Slovakia > The castle of Bratislava

We are staying at the Film Hotel. Everything here is themed. We are sleeping in the Bruce Willis room. Breakfast is in the Film Restaurant on the ground floor. Here too, there are posters of film stars everywhere. We sit down at a table for breakfast. However, no one comes to ask what we would like to eat. It turns out there is a buffet set up in a niche, which we hadn’t noticed yet. A good and extensive buffet is an excellent start to the day. The hotel is located right on the edge of the old town of Bratislava. We walk out of the hotel in the direction of the baroque Grassalkovich Palace, the residence of the president of Slovakia. The Trinitarian Church is located close to the St Michael’s Gate tower. We walk under the tower into the narrow streets of the old town. St Martin’s Cathedral has played an important role in history. During the occupation of Budapest in the 14th century, the Hungarian kings were crowned in this church. The golden crown on the spire, symbolizing this, weighs three hundred kilos. The cathedral lies at the foot of the castle hill. From a distance, the square white Bratislava Castle is visible.

Slovakia - The Novy Most bridge over the Danube with a restaurant on top

We climb the hill via stairs. From here, we have a beautiful view of the white castle, its four towers, and the orange roofs — and when we turn around, also of the Danube and the city on the opposite bank of the river. We visit the beautifully landscaped gardens and the courtyard of the fortress. The Bratislavský hrad was originally built in the 9th century, but was renovated in its current classical form in 1960. We continue to wander through the city. Everything in the historic center is easily walkable. There are cozy terraces everywhere. We pass several churches, museums, and university buildings. In one of the streets, we order lunch with a beer. We deliberately choose a shady street. Today the weather is beautiful, with a temperature of 31 degrees. The Novy Most connects the two banks of the Danube. On the bridge pillars, a kind of UFO structure was built in the 1960s, housing a restaurant and observation deck. We walk across the bridge but skip the viewpoint.

Slovakia - The castle of Bratislava

On the south side of the Danube, we stroll through the city park. It is surprisingly peaceful here — we hardly hear any traffic. This changes when we walk back to the old town via the Stary Most. At the end of the afternoon, we head into the city again. First, we go to the car. Yesterday we couldn’t manage to arrange a parking ticket valid until tomorrow morning. We put coins into the machine until it shows 09:00. That should be enough. However, when it prints, the ticket turns out to be valid not until 9:00 tomorrow morning, but until the day after tomorrow. How is that possible? Could the machine be set incorrectly, or is tomorrow a special day? We can’t figure it out. We place the ticket in the car and walk back into the city. Tonight, too, the atmosphere is excellent. Street musicians are trying to earn money with performances. At an authentic Slovak restaurant, we take a seat on the terrace. The waiter is not having a good day — he comes to take our order very grumpily. The food still tastes great nonetheless. As a farewell to the city, we take one last walk through the old center and around the castle. We conclude that Bratislava is a pleasant and charming city.