BRATISLAVA Beautiful Capital City of Slovakia 🇸🇰 Full Travel Guide!

[Music] hi and welcome to beautiful bratislava slovakia's charming capital slovakia is a beautiful country in europe and while it may not be on everyone's travel map just yet i'm convinced that this will change in the future why visit slovakia well there's just too much to see and do here to not make it part of your travel bucket list the nature is spectacular the food excellent and the country is full of interesting history with its beautiful castles churches and historic villages best of all the country is still an affordable travel destination and one of the seven least expensive countries in the european union it does allow us for affordable travel in europe is truly a safe country in eastern europe and a european country with less tourists with this video on the best of bratislava city i'm kicking off my small mini-series of slovakia travel videos on my trip to slovakia in this series i will show you the best of slovakia so let's get to know slovakia together but this lava may be one of the most underrated capital cities in europe with about 1 million tourists per year it receives much less choice than for example its neighbors park in vienna and i'm still wondering why as it is absolutely beautiful with its grand civic architecture charming cobble streets lovely cafes and restaurants and amazing views of the river danube i definitely appreciated the fact that i didn't have to stay in line for hours to be able to visit the many touristic highlights and historic landmarks my recommendation is to go visit bratislava while that is still the case [Music] bratislava is a very compact city and everything is pretty much in walking distance this makes patissella one of the most walkable capitals of the world its geographic location is also quite unique but his lava rubs shoulders with both austria and hungary the austrian capital of vienna is only 16 kilometers away and you can visit bratislava even on a date from austria this also makes slovakia a quick easy and intriguing stop on any european tour they even used to be the world's shortest international flight between vienna and barislava it only took 10 minutes but has been discontinued since for very obvious reasons [Music] with a population of 440 000 barislava is by far the largest city in slovakia it is also the political cultural and economic center of the country you will find several universities and many museums theaters galleries and other cultural institutions here some of which we will explore in this video there are so many things to do and see in bodyslava that this travel video will likely not do it justice but here are my favorite 20 places to see in bodislava stick around until the very end of the video for some additional tips on how to best visit vadislava [Music] but let's get started with my travel video tour of the very best things to do in bratislava which will introduce you to the sites history buildings and museums of slovakia's capital city [Music] number one the old town my first tip for brightest lava is of course starimesto the old town of bratislava which is a natural starting point for any visit of slovakia's capital city it really whisks one back a few centuries with its medieval charm and beautiful baroque architecture the cobblestone streets and pretty pastel houses of buddhist lava's old town exude old world charm and invite visitors to relax on one of the many park benches alternatively why not visit one of the cafes and marvel at the many tiny details of the historic buildings while taking in the delicious smells from the many bakeries and pastry shops or enjoying nice coffee and a glass of kofala the region's very own cola which dates back to czechoslovakian times [Music] number two reeves dolph square a great place to start your excursion of bratislava's old town is isla vovo namaste or slightly less of a tongue breaker he's lost love square in english the square is named after pavel orzak izoslav a turn of the century slovak poet and dramatist who also made a lasting contribution to slovak culture by translating works of schiller shakespeare and gertie you can find a large statue showing him halfway along the boulevard this dolphin square is a broad tree lined pedestrian boulevard that leads from the shores of the danube all the way to the historic slovak national theatre along the way you will find plenty of ice cream parlors cafes and restaurants water fountains and podiums that often feature concerts and other cultural events the promenade is lined by exuberant mansions and townhouses many of which house embassies in december the square is home to buddhist lava's famous christmas market in the summer get some ice cream and check out the larger-than-life statue of the danish 19th century writer and poet hunt's christian anderson who authored many well-known children fairy tales such as the acting duckling the snow queen and little mermaid the statue depicts him with references to the characters of his stories some of which have reportedly been conceived while he visited bratislava number three what is lava's old town hall let's make our way to vlavni namesti a large beautiful square which boasts the old town hall one of bratislava's most vulnerable landmarks this building is actually a collection of buildings that came together in the 1200s where the romanesque house that belonged to the mayor was acquired by the city which subsequently bought off and annexed many neighboring buildings now it has become an interesting mix of four different houses and palaces with a beautiful renaissance courtyard which dates back to 1581. the most visible feature of the building complex is its main tower which was designed in the tuscan gothic style in the 1200s and houses a branch of the city museum that deals with feudal justice and medieval press work [Music] number four primates palace right next to the old town hall you will find primates palace a pink imperious neoclassical style palace that was constructed in the 1770s for the archbishop of estragom the palace may be best known for a momentous event in december 1805 when the treaty of pressburg was signed seating napoleon's victory over the third coalition this famous peace treaty was signed in the