Slovakia

Bratislava

After our time in Austria it was time for us to cross into Eastern Europe for the first time on this trip.  One of the side benefits of traveling in eastern Europe is the lower prices.  Destinations in the former eastern bloc countries even 35 years after the fall of the Soviet Union still tend to be a lot more affordable than their western cousins.  Outside of some of the most touristy cities such as Prague this part of the world can be a bit rough around the edges.  You can still see the after effects of communism with less modern development and many of the stark boxy buildings that were built during the communist era.  You can definitely feel more like a foreigner in a foreign land if you venture off the well worn tourists paths between places like Prague and Budapest.  

This was our first time in Slovakia and I would say Bratislava is a good place to dip your toes into eastern Europe.  It’s big enough and has enough western visitors to not feel too intimidating but still feels distinctly eastern european.  The old town is just as quaint and charming as many others found around Europe.  But once you get out of the old town things start to look very different from western European cities.  Almost all of the buildings built by the communists lack any style.  They are all bland boxes with rows of windows.  The infrastructure such as public transportation and roads is not as modern or well maintained.  It’s definitely interesting to see the contrast from western Europe.  I never visited this part of the world in the early 1990s after it was opened to the rest of the world but I can only imagine what it would have been like to visit during that period.

Our hotel for this stay was the Lindner Hotel Bratislava.  This was another Hyatt hotel booked with points so we were able to take advantage of the free parking benefit that comes with my status.  We were upgraded to a junior suite, the extra space is always appreciated.  Lindner is a German hotel group that is bookable via Hyatt, so a little different situation than our other stays.  I’d say this hotel was ok, nothing special.  The room was decent and clean.  The staff was courteous but not overly friendly or welcoming.  The location was about a 30 minute walk to the old town.  The breakfast was ok but nothing special.  If you aren’t a Hyatt loyalist I would probably find a different hotel that’s a little more convenient to the old town.

Scenes from around Bratislava

The most obvious site to see in Bratislava is the Bratislava Castle which sits on a small hill and looms over the entire city.  We hiked up the hill and walked around the outer walls but unfortunately even the grounds are off limits for dogs.  The castle itself was not enticing enough to warrant a return trip without Maverick to see the grounds and insides.  In the old town we peeked into the 13th century St. Martin’s Cathedral, just another run of the mill european church that would be an absolute revelation back home in the United States.  The old town square Hviezdoslavovo námestie was pleasant with the attractive Slovak National Theatre (Historical Building) sitting at one end.  It’s also hard not to notice the communist era Bridge SNP with its flying saucer observation deck and restaurant sitting high above the Danube river.  We did not go inside, but maybe we would have if we were dog free.

When it comes to food and drink I can highly recommend the Modrá Hviezda / Blue Star restaurant which welcomed Maverick with open arms and is located in a charming old stone basement.  The food is traditional and tasty, definitely worth a visit.  For beer our favorite spot was Výčap u Ernőho located in the The Old Market Hall.  Micro brewed beer served fresh right from the tank.  Every pint was a treat.  This is also a dog friendly location.

The atmosphere and food at at Modrá Hviezda / Blue Star restaurant

Bratislava is a fun medium sized city to visit.  I’d say a couple of days is sufficient to see all the highlights.  After leaving Bratislava we drove southeast to Budapest which I’ll cover in another post, but after Budapest we returned to Banská Bystrica in central Slovakia for over a week to recharge the batteries for the final push of our trip.

Banská Bystrica

After we left Bratislava our next stop was actually in Budapest Hungary, but I’ll be covering that in another post.  After Budapest we stayed for over a week in the small city of Banská Bystrica nestled in the mountains of central Slovakia.  

Banská Bystrica old town

My original plan was for this to be a home base for doing some hiking and sightseeing  in the region but at this point in our travels we were teetering on the edge of burnout.  So instead this became a place that we settled in and called home for a bit.  Most of our time was spent walking the nice little old town as well as other parts of the city.  We also found a nice network of trails in the surrounding hills that afforded great views of the area.

Exploring the foothills surround the city

One thing we did get to experience here that we knew nothing about was All Saint’s Day.  This coincides with Halloween back in US.  During this time everyone honors their dead loved ones by decorating their graves with flowers and candles.  An entire market was set up in the city center simply to sell flowers for this purpose.  The cemeteries were something to behold with every grave adorned with beautiful flowers.

That’s all for Slovakia, see you in Budapest!

Graves decorated for All Saints Day in Banská Bystrica