Return to Bratislava | Slovak Adventure 2025 (1/5)
Sometimes it is hard to that I haven’t been in Bratislava since 2019. After all, it is the city that I called home between 2012 and 2014. The city that I had visited annually up until the pandemic. Yes, time has meant that many old friends have moved away from Bratislava and even some away from Slovakia. It was still with excitement that I boarded the afternoon flight from Stockholm Arlanda airport. It was time to fly to Vienna for a new Slovak adventure.
Our initial plan had actually been to travel somewhere for Easter with Susann’s parents and their mobile home. Little A did, however, have a wish of her own. She wanted to spend the Easter break visiting her cousins on the Åland islands. So we decided that it was a good plan for Susann and Little A to visit Åland while I flew down to Slovakia and had some time to just travel around. Then we would meet up in Finland for Easter.
So here it is. The first part the long story about my Slovak Adventure of 2025. I hope that it can inspire, but its foundation will stay as being my way to remember and share my memories.
Flying Down to Vienna
I actually ended my workday at Stockholm Skavsta Airport, working up until it was time to board my flight down to Vienna. No, I was not going to Austria. It just happens to be the most convenient airport when traveling to Slovakia from Sweden. Especially since it is only 45 minutes with bus from Vienna Airport to the center of Bratislava.
My flight with Austrian Airlines was quite uneventful. I hadn’t booked any bus ticket in advance as there are plenty of buses. It’s also quite hard to guess which one that would be the one departing once I had had time to exit the airport.
It turned out to be a delayed Flixbus bus that came. I found the tickets on their web page for more than double the normal price. But I couldn’t finish the purchase before it timed out due to the original departure time had passed. We were then completely dismissed by the driver when the bus arrived. Even though it had been possible to buy the tickets just minutes earlier, he now claimed the bus was sold out. Instead of selling tickets to several of us, he opted to drive the bus less than half full to Bratislava. Luckily Slovak Lines arrived shortly after with a very friendly and helpful driver. I was finally on my way across the border to Slovakia.
Traditional Slovak Food in the Evening
I had actually booked a small pod or capsule at a hostel for the first three nights. It was a complete gamble to save quite a lot of money on accommodation. It was a gamble that would turn out to be a very positive experience. I ended up in a dormitory with a total of six of these capsules. I had no clue what to expect.
Once I arrived, I was hungry and headed out for some Slovak food. What to eat when visiting Slovakia for the first time in over five years? I opted for some bryndzové halušky and bryndzové pirohy. It is really heavy food that would hunt me for several days, but I couldn’t think of something more Slovak to start this adventure with.
Re-Exploring Bratislava
As mentioned, it is hard to imagine that it was actually almost exactly 11 years since Susann and I moved from Bratislava to Sweden. In other words, more than a decade since our Slovak adventure came to an end. How do you re-discover a city that you once called home? I really had no clue where to begin. I did, however, find a quite nice opportunity to resolve that problem. Sharing the dormitory was a guy from Japan. He spent one night at the hostel before he was about to continue his journey north. But he first wanted to explore Bratislava. My solution was to join him. I could help him find his way and at the same time get another perspective on what to see. It is so easy to skip some areas otherwise, now I had a reason to beat his suggested sightseeing itinerary from ChatGPT.
Exploring the Old Town
We set of from Obchodna towards the Old Town. We admired the city gate of Michalská Brána, and then stopped for breakfast at Hlavné Námestie, Then we watched the queue of tourists wanting to take a photo with the statue of Napoleon´s Army Soldier, and eventually we got to say hello to Čumil – the “Man at Work”.
St. Martin’s Cathedral
Walking along the long Hviezdoslavovo Námestie we soon stood in front of the St. Martin’s Cathedral with its golden crown on top of its tall spire. Had it not been for my new Japanese friend, I would still never have seen the inside of this church. Now we got to see if I would start to burn at its gate as we entered to have a look. It turns out that I still seem to be safe, I didn’t burn and the lightning didn’t struck me.
Bratislava Castle
Our exploration continued to higher grounds. It was time to clime the hill of the Bratislava Castle. This castle that is one of the main landmarks in the city, if not even THE landmark of Bratislava. We took the long road up to the castle, but even when walking around the castle it doesn’t take long before you stand at its impressive gates.
Not much has changed up here. Well, except some of the views. There are more buildings, especially tall buildings, when looking out from the many viewpoints. Petržalka had developed a bit, but it was especially the new business district around Nivy in Ružinov that had exploded with many more high-rise buildings since my last visit in 2019. The new buildings has really given Bratislava a new skyline.
