![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhile big brother Prague has been on the travel radar for decades, backpackers are only starting to warm up to Bratislava \u2014 the Slovak capital since Czechoslovakia broke up in 1993. That might have something to do with an unflattering portrayal in EuroTrip (\u201cIt\u2019s good you came in summer \u2014 in winter, it can get very depressing\u201d), which is nothing like the reality of what life is like in this charming city on the banks of the Danube River. It\u2019s home to ancient castles, eccentric statues, delicious and dirt-cheap food and drink, and churches that won\u2019t bore your brains out. Oh, and then there\u2019s that legendary Bratislava nightlife. From beer and bridges to statues and Soviets, these are the top ten things to do in Bratislava.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Much like how this medieval masterpiece sits on top of the Slovak capital, the city\u2019s iconic castle deserves its place atop any list of things to do in Bratislava. Crowning a small peak above the Danube River, the fortress\u2019 first bricks were laid way back in the 9th Century before it enjoyed a massive facelift after World War Two, meaning the castle is in immaculate condition today. You can spot the huge white structure from all over Bratislava, which makes it easy to find on foot \u2014 just keep trekking up the slope and you\u2019ll get there eventually. A history museum inside the castle\u2019s walls is waiting at the top, but the real attractions are the parks and gardens that surround it \u2014 they\u2019re free to roam around, and frame an unspoiled panorama of the Bratislava Old Town with only the gilded tower of St Martin\u2019s Cathedral getting in the way.<\/p>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@martinkatler.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@martinkatler<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Cheap pints aren\u2019t the only reason that Bratislava<\/a> is called a mini-Prague. The Old Town is a maze of twisting alleyways and pastel-hued buildings shielded from their Communist-era surrounds by a ring of 13th Century fortifications. Start at the Old Town Hall (Star\u00e1 Radnica) on the Main Square (Hlavn\u00e9 N\u00e1mestie) and spot the Napoleonic cannonball still stuck in the bright yellow fa\u00e7ade. Then wander down pedestrian-only laneways to the grand opera house (Slovensk\u00e9 N\u00e1rodn\u00e9 Divadlo) and the pretty-in-pink Primatial Palace, which you can pop inside for \u20ac3. Beyond Michael\u2019s Gate \u2014 the Gothic tower looming 51 metres above the streets below \u2014 sits Slovakia\u2019s White House, Grassalkovich Palace, the seat of the president with a huge garden out the back that\u2019s open to visitors. The entire Bratislava Old Town is a tangle of museums, galleries, cafes, pubs and boutiques. The best way to see it? Get lost.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@dulgier<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Bratislava\u2019s most famous residents don\u2019t move\u2026 with one exception. The Roland Fountain (A.K.A the Maximilian Fountain) in the Main Square houses a knight in armour that reportedly bows every New Year\u2019s Eve at midnight, although only true Bratislava natives are able to see the miracle (and surely a few dozen New Year\u2019s beers doesn\u2019t hurt, either). Nearby, a bronze sewer worker named Cumil leers out of a manhole, a metallic Napoleonic soldier leans over a park bench, and local eccentric Sch\u00f6ner N\u00e1ci perpetually tips his silver top hat. Then there\u2019s the pair of skateboarders perched on a postbox on Obchodn\u00e1 Street, the circus-themed sculptures sprinkled around the Eurovea shopping centre, Danish author Hans Christian Andersen for some reason, and that\u2019s only the start. Seriously, this city is obsessed with statues.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@sebastianmies<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The SNP Bridge was officially named after the Slovensk\u00e9 N\u00e1rodn\u00e9 Povstanie, or the Slovak National Uprising, during WWII. But one glance and it\u2019s obvious why everyone calls this thing the UFO Bridge. Like a flying saucer soaring across the Danube, the UFO Bridge was an architectural marvel when it was built in 1972, suspending 300 metres of road with two pillars and some steel cables. But the space-age contraption stuck on top stole the limelight (and the naming rights). These days you can zoom up to the UFO\u2019s observation deck for \u20ac7.40, or find room in your backpacker\u2019s budget<\/a> for a pricey meal with a view in the tower-top restaurant.