Is Bratislava worth a day trip from Vienna?
Updated August 2024.
I’m always seeing the above question on internet forums. I had searched the question myself, wondering if it was really worth doing the 1-hr trip from Vienna to Bratislava.
You’ll see all kinds of answers, from “It’s ok and worth it if you have nothing better to do” to gushing reviews (mostly from other bloggers. Bloggers like to gush). You’d think from reading some reviews that it’s the most beautiful city in Europe.
We decided to go see Bratislava for ourselves.
If there’s a first reason to visit Bratislava (from Vienna) it is to see startling contrasts. Vienna is grand and pristine (but maybe a bit soulless?). The train station is ultra-modern, the train that you enter to get to Bratislava sleek and shiny. The Austrian countryside is tidy, organized and futuristic: you’ll see solar panel farms and lots of gigantic wind turbines. When you cross the Slovakian border everything changes. You’ll suddenly see ramshackled wooden sheds, communist-era train stations in dire need of paint, and old train carriages lying off to the the side, rusted and covered in graffiti.
The train station in Bratislava feels like your typical Eastern European train station. Soviet style construction, stark and a bit gloomy. No-frills. The people wandering around the station fit right in with the decor. You see none of the wealth displayed so confidently in Vienna. Within an hour you’ve entered a different world.
A ten minute bus ride brings you to the doorstep of the historic center. Even on a dreary, dour day you can seem the charm of Old Town Bratislava.
A few photos:
Bratislava won’t win any beauty contests. But it has unpolished charm. You can see it in the photos above. Buildings might be weathered but for the most part you see that people have tried to beautify their space with color. The old streets and sidewalks are uneven, grass growing through cracks in the paving stones. The most important thing that Bratislava has is character which, in hindsight was maybe what was lacking for us in Vienna where everything was, well, too perfect.
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Note the statues which are recent and injected to give the old town a bit of life. This post explores more of the quirky statues in town.
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We spent an afternoon walking around the old town and getting a feel for Bratislava. It was unpretentious and the people we met were friendly.
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So, is Bratislava worth a day trip from Vienna?
If you’ve spent more than 2 days in Vienna, then I think Brastislava is worth a visit, just because of the contrast and different vibe. I wouldn’t put Bratislava my Top-10 itinerary of European cities as a must-see place – but we enjoyed the character of the city and the coziness of the very small historic center. If I had to sum Bratislava up in a few words: Nice, unspectacular, relaxing, with charm. Some blogger friends have mentioned that the city is especially lively in the summer when bars and cafes put their tables and chairs outside. They also say that Bratislava is a good slow travel base, an affordable and unpretentious reprieve from some of the more touristy cities in the region.
Practical Information
– There are trains every hour between Vienna’s Hauptbahnhof and Bratislava’s Hlavná Stanica. See the DB website for schedule. A return ticket bought at Vienna’s Hauptbahnhof will include the cost of public transport in Bratislava for the first day of the validity period.
– To get into the city center from Bratislava’s train station: take Bus line 93 (exit 2nd stop “Hodzovo nam.” next to the presidential palace or 3rd stop “Zochova” and go through the underpass by foot into the center) or Bus line X13 (exit 3rd stop “Namestie SNP” right by the pedestrian zone).
– Take a Walking Tour. This 2 1/2 hour tour comes highly recommended OR – this 1.5 hour bus tour is both inexpensive and lots of fun.
– The Tourist Information office will give you a good map of the city center. They are located close to the main square at Šafárikovo námestie 3. You’ll see signs for it around the old town.
– Accommodation. If staying overnight, the Hotel Devín was highly recommended by one of our readers (a 4-star at East European prices).
– Flights . Bratislava has a modern international airport (airport code: BTS) with flight connections throughout Europe.
