Day 5 of my Eastern Europe tour with C the World takes us for a short visit to Bratislava en route to Budapest. As this was a short stop with limited time and so much to see in this beautiful town, below are some ideas on what to do based on my time there.
1. Take a guided tour or walk around yourself
As part of the tour package, we had a short guided tour of the town that showed us some of the historic sites and buildings.
TIP: The guided tour is good for an orientation of the place, however, if you have only 3 hours I would suggest you skip this and rather walk around on your own as its small enough to do so. Also look up anything specific you want to see as I understand there are a few monuments and pieces of art located across the town.
2. Try the local Slovakian food
Whenever I travel I love to sample and experience the local traditional foods. The food in Bratislava did not disappoint and there was a variety to choose from – even for those fussy eaters.
Note: Most foods include pork or pork fat though so ensure to ask your waiter what is used in the dish if you don’t eat pork.
Some must try local foods include:
- Bryndzové Halušky (Gnocchi with melted goats cheese sauce and crispy bacon bits)
- Orechovnik (Slovak Nut Roll/Pastry)
We ate at Segnerova Kuria,a restaurant on the main street leading to the lookout tower. I would highly recommend this place as it has an extensive menu but more specifically it offered a to-share platter with 5 different Slovakian dishes. There was enough food for 3 to share.
This was a great score as we got to taste a variety of dishes which included:
- Bryndzové Halušky
- Strapačky (Traditional Slovak gnocchi dish but with sour cream)
- Ručne robené domáce pirohy plnené bryndzou podávané s kyslou smotanou a opraženou cibuľkou a slaninkou (Homemade potato pastry filled with sheep cheese with roasted onions, bacon and sour cream)
- Ručne robené domáce zemiakové gule plnené údeným mäskom, podávané s kyslou kapustou a opraženou cibuľkou (Homemade potato balls filled with smoked meat, served with sauerkraut and roasted onions)
- Savoury pancakes (not sure what the Slovakian name for this is, but if you ask for pancakes this is what you will get)
My favorites were the savory pancakes and the traditional gnocchi.
The savoury pancakes were the best here than anywhere else I tried them thereafter on the trip.
3. Go up the central tower
To go to the top of the tower. You have to enter the museum at the left hand side of the arch. It’s the 1st wooden door and will cost you €4.50 entry fee. The view though is worth it!
Entrance to the Museum and look out Tower
About five to six flights of stairs later you will be at the top of the tower and will have a magnificent 360 degree view of Bratislava. The museum itself houses a collection of medieval weaponry, armor and some clothes of officers.
4. Get a beautiful Slovakian souvenir
There so many pretty and interesting shops and market stalls – you will definitely want to buy something here!
The cost of souvenirs are much cheaper than in Germany and Vienna. You will also likely find a more unique gift (compared to the usual souvenir stuff you see everywhere else).
Hope you enjoy your Bratislava visit and what it has to offer. If you have other great tips and unique things to see/do in Bratislava please leave a comment.
Happy travels fellow adventurers 🙂
The Dancing Vixen
xoxo