hall of mirrors a sequence of five salons each named after a different colour of his decor today you can experience the historical grandeur of the palace by checking out the beautiful fountain with the statue of saint george slaying the dragon for an entrance fee you can also visit the second floor where you'll see tapestries from the 17th century several old paintings period furniture in every room and of course a stunning hall of mirrors until 1996 primates palace was also the president's residence which was since moved to a different palace which we'll cover late in our practice lava tour [Music] number five maximilian's fountain back on the main square is another one of patislava's most prized monuments in meeting places maximilian's fountain the fountain lies opposite the old town hall and was initially commissioned by the king of hungary maximilian ii in 1572 as a water supply for pressburg citizens it features a column in the middle which is crested by a statue of the knight in battle armor some people believe it shows roland the mythical defender of pressborg's rights and others are convinced it's maximilian himself according to an urban legend every new year at the stroke of midnight a statue turns to face the old town hall and boasts to honor 12 counselors who died defending the city number 6 sculptures of bodislava while walking the old town make sure to pay attention to the many beautiful and some also funny statues in unexpected places the most photographed of these statues is hume at the junction of lorenz ga and panzcar streets human is a cheeky looking sewer worker poking out of a manhole with his chin resting on his arms in the main square beneath the old town hall there's a friendly napoleonic soldier leaning over a bench making for another must-have picture and great souvenir from bratislava [Music] on the opposite side of the square you will find a statue of ignace lamar price pork citizen who lived in the 19th century and who is said to have lost his mind because of an unrequited love [Music] number seven the coronation trail when you walk through the old town of bratislava you will notice that the streets are littered with tiny little golden crowns also known as the coronation trail the story of this trail dates back to the days of mongol and ottoman invasion in neighboring countries and the hungarian royals move their kings to bratislava to keep them safe the coronation trail marks the route that the kings would have walked in the 16th century during the coronation process today it also makes for a good sightseeing route through badislava's old town [Music] number eight saint martin's cathedral speaking of coronation saint martin's cathedral was the coronation site and legislative center and capital of the kingdom of hungary from 1536 to 1783. here 11 hungarian kings and eight queens were crowned the cathedral's role as a coronation church is honored by a gold-plated reproduction of the crown of san steven at the top of the tower the 15th century gothic cathedral lies on the west side of the old town merging with the city walls which gave it a secondary role as a bastion inside the navy is in three aisles divided by bulky gothic columns and leading to an ensemble of statues portraying sigmichael as a hungarian hazard [Music] number nine michael's gate from sick martin's cathedral let's make our way back to the old town towards makalska street a beautiful medieval looking street which is home to many shops restaurants and cafes at the end of mikulska you will find the iconic michael's gate yet another must-have picture of bratislava michael's gate is 51 meters high and dates back to the very start of the 14th century it took on its current baroque appearance after remodeling in 1759 this was when the dome was installed as well as the tip of the spire with saint michael fighting the dragon the tower houses a branch of the bratislava city museum with an exhibition about old fortifications and medieval weaponry number 10 grazalkovic palace the president's palace from said michael's gate is a very short walk across hodgshover square to grazalkovic palace commissioned in 1760 by count anton grasalovich who was the chairman of hungary's royal chamber and had the ear of empress maria theresa sublime rococo palace serves nowadays as the official residence of the slovak president it is therefore not open to the public but you can get quite close to it and stop for a photo in front of the modern fountain behind the palace the formal gardens are now a beautiful public park which is also open to the public here you will find a horseback statue of empress maria theresa and lawns with colorful flower beets [Music] [Music] [Music] number 11 slovene war memorial let's head to the best view of bratislava from the president's palace continue a somewhat steep walk up the highest hill of bodislava which presents an upmarket quarter of the city with fancy mansions and embassies arriving at the top you will get to slaven war memorial a 39 meter pylon topped with a statue of a soviet soldier which commemorates the soviet troops killed while liberating bratislava in 1945. the monument was unveiled in 1960 during the communist era of slovakia and lies behind six mass graves holding the remains of over 6 800 stubby soldiers while being an important reminder of the tragic historic events the terrorists below the memorial also offers some of the most stunning views of the bratislava skyline [Music] [Music] [Music] number 12 bodyslava castle [Music] after these amazing views prepare yourself for yet another highlight of bratislava but islam or by this lava castle this elegant white castle with its iconic red roof lies on a site that has been fortified for thousands of years as a defendable stronghold and lookout the castle was unmatched as it rested between the alps and capacions right above the danube you can't miss this important landmark of the city of barislava and its location on a hill ensures it is ever present to visitors as they make their way to the historic old town it's just a 15 minute walk to the top of the hill which will now feel like a piece of cake after you've made it up to slavin memorial from here you will have amazing views over the danube and down to the city with this iconic