I caught the morning train from Prague on the 28th of February 2020 and arrived in Bratislava 4 hours later. You want to get off at Bratislava Hlavná Stanica, the main station. Most of the places of interest in Bratislava can be found in the old town so start making your way there.

How to get around:

There are buses, trams and trolleybuses available in Bratislava but I highly recommend sticking to walking. The city is small and everything is close by. The old town is barely a 15-minute walk from the train station. Bratislava is the perfect little city to explore on foot.

Where to stay:

Definitely pick a hostel somewhere in the old town. I personally recommend the Wild Elephants Hostel located at Františkánske námestie 8, 811 01 Bratislava, Slovakia. Part of the reason why I chose to visit Bratislava in the first place was to check out the hostel. I had heard many good things. Once you get to the building, ignore the restaurant on the first floor and head up the flight of stairs. Follow the instructions and key in the code on the keypad to enter.

As soon as you walk in you will realise that Wild Elephants is no ordinary hostel. A wonderful hippie vibe starts to soak in and you feel at ease. Life at the hostel is extremely laid back. The staff are super friendly and approachable. I felt right at home during my stay. It did not feel like a conventional hostel at all, just one big happy family.

Every night, one of the staff members will cook dinner and guests are welcome to join in for a small fee of 5 Euro. Not to worry, the meal is vegan so everyone can share in the fun.

After dinner, everyone heads upstairs to the bar to have a few drinks. The upper deck is the perfect place to lounge around. There is a foosball table for your pleasure or you can simply chill out and have a few drinks. Stick around for the pub crawl happening later on.

Things to see:

I was in Bratislava for just one day, till the 29th of February 2020 and I managed to visit most of the tourist attractions. 1-2 days would give you more than enough time to visit all the sites at a leisurely pace as everything is really close to one another. The following are some of the places I visited (click on the hyperlinks for directions).

The palace is en route from the main train station to the old town. Although you are not permitted to enter the palace, the exterior is quite grand. It features a garden and a fountain. It is a lovely place for a peaceful amble.

The gate is the entrance into the old town. The tower is actually one of the oldest buildings in the city and you have to pass under it on your way into the old town.

Unlike the Presidential Palace, you can actually enter the Primatial Palace. It is home to the Hall of Mirrors which is famous for hosting the signing of the Peace Treaty of Pressburg. I enjoyed the palace’s subtle pink facade.

The bronze statue is located right in the middle of Bratislava’s old town. Why is he there? No one really knows.

St. Elizabeth’s Church in Bratislava is more famously known as the Blue Church for obvious reasons. This fairytale church must be the prettiest building in the city. Its sky blue exterior sure is a sight to behold. The beauty does not stop there as the inside of the church is gorgeously blue too!

It is about a 20-minute walk to the castle, from the old town. The castle sits atop a hill, overlooking the city. The hike up to the fortress is very manageable and quite pleasant. Admission to the Slovak National Museum in the castle costs 10 Euro and includes a guided tour.

This is the view of the bridge from Bratislava Castle. More commonly known as the UFO Bridge, it stretches across the Danube River. The view from the Bratislava Castle during golden hour is spectacular.

It takes approximately 30 minutes on foot to reach Slavín. Be prepared for the climb as it is located atop a hill. The site is a monument and burial ground for soldiers of the Soviet army who lost their lives in WWII. You are also treated to an attractive view of the city from the top of the hill.

Do check out the Main Square at Hlavné námestie, 811 01 Staré Mesto, Slovakia and St. Martin’s Cathedral at Rudnayovo námestie 1, 811 01 Bratislava, Slovakia. I visited both places but did not manage to snap any photos.

Do not miss:

Try Slovakian food

Head down to Slovak Pub at 62 613, Obchodná, 811 06 Bratislava, Slovakia for good and cheap Slovakian food. Halušky is a rather interesting dish of potato dough and sheep cheese. Do head down to try it for yourself. Your tastebuds are in for a treat.

Join a pub crawl

The highlight of my visit to Bratislava was the pub crawl. Wild Elephants Hostel organises one every night and charges 10 Euro per person. The staff take you to four or five bars where drinks are on discount before heading to a club. No visit to Bratislava is complete without a solid pub crawl.

Wild Elephants earned their name for a reason and they certainly live up to it. The pub crawl is a fantastic way to meet new people and have a great time. Warning: you may get a little drunk. If I am being honest, my memory of that Friday night is a little hazy. I woke up the next morning in my bunk, missing the pants I was wearing. You know what they say if you can’t remember what happened you probably were having too good of a time.

My short stay in Bratislava was nothing short of amazing thanks to the wonderful people I encountered. I ended up meeting really interesting individuals at the hostel, both guests and staff. Everyone had such unique stories to share. It was awesome how the hostel brought such an interesting group of people together.

Bratislava has a certain charm to it. I had only planned for a day in this quaint little city but by the end of my stay, I did not really want to leave. I hope I managed to show you a bit of the city through my eyes and you enjoyed the read. See you in Bratislava!