Related: What to See and Do in Budapest (and what to skip)
Related: What’s Brno like? A month in the Czech Republic’s 2nd city
Related: 50 Things to do in Prague
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I think Bratislava is one of the most underrated capitals in Europe. It used to be a cronation city for centuries. Next it’s a capital in development. The city wich was destroyed by the comminists will get a new face lately. They renovated the castle gardens, next year (2024) the city will have a ringstrasse with a lot of green the old town will be reconnected with the castle. Also the Old town will be extended to the west because of Vydrina. Next Eurovea with new shopping malls are finished now , the old town has to the East a modern business district with skyscrapers and also a lot of museums in The Old city and riverwalk, with a promenade between Apollo bridge and the port of Bratislava and old bridge. The Riverwalk has a lot of good restaurants with Westeuropean prices. So one day is no longer enough to visit most sites. You need 2 days, without any daytrips calculated with in so no Small carpatians and Devin castle if you just stay two days. I think it’s a good thing. Bratislava becomes more like a capital like Budapest, Praque or Vienna!
Thank you Jeroen for your long and informative comment. It was a long time ago that we were in Bratislava so I appreciate the update.
The city has changed incredibly in just a few years. With a wine-making region at its doostep with little wine-making towns, castles, plenty of wineries, great restaurants and superb, still undiscovered wines, together with Devin Castle and Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum it is destination for 4 days. A motorboat on the Danube with a drink in one of the beach bars by the Danube make for the rest. The crowning would be a dinner in Eck Restaurant above the Devin Castle. The combination of food and location is hard to beat in Central Europe.
Thank you Martin! Sounds great the way you describe it. We’d like to come back to Slovakia so we’ll definitely have a look at some of your suggestions.
Hi – the main difference is that Bratislava’s castle is actually not a castle, but a FORT, which role was to defend the town and country against Turkish soldiers during Ottoman Empire’s expansion to Europe. The Austrian royal court moved from Vienna to Bratislava then, and several monarchs were crowned in the Cathedral of St. Martin (instead of the cross, it has a pillow with a crown on the top of its tower). Maria Theresia (1740-1780) is the most famous monarch crowned there. Construction of the medieval fortifications in Bratislava (known as Pressburg then) started already in the 13th century, and you still can see some pieces of walls and bastions. It is why Bratislava (Presburg) is not a Versaille to Vienna. The nicest renaissance castle outside France is in Bojnice (~150 km north of Bratislava). But, yes, my love definitely belongs to Prague.
Thank you very much Alena for the information, much appreciate! 🙂 One day we hope to go back. You’re the 2nd person who’s mentioned Bojnice so we’ll have to visit.
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I have been living in Bratislava more than 1.5 year. I wouldn’t call the city spectacular and I wouldn’t put it on the list of 15 cities to see in Europe, maybe even not on the list of 20. In my opinion it is more worth to go to Slovakia to see beautiful mountains, caves, amazing Bojnice castle (sadly I havent seen it yet). But I think Bratislava is still really good idea for a short trip or even chill weekend. The old city is cozy and nice. You don’t need to rush to see all churches and monuments because there are not many of them 😀 If you have more time I would offer to go to Devin Castle. You can reach it with a bus. Bratislava has more and more nice restaurants and pubs. Also you will not get crazy with currency, like in Prague and Budapest, because Slovakia has euro. City develops all the time and I like to see the progress when I am visiting my friends.
Thank you for the feedback Iwona! I’d like to see more of Slovakia one day.
Vienna lover here. I like this city more than Blava.
I think it’s because I’m living in the CZ, and would like to see things that are “new and refurbished” more than “old and abandoned”…
My Slovak wife is from a remote area in the northeast near Poland and I’ve been to Slovakia quite a few times. I’m from New Jersey. Anyway, she much prefers Slovakia’s “second city” Kosice. But overall, Slovakia is more about the castles and the smaller towns. Bratislava is nice but by no means a destination beyond it being so close to Vienna and a side trip from there.
Thanks for the feedback Robert. Just looked up Kosice – looks like a very pretty place! We’ll get there on day.
