1: Short time to reach any location within the city
As a businessman I was used to scheduling customer visits assuming a travel time of between 30 and 90 minutes. But here in Bratislava you can reach any location in 20 minutes.
2: No plastic chairs
By decision of the city's Town Hall, plastic chairs were banned in 2002 and you can now enjoy the many sunny days within the city on comfortable chairs of all kinds of fabric.
3: An abundance of adorable women
Not only are their physical qualities stunning, so is their dedication to the jobs and obligations they take on, though it looks like restaurant and shop sales staff sometimes wouldn't fall into this category.
4: No rush-hour traffic jams
Well... at least during the winter, when there are about 50,000 cars sidelined and there is no tourist traffic through town.
5: The highest number of international mobile networks
Depending on your location, you can get Eurotel, Globtel, A Tele.ring, One, A1, A max, and the Hungarian Vodaphone.
6: No parking fee at the BA International Airport
The Bratislava International Airport lets you chose from a growing number of international connections daily without the obligation to pay to park your car at the airport, as long as you chose the right airline.
7: 24-hour, seven-days-a-week shopping
This, I believe, speaks for itself. (OK, the selection of open shops might be limited at certain times, but you can still find most of the items you urgently need!)
8: No slums or ghetto
In comparison with other capitals of the world, many European capitals do not appreciate this value.
9: Cheap beer for the thirsty
Even though it is possible to pay approximately €1 for a half litre of draught beer (compare to €3 - 5 in Germany), we recommend places like the Koliba in Karlova Ves where a half litre of Zlatý Bažant is still available for Sk23, or about €0.5. In addition, Bratislava is known to offer the cheapest Guinness in the world.
10: No subway that could be flooded
Well, we have "the tunnel", but this is not really the beginning of a subway link, and it is in no danger of flooding. However, we know that there have been plans to implement a subway system in Bratislava for quite some time.
11: Extremely close connection to extensive and very refreshing forest areas
Sorry about this point, I believe this is a strong one, but it fell out of the 10 point limit: Whether you look at Kamzík, Železná Studnička, or the top of Dlhé Diely, you can be alone in the forest within 15 minutes from the city centre - and there is also a good supply of bus routes to these areas. Bravo!
Reinhold Hofmann is a migrant worker from Germany who has lived for over 10 years in Bratislava and enjoys it more and more every year.
Author: Reinhold Hofmann
