"Bratislava" a Bratislava Travel Page by grkboiler

When I was riding into the train station, I didn't see much else besides graffiti, some abandoned buildings, and a few homes in bad living conditions. I wasn't sure if I had made the right choice in coming to Bratislava, but once I got into town, my moods quickly changed.

I spent a day in Bratislava and was impressed with the old town area. This city on the Danube has plenty to see and the people are very friendly. It was a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon among all the people outside walking around and sitting at the cafes.

I didn't have much time to see the city, but I really enjoyed the feel of the old town and my visit to Devin Castle. Unfortunately, I lost a few hours when I arrived trying to find a good cheap place to stay the night and didn't really get started until about 2 PM.

While wandering through the streets very lost, we ran into an American from Arizona who had lived in Bratislava for 5 years under Communism. He told us all kinds of facts about the city, what life was like under Communism, what to watch out for, what to see, and most importantly, directions. Without this man, we would have wasted an entire day trying to find a place to stay. I doubt he would visit this page but I would like to say thank you.

This city is not frequently mentioned among the great capitols of Europe, but still has a long and important history. Bratislava was not always known as Bratislava. It was once known as Pressburg. It was also the capitol of Hungary for over 200 years while much of Hungary was under Ottoman rule. It later became an important city in the Habsburg empire.