saint martin's cathedral just below come on a clear day and you will be able to have a view far across the borders into austria and hungary up close to british lava castle you will notice its immaculate appearance which gives away its more recent renovation in the 50s and 60s the original castle was actually in ruins for much of the 19th and 20th centuries and has since been brought back to its full glory back in the 1500s it was the seed of the kings of royal hungary housing the hungarian crown jewels for the next 200 years today bodislava castle houses a museum of history covering slovakian history from the middle ages to the present day you can also stroll through the baroque gardens on the rear of the castle or just take a break on the shades of the large trees in the adjacent park [Music] number 13 gallery multi or museum on the way back down from the castle you will come across a small but fun museum with six rooms each tricking you with different optical illusions unusual effects of mirrors and light make each room a small adventure an adult ticket costs around 5 euros and it's worth seeing the entire visit should not take more than 20 minutes or so [Music] [Music] it's pretty cool here [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Music] number 14 the blue church on the eastern side of the old town you will find another iconic landmark of bratislava the art nouveau style saint elizabeth's church better known as blue church it is located just east of the old town and bezrus chovar street the church was raised in the 1910s as the chapel for the gamja gymnasium a grammar school but has gone on to become a symbol for slovakia the architect in charge was urgent lechner a pioneer of hungarian secessionism and often referred to as the hungarian gowdy he conceived the church with a unique blend of romanesque baroque and oriental designs and rich stucco moldings painted white and pale blue and roofed with glazed blue tiles [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] number 15 the ufo bridge most snp moving ahead just about 60 years to the year 1972 we will now have a look at a rather futuristic looking landmark the most snp the bridge of the slovak national uprising the iconic bridge is a spectacular relic from the soviet period and cannot be missed as it is a fixed point by this lava skyline it is topped by an ufo ufo-like disc which throwns the danube at about 95 meters the bridge holds the record as the world's longest cable state bridge to have only one pilot and a single set of cables you can go up to the observation desk using an elevator or book a table at the trendy restaurant inside the ufo [Music] [Music] number 16 then you promenade from the ufo bridge head east along the danube on the picturesque then you promenade you will pass tour boats restaurants cafes ice cream stands and even a small beach area it makes for a great place to stroll during any time of the day but my favorite times were early mornings and during the late afternoons where the promenade really comes to life i'm here directly at the venue and as you can see there's even a small beach area here where people relax in the evening or during the day really beautiful [Music] my [Music] me [Music] so [Music] number 17 eurovia and opera heading further down the danube you will arrive at the posh and shiny new quarter called eurovia eurovia is a large mixed-use development combining homes tells shopping and entertainment the eurea gallery mall houses a casino cinema pool and gym if you fancy some big brand shopping you will appreciate the choice of mid-market and luxury brands and retail stores like h m lacoste guests armani marx and spencer adidas and mango the prices will likely be more affordable than a neighboring vienna [Music] behind the mall lies the new body's lava opera which is illuminated colorfully during the night on the other side plenty of nice cafes and restaurants offer great views on the danube [Music] number 18 the nubiana moyenstein art museum for this tip we have to head a bit outside the city towards the hungarian border continuing along the danube you will find a contemporary art museum with a fantastic location at the tip of a long peninsula in the middle of the danube one of the more recent developments in buddhist lava it was fully complete in 2014. the permanent exhibition features an international assortment of paintings and installations of the likes of san francis crystal and warhol the latter has its roots in slovakia as his parents came from northeastern slovakia as a result slovakia is now the surprising home of the world's second largest collection of andy warhol's work after pittsburgh in the united states the museum architecture blends perfectly with landscape and the large windows offer spectacular views of the danube equally impressive are the museum gardens landscaped with an eclectic sculpture park [Music] so when you come to bratislava you have to come to the danubian museum it's really beautiful amazing location and i love the architecture if you're a fan of modern art it's a must-see i would say and definitely worth coming if you still fancy more modern art head up to the museum roof for more sculptures and great views [Music] [Music] [Music] the drive to the museum takes about 25 minutes by car bus number 90 will take you there in a bit less than an hour [Music] [Music] [Music] number 19 krat demin devin's castle [Music] around 10 kilometers roughly 6 miles in the other direction of the danube west of the city center you will reach devon castle this is another must-see landmark and i highly recommend you check it out devon castle or devin as the slovaks call it is a ruin perched on a 212 meter or 700 feet high cliff that sits right at the point where the danube and morava rivers meet in its heyday this impressive stronghold controlled the trade route on the danube with traces going back to the 5th century bc this makes it one of slovakia's three oldest castles that in itself is impressive in a country that has the world's highest number of castles in chateau per capita with a total of 180 castles and 425 chateau in a relatively small country the castle's to tomato story is told by information boards at an exhibition inside the caves in the upper enclosure where you