Hey Frank…….I’ve been basing myself in Bratislava on & off since 2007. Has many advantages over some of the more touristy cities in the region. It’s centrally located…..1 hour to Vienna and VIE, 2 hours to Budapest, 3 hrs to Prague all by train. Fantastic bike routes along the Danube and many others in the region. Great hiking options in the nearby Tatras. Sunny, warm weather from April to Nov. and much cheaper living here than basing in Austria.
I find this kind of review kind of odd since i thought you and Lisette were “slow travellers”. Also the idea of getting to know a place in 1 day speaks volumes of what is completely absurd and wrong about mass tourism. I would never recommend (or not) a 1 day visit to Montreal….it deserves at least a week.
Most Slovaks have told me they’re disappointed that 95% of visitors base their entire impression of Bratislava on a one day visit from Vienna (usually on their way to Budapest or Prague) and having now lived there for some time I fully appreciate their sentiments. But a selfish part of me prefers it this way since the city kind of remains a secret place for a very small group of lucky expats!
GoBruins!
Thanks very much for the positive points of Bratislava. Yes, location is certainly an advantage as is cost.
We’re slow travellers but we also do quick trips when either 1) basing ourselves somewhere or 2) moving from one base to another. In this case I think we had left Budapest after a month there and were taking a bit of a “vacation” to explore Vienna and the Bamberg/Nuremberg/Wurzberg area. Yes, ideally we like to stay in a place longer…but sometimes that first visit is just a scouting trip to get initial impressions on a place.
Sounds like you really enjoy Bratislava though. We loved the former Eastern Europe: it’s unpretentious, prices reasonable, and there are still many spots that many travellers just don’t know about. I’m sure you must really know the area inside out! (we’ll be visiting southern Poland sometime in 2018 and looking forward to doing some hiking in the Tatras as well. Have heard it’s great).
Very great works with images. Content is also very describable. I think Bratislava is probably like a lot of other capital cities. For me they are must-sees because that’s where the bulk of the history has happened and the national museums are.
I definitely think that the ‘ramshackled wooden sheds, communist-era train stations in dire need of paint, and old train carriages lying off to the the side’ is a large part of Bratislava’s charm. I visited for a day in 2013 (quick stop for lunch en-route from Vienna to Budapest), and really liked the town. I have never fallen in love with Vienna, and actually preferred Bratislava. The city is so lively in the summer – the streets are full of artists, singers, performances and people sitting out in the bars or cafes.
Three years after I first visited Bratislava, I moved there (in June 2016). Bratislava is small, so people think they know it after a day – but, honestly, I have found it to change from week to week. After the summer tourists moved on, the city was full of locals for the autumn wine and beer festivals. Then it was teeming with people visiting for ‘White Night’ – a night of lights and performances. For the past 5 weeks, the Christmas markets have moved in and it is really busy once more. Not a weekend has gone by without me wandering upon an unexpected performance – a light show across the facade of the palace, or a reenactment of a military parade (complete with cannons!). There are some wonderful underground cellar bars – you would never guess from ground level that a whole maze of people eating and drinking is lying just beneath your feet! And Devin Castle is spectacular, even if Bratislava castle is dull!!
Bratislava has so much going for it! Sorry to sound like one of those gushing bloggers, but I am totally in love with my new city!
Great comment, thanks for the perspective from someone who’s spent substantial time there.
We were recently in Belgrade for 2 weeks and it made me think of Bratislava: gritty, not so popular with tourists, but with a lot of charm if you take the time to look for it.
Thanks for the feedback!
I’m just finishing my trip to Bratislava now. Have to say, I’ve enjoyed it. It’s unpretentious but lively. The large number of hipster ish cafes, modern restaurants etc has made it a really nice spot to chill out. I wish guide books would focus on those good points as while Bratislava falls down on museum or sites to wow about it’s a nice place to kick back, drink a craft beer, eat a vegan ice cream or have some top notch food.
You’re exactly right Chris. Travel isn’t just about sites, it’s about fun places you feel comfortable in. As full-time travellers we’ve grown to appreciate these (check out Skopje, Macedonia sometime – even more interesting than Bratislava at half the cost. The cheapest place we’ve been in a long time).
