It is a large and picturesque ruin set on a hilltop above the small village of Visnove. Take the train north from Bratislava to Nove Mesto nad Vahom (75 minutes), and then change to a small local train for the short journey west to Visnove (15 minutes).
 * The Mutěnice Wine Region near the Slovak border in the Czech Republic is well worth a weekend visit. It has some of the best wine in the Czech Republic and many great small cellars to visit. You'll need to take a train to Břeclav and then from there to Hodonín.
 * Take the train to Trenčin (one hour and forty minutes), a Slovak town to the north of the capital with a towering hill-top castle and a picturesque old town centre spread out below it.
 * The Carnuntum archaeological park is located 25 km from Bratislava, across the Austrian border. The site offers the chance to see the excavations of an ancient Roman city. It is worth a one-day visit together with a stop in the old walled city of Hainburg, the first major town in Austria after crossing the Slovak border.
 * Lednice-Valtice in the south-eastern corner of the Czech Republic is a UNESCO World Heritage site containing one of Europe's largest Palacial parklands.
 * Senec is a small town 30 km to the west of Bratislava, with the lake resort "Slnečné jazerá" ("Sunny Lakes"). It is a cool place to swim or relax at the beach in the summer months.
 * You can use the bus no. 91 of the public transport company of Bratislava (DPB) going to Čunovo in order to cross between Rajka (Hungary) and Bratislava (Slovakia). In Bratislava, the bus has Nový most as its terminus, and near the Hungarian border you get on/off at the stop Čunovské jazerá (you need to signal to the driver if you plan to get off at this stop). From Čunovské jazerá it's a four-kilometer-long straight walk through a flat terrain to the town of Rajka, two kilometers on each side of the border. You may detour to visit a monument at the Austrian-Hungarian-Slovakian three country border.
 * The public transport company of Bratislava (DPB) runs a cross-border bus line no. 901 between Hainburg an der Donau (Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia), with a stop also in the Austrian town of Wolfsthal. In Bratislava, the terminus is the stop Nový most. Note that even though the bus stops at Einsteinova street before crossing the border, it is not possible to alight until reaching Wolfsthal.
 * Surrounding major/capital cities Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), Brno/Prague (Czech Republic) are easily accessible by inter-state buses and trains.