Bratislava. (source: Sme - Marko Erd)
If Bratislava has become your new home, here are several places, groups, activities and services that will make you feel at ease and help you know the city without any difficulty. This is thanks to other foreigners and Slovaks who speak English.
Moreover, you can explore Bratislava with The Slovak Spectator’s detailed Bratislava Guide with maps, stories and recommendations!
The Slovak Spectator serves the international community and you can support our work by buying our subscription.
In this overview, you can find the following sections:
News and newsletters about Slovakia and Bratislava in English
Community centres, volunteering, pubs and international groups
News about Slovakia in English
To get the latest news about Slovakia in English and to be ready to discuss what's happening in the country with others, there are two main news sources: The Slovak Spectator and Radio Slovakia International.
You can find the latest about the city in our Bratislava section. With our daily newsletter, Today in Slovakia, you will not miss out on the most important stories of the day. Sign up! Our travel section can also be good inspiration.
Where to learn Slovak
You can start your first Slovak class with our Slovak Matters column.
Here are some language schools and institutions in Bratislava that offer Slovak courses: Slovak Friends, Volis Academy, Slovenský Inštitút Vzdelávania, Akadémia Slovenčiny, Inštitút Celoživotného Vzdelávania STU, Akadémia Vzdelávania, Centrum Ďalšieho Vzdelávania UK, IOM Migration Information Centre, and Mareena.
Several online Slovak language courses can be found here: e-slovak, slovake.eu, Učíme (Sa) Slovenčinu.
And if you are an advanced Slovak language user, you can read the Slovak daily Sme or listen to their podcasts.
Worship services in English
Several churches and religious groups provide their services in English in the capital.
CHRISTIANITY
Bratislava International Church
Location: Malý Kostol (Small Church)
Day: Sunday
Time: 10:00
Choir practice: Thursday at 17:50 in the Malý Kostol (enter through Next Apache)
Location: Kostol sv. Ladislava (St. Ladislav Church)
Day: Sunday
Time: 11:00
Choir practice: Sunday at 10:30
The dates for Holy Masses in Slovak in Bratislava can be found here.
Location: Univerzita sv. Alžbety
Day: Sunday
Time: 10:00
Location: Súľovská 2
Day: Sunday
Time: 10:15
Online worship services: YouTube
Location: Church at Cukrová 4
Day: Sunday
Time: 10:00
Online worship services: Facebook
Cirkev Bratská has no worship service in English, but they provide simultaneous translation.
CityChurch Bratislava(part of the Apostolic Churches of Slovakia)
Location: Sreznevského 2 (opposite VIVO! shopping mall)
Day: Sunday
Time: 10:00
ISLAM
Location: Islamic Centre Córdoba, Obchodná 31
Day: -
You can reach out to the Islamic Foundation in Slovakia as well.
JUDAISM
Orthodox and liberal worship services take place in Bratislava.
Contacts:
Rabbi Baruch Myers (orthodox): baruchmyers@gmail.com
Rabbi Miša Kapustin (liberal): kapustin@uzzno.sk
Where to sing, act, dance or go for a karaoke night
If you like singing, you can join the Technik choir. Members rehearse from September to June, every Monday and Thursday (19:00-21:00) at the Slovak University of Technology building on Radlinského Street. You can contact the choir at zbor.technik@gmail.com. The choir has created a tutorial library in English. It contains works by Slovak composers accompanied by translation of lyrics, as well as how to pronounce lyrics in listed songs.
Several churches providing worship services in English also have their own choirs. See the section on worship services in English for more information.
Karaoke bars: 100 Karaoke, Wild Thing and The Red Lion.
If you are more of an actor, there is the Bridgin’ Drama English-language theatre group in Bratislava. One of the actors is American Gregory Fabian. Also, for example, Funnylicious runs improv classes in the capital. At Comenius University, you can find the ActofKAA student theatre group that rehearses works in English.
Do you like dancing? Try some of the dance schools in the city: B-Swing, Dancehaus, University Dance Center, Riverpark Dance School, Avalon Academy of Irish Dance, Tangovida.
Sport
Bratislava has several sports clubs and groups run by foreigners. (source: Pexels)
If you love sports, you can join foreigners in a badminton group or a swimming group on Facebook.
There is also an international football club, FK The Dragons, which you can join or just come and enjoy their games. Expats and locals also play football on Monday near the Vivo shopping centre. You can join this group by filling in this application form.
In Bratislava, you can try Gaelic football thanks to the Slovak Shamrocks, the city’s only such club. Gaelic football is a sport for everyone. There is also an international rugby club in the city. If you love American football, you can come and support the Bratislava Monarchs team - and you can even join the team.
For avid hikers, the International Hiking Bratislava group on Facebook is a place where you can join other foreigners in exploring the vicinity of Bratislava. You can find a Slovakia map for hikers here.
If you prefer yoga and Pilates, classes in English are provided by Brighter Life. Those who would love to try salsa, cumbia, bachata, Cuban-Afro or reggaeton can contact Last Reggaeton Girl on Instagram where she posts dates for her classes.
Are you interested in self-defence? Contact the Krav Maga club on Sokolská Street. Drop them a message via Instagram or send them an email: info@zaseba.sk.
LGBT+ community
Learn about the LGBT+ life in Bratislava in our regularly updated story with a map.
To support the community, many venues have put up a rainbow sticker on their doors.
There are several LGBT+ bars where you can enjoy a drink: Ruido, Papagayo, and Apollon.
If you would love to do sports with other queer people, get in touch with the Lotosove Kvety sports club. You can learn more about the club in English here. There is also a sauna for queer people to relax in. It is called Club Sauna Expert. There are several beaches for nudists in Bratislava. One of the most popular is located at the Zlaté Piesky lake.
You can find upcoming queer events here.
LGBT+ families may want to join the Facebook group: Dúhové Rodiny (Rainbow Families).
Events in Bratislava
Every week The Slovak Spectator publishes a selection of 10 Bratislava events for foreigners and 3 free events to enjoy the city.
Among the biggest events held in Bratislava every year are the Bratislava Marathon (April), Bratislava City Days (April), Summer of Culture (June - September), the Bratislava Music Festival (September - October), and Christmas markets (December).
The Bratislava Cultural and Information Centre (BKIS) is a major organiser of events in the city, and it also publishes many events on its website. You can find more information about events in the capital here, or join the group Internationals in Slovakia on Meetup.
Volunteering, community centres and groups
The Slovak Spectator employs a community manager you can reach out to in case you need a piece of advice or help, or you would like to cooperate with The Slovak Spectator. We also run a FAQ section on life in Slovakia.
There are also several Facebook groups that you may want to join:
International hiking Bratislava: Read more about the hiking group here.
Bratislava has its own International Women’s Club.
International events are held at The International, a bar in Bratislava, and at the Signature Bar. The bar publishes events for every month on its Facebook page. Several Irish pubs are also located in the city: Dubliner, Goblins, Uisce Beatha.
One of the most popular community and cultural centres in Bratislava are Nová Cvernovka and A4. Several countries have also opened cultural centres here, including Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, Czechia, Austria, France, Hungary, Germany and Spain.
If you would like to volunteer in the city, Bratislava has its own volunteering centre. You can read more about volunteering in our story.
Is there anything that you miss in our community guide? Let us know at: community@spectator.sk.