A Slovak Lunch
Walking around did eventually result in the obvious. We got hungry and it was lunchtime. With a short detour towards the Danube River we were soon on our way to an old favorite. Partly because of the available food, but also because of the place itself. We were headed towards the Bratislava Flagship Restaurant. it claims to be one of the largest in Europe. The interior is impressive and they have many of the local dishes that we wanted to try. I can just say that we ordered a few dishes each and I was happy to see that my new Japanese friend dared to try the garlic soup, something we have been very fond of since living in Bratislava.
The Blue Church
While eating we looked at his initial sightseeing list from Chat GPT. We had been able to check off all except one on his list. Left was the Blue Church, also known as the Church of St. Elisabeth. Luckily the church was not far from the restaurant. It is one of the more hidden sights in the city, but I was surprised how well I remembered where to go. We were soon standing in front of this small church, that really stands out in its neighborhood. Sadly, the church was closed for visitors, but we got to see it before ending our walk.
I had some things to prepare and my new friend got to explore some on his own. Who knows, maybe we run into each other sometime in the future. I was either way happy to have had company while exploring the city. It makes it a lot more fun sometimes.
A Walk to See Our Old Home
Once I was alone I headed out on a less touristy walk. I was heading to the shopping center Central towards Ružinov. It was time to walk along the streets of the area that we called home for over a year. Following Miletičova Street it really felt like nothing had changed. I had walked along this street hundreds of times and it almost felt natural to still avoid the dents and holes in the pavement. I reached Trhovisko Miletičova, the market where we had purchased fruits and vegetables so many times, And when I headed down Košická Street it felt even more like it was still home. Yes, stores and restaurants along the street had changed. But seeing Gemerská Street was like a unchanged photo. It was first when reaching the business district around Nivy that it really felt different. A large part of the area had been redeveloped and the change was more than obvious.
Ending the Day with Too Much Food
In the evening it was time for some more food. I had walked enough for the day and just wanted to sit down and enjoy some more Slovak food. This time I opted for a goulash soup and Susann’s favorite, the nakladany hermelin. Only afterwards did I realize that I had probably eaten too much and my stomach would haunt me for several days afterwards. Well, it was either way delicious. Just as I remembered it.
My second night in the pod was as uneventful as the first. Friday night, but still very calm. It was finally time for a long night’s sleep. I had no plan to get up early the following morning.
A of Tranquility, Memories, and A Nice View
My second full day in Bratislava began with a very late wake-up. It was time for my calm day of this entire trip. I had already explored and the day was meant to be spent meeting old friends. Unfortunately, the first friend had to cancel due to her kids. So instead I headed to the old bridge across the Danube River. After renovation, Starý Most is the newest bridge across the river and a lot more impressive than when we lived in Bratislava.
I actually sat down at one of the viewpoints on the bridge and enjoyed the view to the west. I enjoyed the sunshine, while watching the Bratislava Castle and the “UFO Bridge“. It is interesting to see that not much have changed to the skyline when looking in this direction. The Old Town and its surroundings still looks mostly the same. It is almost as if time had stopped.
That feeling changes when looking to the east, seeing Eurovea Shopping Center still standing there, but the background towards Nivy has changed a lot. From about three high-rise buildings earlier to a lot more now. The skyline has really changed and it is hard to recognize the area. It was quite symbolic, that a city will never stay the same after you leave it. The city and its people will actually move on by themselves. It is just to enjoy the ride and explore the changes when re-visiting.
Meeting an Old Friend
In the evening it was finally time to meet one of my oldest friends from the time in Bratislava, a former flatmate from the first six months that I lived in Bratislava. From a time with many fond memories.We had trips to places such as Budapest, Prague, and Vienna together and much fun in the apartment in Petržalka.
We met at the Stará Tržnica, the old market hall. There was a food festival during the weekend, with several food trucks. We found some drinks and food and headed out for a longer walk. Actually, we went all the way up to the castle before turning back towards Nivy where she had parked. There were so many memories and a lot of catching up to do since we last saw each other. A lot happens in five years, but it is something about meeting old friends. Time since the last meeting just doesn’t matter. Something similar to re-visiting old homes, you still find your way back even though a lot might have changed.
The Adventure Continues to Northern Slovakia. Read more here: Slovak Adventure 2025
