"Bratislava - Proud to play second fiddle " a Bratislava Travel Page by acemj

When I quit my job in Charlotte, North Carolina in May of 2004, I knew that I would have a month to travel. My plan was to go see my family in Philadelphia and then to take off for Germany and Austria to relax and explore the mountain scenery of the region. However, after spending a couple weeks traveling around on efficient Austrian trains, hiking around Alpine peaks overlooking spectacular lakes and sipping coffee in ornate cafes, I decided that I should venture off the beaten path a bit to Slovakia.

On my way to Vienna, I decided to keep going another hour and a half to Bratislava, the second city of the former Czechoslovakia. Today it is the capital of the relatively new Slovakia (independent since 1993) and is emerging as an increasingly appealing travel destination.

I was immediately bewitched by the simple charms of the place. The train station that greeted me was older and a little rougher looking than the ones in Germany and Austria, but a few glances around revealed that the lack of frills seemed to be keeping most of the tourists away and that is always strangely thrilling to me.

I was only here for a couple days, but it was enough to get a sense of the place and for me to know that I enjoyed the authenticity of the city. It's a place that has long been accustomed to playing second fiddle to Prague and that lesser- known status has somehow given Bratislava a more relaxed and down to earth feeling. The lack of McDonald's-style commercialism is refreshing, but I have a feeling it will only last for so long. Bratislava's anonymity is becoming a thing of the past, so if you're interested in spending time in an unpretentious, affordable and rewarding travel spot, get there as soon as you can.