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@martinkatler<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Fans of Communist-era architecture can also cross the bridge to Petrzalka \u2014 a mass of brutalist blocks that admittedly does look like that scene from EuroTrip \u2014 then hop back over the Danube to see the Slovak Radio Building (Slovensk\u00fd Rozhlas), an upside-down pyramid that\u2019s got to be one of the world\u2019s weirdest buildings. The seemingly abandoned Namestie Slobody square next door, plus the Kamz\u00edk TV Tower on the southern edge of the Mal\u00e9 Karpaty (Small Carpathian Mountains), are other Soviet-inspired oddities in the city.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@martinkatler<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Every single European city<\/a> carries a church on their \u2018top things to do\u2019 list. But let\u2019s be honest: besides the Sagrada Familia, the Vatican and the Notre Dame (thanks, Disney), how many of them do you actually remember visiting?<\/p>\n So, when the Blue Church pops up in a discussion about what to do in Bratislava, fear not \u2014 here\u2019s one temple you\u2019ll actually want to visit. In fact, if there\u2019s any church that should\u2019ve starred in a Disney movie, it\u2019s this one \u2014 a baby blue building that looks more like a cake or a cartoon than a cathedral. St Elizabeth\u2019s Church (Kostol Sv\u00e4tej Al\u017ebety) is the brainchild of \u00d6d\u00f6n Lechner, nicknamed the Hungarian Gaud\u00ed for his zany art nouveau creations in the early 1900s. And the gilt-edged interior glitters just as much as the puffy facade, which all makes for pure Instagram gold.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7<\/span>\u00a0@reiseuhu<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The flag-waving soldier, atop the 40-metre pylon at the summit of Slav\u00edn Hill, boasts the best view of Bratislava, but the platforms below him provide some pretty good vistas too. An uphill slog through the posh part of the city leads to this Socialist centrepiece that salutes the 7,000 Soviet troops who are buried on top of Slav\u00edn Hill \u2014 soldiers who died liberating Slovakia from the Nazis in WWII. This military cemetery is a sombre memorial, an exemplar of Communist design and one of Bratislava\u2019s most spectacular vantage points all rolled into one. The sweeping views across the Slovak capital make Slav\u00edn one of the best things to do in Bratislava.<\/p>\n Central Europe is covered in cafes \u2014 Viennese coffee houses are legendary, while nearby cities like Brno and Budapest are awash with specialty coffee. There are more than 150 cafes in the Bratislava Old Town alone, but for a flat white that rivals what you\u2019re used to in Brunswick, Brooklyn or Bethnal Green, venture outside the fortification walls. Good Times Coffee Roasters<\/a> is a small, sunny, super-friendly space, Mad Drop Brew Bar<\/a> is a hipster haven well populated by local uni students on their way to class, and Gorila.sk Urban Space is a spot where you could spend hours on the couches beneath the wall of books \u2014 the perfect place to Skype home, if you haven\u2019t talked to your mum in two months.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7<\/span>\u00a0@nate_dumlao<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Bratislavsk\u00fd Me\u0161tiansky Pivovar has been brewing beer in Bratislava since 1752, pouring pilsner just a block from Michael\u2019s Gate. That brewery, plus a larger beer hall close to the Blue Church, provides an old-school backdrop to stuff your face full of traditional Slovak food: pierogis, schnitzel, goulash, and bryndzov\u00e9 halu\u0161ky \u2014 potato dumplings slathered in soft sheep\u2019s cheese and smoked bacon, kind of like gnocchi or sp\u00e4tzle. You\u2019ll save some coin on food and drink by leaving the Old Town, particularly along the bustling Obchodn\u00e1 Street \u2014 the imaginatively named Slovak Pub<\/a> is an institution, serving cut-price pints and pub grub in a traditional inn. And for a waterfront watering hole, try the Dunajsky Pivovar<\/a>, a craft beer bar on a boat anchored on the Danube in the shadow of the UFO Bridge. A glass of sweet, sticky dessert wine from the Tokaj region in the south of the country will round out your taste of Slovakia.<\/p>\n Cheap flights and cheaper booze have made Bratislava one of Europe\u2019s hottest party capitals<\/a>, especially for backpackers sick of paying for more expensive drinks west of the Austrian border. The dozens of heaving pubs and clubs make the Slovak capital feel like a mini Prague or Budapest \u2014 there\u2019s a reason the Viennese catch the train to Bratislava for a night out, then crawl home on the first train back when the sun rises in the morning. Head to The Club<\/a> (how did they manage to come up with such an original name?) for the biggest party, Nu Spirit<\/a> for underground beats, FUGA<\/a> for techno and Randal<\/a> for live rock. Or just follow your ear down Michalsk\u00e1 and Vent\u00farska in the Old Town, the epicentre of Bratislava nightlife.