can learn about the castle's death blow which came with an assault by napoleon's troops in 1809 [Music] it has been a sunny growing ever since but still offers amazing views down to the danube and rivers and across to austria during the summer months you can take a boat cruise down the danube river to devon castle if you are lucky you can visit during the annual medieval night show which is supposedly really fun too [Music] so when you're in bratislava definitely check out devin castle it's absolutely worth it it's a ruin but pretty well maintained and the view is spectacular [Music] [Music] number 20 flagship restaurant with so much sightseeing why not end the day with an amazing dinner at one of bratislava's many excellent restaurants my choice was the famous flagship restaurant which claims to be one of europe's largest restaurants while i cannot verify this claim it certainly is a great dinner location with several rooms in a central hall that uses a former theater the food is excellent and what better than finish off with a nice meal and a bottle of cofola [Music] [Music] [Music] now let's have a look at some practical tips for your body's lava visit how do you get to bratislava paraslava airport bts can be reached from the city center in 15 to 20 minutes a number of budget and charter airlines offer direct services to bts from the airport you can take a taxi into the city center alternatively if you travel on the budget take bus number 61 to the main train station from there you can walk to the city center in about 15 minutes or take bus number 93 and exit at hojoba namisti or tram number 1 and exit at namaste snp bus tickets are available from ticket machines at bus stops or in kiosks the tickets which cost around 1 euro must be validated in the buses most larger airlines will however fly to the airport at vienna which is only 40 kilometers west of bradislava and sloback's mainly use it for long-haul flights buses to bratislava depart to 30 to 60 minutes in the walls and tickets can be bought on the bus if you come by train but is lava connects to the main lines from prague budapest vienna and various regions in slovakia but as lava's main station is well connected to the rest of the city via trams buses or trolley buses and you can get to the old town on foot in only 15 minutes but this larva is also conveniently connected with many european cities via a network of bus lines and you can even take a fast catamaran twin city liner from vienna on the danube lastly if you decide to come by car bodislava is situated at the intersection of several important motorways the distance to prague is 30 kilometers budapest is 200 kilometers away and vienna is 65 kilometers away if you are bringing your own car you need to display a valid motorway tax sticker which is available at borders or petrol stations and costs around 10 euros for 10 days can you get by with english slovakian is a difficult language but luckily one can easily get by with english almost everywhere more than a quarter of slovaks speak english and you can get around with english in slovakia just fine what should i bring well your travel gear depends on the time of the year of your visit and what else you plan to do in slovakia generally i would recommend solid hiking shoes or at least good sneakers especially if you plan to do lots of walking it is useful to carry a light rain poncho or jacket as the weather can be somewhat unpredictable the climate is mild with a summer average of 25 to 27 degrees celsius which is in the high 70s fahrenheit in the winter that can go down to zero degrees celsius or 32 degrees fahrenheit bring some sunscreen in the summer and i always carry a cap and a pair of sunglasses can i pay with credit card luckily credit cards are widely accepted in bratislava and most major tourist sites throughout slovakia but i would nevertheless carry a few euros for smaller vendors and shops or for street food spots how is public transport nearly all sides and main monuments in paris lava can be reached on foot but should you still be in need of transport you are in luck bodislava has built a good public transport line system of buses trams and trolleys timetables are available both for android and ios the transport system is known as metzger omradner dobrava which stands for municipal mass transit and is the largest in slovakia public transport in bratislava is a paid service and travelers must buy the tickets before entering the vehicle you cannot get tickets from the driver so-called tourist tickets are available with validity of 24 hours 48 hours and 72 hours and 168 hours tickets can be purchased at ticket machines dpb offices and other pre-sale points such as hotel or tourist agencies with prices ranging from 4 euros 50 for 24 hour tickets to 15 euros for a one week ticket these tickets are issued on the same stock as single tickets and must be validated at the beginning of the first journey is british lava safe but isla is a very safe city for travelers with a low rate of violent crime like in any larger city beware of pickpockets which operate around the main tourist areas the railway station and in large shopping malls foreigners tend to easily get identified and targeted so with this i wish you safe travels to bratislava i hope you enjoyed the slovakia travel video on things to do in buddhist lava if you did please also check out my other travel videos in beautiful slovakia and many other amazing travel destinations and leave me a like and a comment down below and if you haven't done so yet please subscribe to my channel and i look forward to seeing you in my next travel video have a good one you

Channel: januslog

Views: 44,633

Keywords: Bratislava, beautiful capital city, beautiful country in Europe, affordable travel in Europe, you will love Slovakia, eastern europe travel video, less known countries in Europe, things to do in Bratislava, first time in slovakia, trip to Slovakia, beautiful historic streets, Slovakia visit, slovakia video, best ideas for Europe travel, best ideas for eastern Europe, best of Slovakia, countries to see in eastern europe, best of bratislava, Slovakia tour, bratislava castle

Id: J_I6KsQNnhc

Length: 39min 23sec (2363 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 15 2022