I was in Bratislava last Spring for 11 days. I had planned to be there for about 5…but it was such a great jumping off point for so much of the region (and so pleasant) I stayed even longer.

It is a great town, with a beautiful Old Town area…great for good meals and nightlife, and just lazy walks about with an ice cream in hand.

Bratislava is very close to Vienna (about 25 mins.)and sits almost in the middle of a triangle made up of Prague (beautiful and a blast), Budapest (a beautiful but disappointing city), and Vienna (awesome but expensive)…also met many passing thru to Poland from there (especially Krakow)…

I found it far more enjoyable than Budapest (which is beautiful but not cheap, and disappointing in nightlife and the crime situation)…

Bratislava is very cheap by Western standards…the people are friendly and polite, the girls are beautiful and the beer and food are good…plus great hockey. The nightlife and touristy stuff is good to excellent…Check out the Opera some night for a ticket which runs about $2…it’s a surprise treat even for non fans.

I would have to say…it is a very surprising city…especially with a little time taken to settle in…It’s certainly worth more than the 1-2 days most allocate it normally in their plans…especially if you have an extended trip. It has become my favorite capital other than Prague.

FYI…Slovakia and the Czech Rep. are both in Central Europe, even though our tendency is to call them Eastern Europe…

Happy Travels!

ChicagoDB