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7<\/span>\u00a0@louishansel<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Many backpackers<\/a> only get to Bratislava on a day trip from Vienna<\/a> \u2014 but with so much to do here, why not save a stack of euros by sleeping in the Slovak capital and doing that journey the other way around? Vienna is only a one-hour, \u20ac10.80 train from Bratislava \u2014 or a pricier but more scenic cruise down the Danube \u2014 and you can easily race around the Austrian capital\u2019s highlights in one day: the golden Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace, the towering Rathaus and St Stephen\u2019s Cathedral, the mouth-watering Naschmarkt and the beautiful gardens that ring the palatial museum quarter. The clifftop Dev\u00edn castle, the ancient city of Nitra and the vineyards of the Small Carpathian Wine Route are other great day trips from Bratislava.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7<\/span>\u00a0@dylu<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s a growing crop of brilliant Bratislava hostels<\/a>, including plenty of party hostels<\/a> as well as boutique properties with a little more privacy (and peace and quiet). Expect to pay \u20ac10 for a dorm bed or \u20ac30-plus for a private room \u2014 a few extra euros can often score a lot of extra quality, with plenty of options with a rating above 9. There are a selection in the Old Town, but you\u2019ll save by staying further north near the train station \u2014 Bratislava is so compact that you can stroll from your seat on the train to patting Cumil on the head in the heart of the Old Town in less than half an hour.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 Dream Hostel<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Hostel Folks<\/a> is a hard-to-beat pick \u2014 clean, comfortable and convenient, sandwiched between Michael\u2019s Gate and Grassalkovich Palace. The social Hostel Blues<\/a>, the upscale Dream Hostel<\/a> and the rowdy Wild Elephants<\/a> are other top choices.<\/p>\n Check out all of our hostels in Bratislava!<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n After reading our top things to do in Bratislava, we hope you won\u2019t be overlooking the Slovakian capital any time soon! Eccentric architecture, cheap beer and an ever-expanding backpacker scene – what\u2019s not to love? Time to add Bratislava to your travel list sharpish!<\/p>\n Tom Smith is an Australian writer living in Manchester. Obsessed with sport and travel, Tom has watched cricket in Cardiff, football in Fortaleza, baseball in the Bay Area, and there\u2019s still plenty more to tick off the bucket list yet. Read more of his work\u00a0here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf1f\u00a010 things to do in Vienna on a budget<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf1f\u00a0The best hostels in Bratislava for every type of traveller<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n
Wind through Bratislava Old Town<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@dulgier.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Go statue spotting<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@sebastianmies.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
See a UFO<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@martinkatler2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@martinkatler-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Visit a church that\u2019s actually interesting<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@reiseuhu.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Scale Slav\u00edn Hill<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n
Sip on specialty coffee<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@nate_dumlao.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Feast on beer and dumplings<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n
Party<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@louishansel.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Take a day trip to Vienna<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-@dylu.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Bonus: book a great hostel!<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"things](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Things-to-do-in-Bratislava-hostels.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAbout the author:<\/h2>\n
Keep reading:\u00a0\u2b07\ufe0f<\/h2>\n