What it feels like to cycle 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 a relatively small city, whose charms can mostly be explored on foot. But this is also one of the most rewarding regions in central Eu­rope in which to hop on two wheels and exercise some pedal power, either on the very fringes of the city centre or slightly further into the surround­ing countryside.

Cycling in Bratislava and surrounding (9 photos)

One popular cycling route along the Danube offers all the luxury one can imagine: an excellent smooth surface divided for both cyclists and roller bladers; numerous refreshment stands dotted along the way. Plus, of course, the appeal of the largest river in Slovakia. It attracts thousands of cyclists every weekend. On the other hand, there are also plenty of routes offering a more peaceful journey, where your only company will be deer and birds. This is the more tranquil reality of cycling outside of Bratislava, which has much to offer for both recreational and more experienced cyclists.

Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with this City Guide! (source: Spectacular Slovakia)

There are more than 100 kilometres of cycling routes in Bratislava, and another 800 kilometres of paths and roads to navigate across the Bratislava Region. It’s not bad for an area slightly more than 2,000 km2.

Popular routes

Of course, it is not easy to choose any one route over another, but three of the best include: “Cycling trip along the Danube”, which leads from Bratislava to Danube Čunovo dam, 20 kilometres from the centre of Bratislava; the 37km-long “Along the Morava River” route, starting in the village of Devínska Nová Ves and ending at Vysoká pri Morave; and “To Marianka and Stupava” which also starts at Devínska Nová Ves and describes a 28km-long circle passing through Stupava, Marianka and Záhorská Bystrica. Cycling routes in the Bratislava region and the sur­rounding areas can be found at www. letsbike.eu website. While the previous three routes are all suitable for recrea­tional cyclists, a fourth, known as the “Green Bike Tour”, has been laid out to appeal to more experienced riders and offers a more physically demand­ing option. It leads from Železná Studienka recreation area, through the rugged terrain of the Small Carpathi­ans, and then to Kamzík hill, a total 71.9km trip.

In the recent past, many Slovak cyclists have done much of their riding in eastern Austria, which is close to Bratislava and offers a more advanced cycling infrastructure and, largely, better road surfaces. It can often be the opposite in Slovakia, where many of the paths are undermined by a low quality surface, particularly in Bratislava city, and routes that often do not connect with one another. However, cyclists point out that the Bratislava region offers a greater variety of both terrain and distance from civilisation than eastern Austria, in particular in the hills to the north of Bratislava.

“I think around Bratislava it doesn’t matter whether you ride a road or touring bike, whether you are professional or just a person on Saturday ride, everyone will find something that suits them,” said Andrej Daňo, a cyclist from Bratislava. “There are hills and there are plains.”

Along the rivers or to the hills

Back on the most popular route along the Danube, it is not uncommon to experience literal traffic jams of cyclists, especially during spring or summer weekends. But it is easy to see why: the route, which usually takes two and half hours for an average cyclist to navigate, also takes in the castle in Rusovce and the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, as well as wonderful views of the river itself.

The many refreshment possibilities are also a bonus. “You can just take one bottle of water which you can refill all the time, or buy a drink somewhere,” Daňo said. “You do not have to take five litres [of liquid] with you.”

However, problems may occur when the path is overcrowded, accord­ing to Ľuboš Jakubek from Bratislava, who is a regular on the route. “I have seen ambulances there many times,” Jakubek said, referring particularly to the part of the path close to Slovnaft, Bratislava’s oil refinery, where roller-bladers do not have their own lane.

Plenty of other routes ex­ist for anyone with a more adventurous spirit. Emília Šišková, a former cycling instructor, sug­gests using the routes in the Carpathians, which are well sign-posted despite being in the rural regions away from the city. Daňo prefers heading along the Danube to the Morava River, especially when he is in the mood to substitute some nature and wild animals for other cyclists. “There are wetlands there, which attract various birds,” he said. “When those fields are flooded it is simply pure romance.”

In September 2012, a new bridge between Devínska Nová Ves and Schloss Hof for pedestrians and cyclists was built to improve the connection between Slovak and Aus­trian cycling routes along the Danube and Morava rivers.

Bike-sharing

Bratislava’s bike-sharing service, characterised by white stands filled with bright yellow bikes, is hard to miss and easy to use. Tourists can take advantage of this service for just €6 a day. They just need to remember that bicycles can stay outside of official stands for up to 12hrs per day. User can register online at slovnaftbajk.sk in Slovak or English. Those who purchase the daily package will be charged €6 along with a €64 deposit, which is returned to the credit card holder within a few days (this can vary depending on international bank relations). After payment, the user receives a PIN code to his/her phone to unlock the bike from the stand. Those who ride for more than 12 hours in a day will be charged an extra fee of 12 cents per each 6 min, which will be subtracted from the deposit. Bicycles can be used only within the Bratislava territory. However, even attractions further away from the city centre like the Devín Castle, Danubiana Museum and the Zlaté Piesky summer resort are still considered a part of Bratislava.