How to spend 48 hours in Bratislava

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This article was published in the latest edition of our Bratislava City Guide, which can be obtained from our online shop with Spectacular Slovakia travel guides.

Bratislava is ideal for bargain travel, and with a few tips from the locals or fellow travellers, you can find accommodation, food and entertainment for a good price.

You will, of course, need a place to stay and there are several hostels not far from the city centre. Only three or four minutes by foot from the train station is Hostel Possonium on Šancová Street (beds from €50), which offers quick and easy access to all the main sights and a free daily walking tour to the city centre, 15 minutes away.

Other available hostel are Hostel Patio (www.patiohostel.com), Svoradov (www.hostelbratislavasvoradov.sk), Hyde Park Hostel (www.hyde-park.sk), Boutique hostel Chors (www.cho.rs),
Schöndorf Hostel (schoendorfhostel.com), Hostel Folks (hostelfolks.com), Wild Elephants Hostel & Urban Elephants Hostel (elephants.sk).

Bratislava: A weekend on a small budget (3 photos)

Getting around Bratislava is relatively simple. It is a small and manageable size and a lot of attractions are within walking distance. However, if you prefer to use public transport, then the €28 Bratislava city card (www.visitbratislava.com) is a good choice. It offers unlimited use of the city’s buses and trams, free entrance in city museums and galleries as well as discounts for several city attractions. The best time to come to Bratislava is probably a weekend which includes the first Wednesday of every month, when all state museums and state galleries in the city offer free admission. But even at other times, a lot of what you’ll find here is inexpensive.

Day one

You can start your day with a trip to Trojmedzie (Three Borders). It is a special part of Bratislava where you can stand in Slovakia, Austria and Hungary at the same time as the borders of these countries meet here. Do not expect some tourist infrastructure as this point is in the middle of fields. For a long time it was inaccessible since it was a part of the Iron Curtain.

Take bus 91 from the stop under SNP bridge, after about 25 min get off at the stop Čunovské jazerá. From here, travel in the direction of the Hungarian borders and after 1.3 km (15 min) turn left. You can cross the highway here through the bridge. At this point, go to www.mapy.cz and type Trojmedzie SK-A-H just to see where to walk for the next 2.8 km (45 min). The entire trip (transport time included) takes about three hours.

(source: Spectacular Slovakia)

After you come back by bus under the SNP bridge, take tram number 4 to the Mariánska stop and visit the Medická záhrada (garden) and the historical Ondrejský cintorín (cemetery) both on 29. augusta Street (pull-out map E 3,4).

The Blue Church at Bezručova Street, only a 10-minute walk from the cemetery in the direction of the river and new downtown, offers an interesting photo opportunity and takes travellers to a neighbourhood with plenty of refreshment options. In the Eurovea shopping centre, there is a free WiFi zone and an opportunity to share new experiences online.

Alternatively, you can bring a picnic here to enjoy on a huge green area by the river, where you can also find some free exercise machines to work off the calories. It is an attractive spot, and totally free, just to laze around.

Bratislava city card holders have the opportunity to join a free daily walking tour around the city centre, starting at 14:00 in front of the main Tourist Information Centre at Klobučnícka Street, and lasting an hour. You can also pick up countless leaflets and guides to attractions in the office. (You will need to make a reservation for the tour, either by e-mail to citycard@visitbratislava.com or in person, at least two hours in advance.) Alternatively, www.freetourbratislava.com also offers a free city walking tour.

Several museums are scattered through the Old Town, and €8 will get you a bulk ticket to three of the best: the Old Town tower, the Old Town Hall and the Apponyi Palace at Main Square. The last entrance is at 17:30.

After a day of explorations, head to Kláštorný pivovar, a micro-brew pub, at 8 Nám. SNP (square), about five minutes walk from Prior. You can get a traditional meal bryndzové halušky for €10.5 and a signature beer for about €1.9, then head down to the Old Bridge or SNP Bridge to watch the sun set over the Danube and take a riverside stroll.

There are other options for food in this area. If you wander to the other side of the Old Bridge you’ll find “Tyršák Beach”, where there are stands selling food and drinks. The prices are slightly higher than average, but there’s nothing stopping you from bringing your own refreshment.

Day two

There are plenty of places to visit that do not demand any entrance fee. For instance, a walk up to the Slavín war memorial and military cemetery costs nothing, yet it affords a splendid view over the city and is an excellent place to start a tour to get your bearings.

On the way back to the city centre, you can pop into the grounds of Bratislava Castle. You will need to pay to go inside and visit the historical exhibitions (except on that first Wednesday of the month) but you can explore the surroundings for nothing, and again survey the city and the Danube from on high.

A walk (or trolleybus ride) down from the castle can pass through Hodžovo námestie (square), where you can see the Presidential Palace, guarded by the distinctive sentries. At 12:00, you can watch the changing of the guard. Close by, is the Divný Janko restaurant at Jozefská Street, which offers good cheap food (even if the service can be erratic). Remember that a lot of restaurants offer a two-course lunchtime menu for about €7.

Before you start to pack your luggage for home, why not take an afternoon boat trip to Devín? The boat leaves at 14:30 from the passenger port at Fajnorovo nábrežie 2. A one-way ticket costs €18. City card holders can explore the ruins of Devín Castle for free. Catch the 29 bus back to the city centre.

All in all, two days’ accommodation (€100) and entertainment (city card €28, boat trip €18) will cost less than €150. Save up again, and there’s plenty more to see next time.