Travel to Slovakia – Episode 738

Darrell Hickman

Hey Chris great episode on Slovakia Even though I have been to two cities in Slovakia, Bratislava and Banska Stiavnica it is nice to hear about things I missed while I was there. With both cities I was only there for a few hours. Another way to get to Bratislava is to take the high speed ferry from Vienna. The trip took 1 and 1 half hours by boat. I have also walked to the train station. It was not as bad as they mentioned in the podcast but it is a long walk from the old town. By the train station you are close to an interesting colored tv tower. Every city that used to be part of the iron block seem to have one. I hope to get back to Bratislava because I really love it and thanks to this podcast I might be motivated to get back to Banska aswell since I see I can get there easily from Bratislava. I love that with even with places I been to I always learn something new about a place and I am known to really cover a city. Thanks

Cindy Carlsson

So glad to see Slovakia highlighted. I agree with your guests that it’s an under-rated destination. It’s really a hidden gem. We drove from Bratislava north into Poland in 2018, spending most of our time in small towns and villages. While few people spoke English, it was easy enough to get around by car, people were very welcoming, prices were cheap and the food was hearty! We spent a night in Banska Bystrica, which was the most charming town imaginable. Also visited the tiny UNESCO World Heritage site of Vlkolinec, which was a bit of a challenge to find, but so so cute and photogenic it was worth the trouble. The drive through the Carpathians is gorgeous and there are intricate wooden churches (part of another UNESCO site) scattered all over. We couldn’t get into all of them, but they were impressive even from the outside. We were traveling over a weekend so didn’t get to visit any of the castles or industrial sites, all of which looked really interesting, but were absolutely packed with visitors – like no parking for miles. It was a reminder that there are a lot of places worth visiting that people from the region know about, but most outsiders don’t. Slovakia is one of those. It’s beautiful and so interesting. I highly recommend traveling beyond Bratislava! (But while you are in Bratislava, the cafe by the fort has wonderful treats and a great view.)

Monika

Bratislava is not in Slovenia!

Chris Christensen

Yes… but this episode is not about Slovenia. I am confused.

Justin

Finally got to listen to this and it brought back fond memories. I visited during the Christmas season, and Bratislava’s Christmas Markets were some of my favorites. There are two items I wanted to share in addition to what was discussed. One is St Martin’s Cathedral, where numerous Hungarian kings were crowned during the time the Hungarian empire used Bratislava as its capital. It is on the edge of Old Town, at the base of the hill leading up to Bratislava Castle, right next to the SNP bridge’s north end. Another recommendation is Konditorei Kormuth, a dessert shop and bakery with an amazingly ornate and artsy interior. It’s in Old Town, and definitely worth a stop as you explore the area.

Chris Christensen

thanks Justin!

Andreas Moser

As Darrell said, there is a fast boat from Vienna, which is a beautiful experience and very handy if you are in the center of Vienna, because that’s where it leaves from.
And in Bratislava, it takes you right to the riverbank (naturally).

Another alternative way I once took, was to walk from Vienna to Bratislava:
https://andreasmoser.blog/2018/08/12/vienna-to-bratislava/
It’s doable, with some beautiful sights on the way, but you’ll be too knackered to enjoy Bratislava after that, unfortunately.