"Bold not Beautiful" Bratislava by antistar

Did you know that Bratislava was once the capital of Hungary? The Hungarians haven't forgotten. I've heard some refer to Slovakia as "not a real country but a part of Hungary that gave itself a name by mistake." And there's some truth in that; for me Bratislava didn't really feel like a capital of a country, more a provincial capital.

Bratislava has impressive neighbourhood capitals: Vienna, Prague and Budapest. Unlike these cities it is small, dowdy, and lacking in any major sites. It's amazing this city gets as many visitors as it does. I can only imagine it's the proximity to Vienna and its capital city status that attracts anyone at all.

Clean Streets, Bratislava

But the attitude of the Hungarians exposes the differences between these two capitals. Budapest is mired in the past, looking backwards to former glories, bitter at what history has taken from them, like Slovakia. Bratislava, on the other hand, is the capital of a successful, forward looking country that has embraced the EU and the Euro.

Slovakia has steamed ahead economically, and this can be seen in the clean streets, well kept houses, busy cafes and industrious suburbs. Bratislava has looked more to its closest neighbour Vienna, than its former occupier, the Hungarians. It'll never be like Vienna in terms of tourist attractions, but it can at least aspire to a similar lifestyle.

Old Streets, Bratislava

The Lonely Planet guide describes Bratislava's old town as "minuscule", and for once they aren't wrong. You can see Bratislava's tidy and pretty old town in a couple of hours. There isn't a lot outside the center, except for the unique looking TV tower and grandiose presendential palace.

But with a compact and pleasant old town, packed with relaxed cafes on narrow streets, it makes for a great day trip from Vienna, or for a break on the long train journey between Budapest and Prague. It's also an opportunity to find out what life is like in the capital of one of Europe's newest countries.

Photo Album on Facebook (better quality).

• Pros:Pleasant day trip from Vienna, pretty but small town centre, relatively inexpensive compared to Vienna.
• Cons:Ugly outside the small old town area, not much to do, drunks near the station.