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi,
This is looking really amazing place to visit with family, and i like the way you have describe about the post
Thank you Linda! 🙂
We visited Bratislava and enjoyed it. It is worth a day’s trip. Originally we were going to spend the night at one of the top hotels, but after much research, I decided a long day trip was best. We bought some great vodka and had a wonderful tour. Your right – totally different from Vienna and that’s why I loved it (not a Vienna fan here).
Another “not a Vienna fan”. We weren’t either. I’m wondering what that is exactly?
Any tour with Vodka sounds good! 🙂
there was a budget airline that operated from Bratislava. but i think it’s defunct now cant quite remember the name of it. I really liked Bratislava, it was a change of pace, I was there in August I think it was and it wasnt very busy. has a huge amount of charm. would happily go back. yes the castle isnt up to much is it?
Agree Andy. Yes, the castle – I saw old photos and it didn’t look so drab. Now it looks like they’ve covered the whole thing up with white stucco. Completely featureless.
The airline you are referring to was SkyEurope I think.
Once again, beautiful photos and great assessment. “Unpolished charm” describes Bratislava perfectly and I agree that it’s worth a visit to see the contrast with Vienna.
Thanks Patricia, always happy when people agree with me 😉
It’s nice you’re giving good, solid advice – yes, Bratislava is worth a daytrip from Vienna, but ONLY if you’ve already spent time in Vienna (i.e., don’t go to Bratislava instead of Vienna!). And you’re right, Bratislava may seem happier and come more to life in the summer :-). Even our home city of Vancouver is pretty dreary and we wouldn’t recommend visiting it in the middle of a dark rainy winter!
Yes, we are in complete agreement Janice 🙂
Interesting read Frank. As I think you know, we spent a couple of days in Bratislava. Overall, I would agree with your summary but the city does have one thing going for it that you see less and less of in Eastern Europe these days and that’s a healthy dose of Socialist-era architecture. The Slavin War Memorial was the highlight for me but there is also the SNP Bridge (as pictured above) and the wacky Slovak Radio Station which needs to be seen to be believed! In fact we intend to head back to Bratislava next time we are in the area as we want to visit Petržalka (on the other side of the bridge) which is home to the largest socialist-era housing development in Eastern Europe – it takes all sorts!!
I also thought Devín Castle, just outside the city, was also worth visiting. You don’t mention it, but I am assuming Bratislava is cheaper than Vienna, especially for important things such as beer??
Good comment. Yes, if you like Soviet era architecture it’s interesting. We missed some of the highlights, like Devin Castle and the Slavin War Memorial. Honestly, was cold, then it started to rain…we went and had lunch with a beer (which yes, is cheaper than in Vienna 🙂 )
I’ve never been to Slovakia. Met a few people from there, during my travels, though.
“But it has unpolished charm” – Know what you mean, when I find these thype of places, I kind of like them. Many are off the so called tourist routes and a lot more relaxed. There may not be the good transport links, usually no hostels to stay at and definitely not party towns, but – I’ve managed to meet some nice people and tend to enjoy them.
Thanks Ted. Yes, we’ve increasingly gotten to like places like that as well. In the end they just feel more authentic.
Frank, very interesting read. I read your last post about Vienna being kinda superficial with no character. I’m glad you went here to see a different side of the country. I don’t think I would visit Bratislava though (even with your recommendation). I like places that are somewhere in between Vienna and here; though, if I had enough time next time I’m in Europe, I could see myself making a trip here (maybe). I much prefer the countryside with more natural settings.
Bratislava and Vienna at opposite ends of the spectrum, some people may like neither! Thanks for taking the time to comment Hung Thai.
Great post, Bratislava looks like a lovely city, even though it lacks the grandeur of many cities in western Europe. We’re considering a flight to Slovakia at some point (Ryanair does cheap flights from the UK), possibly in summer.
By the way, “ramshackled wooden sheds, communist-era train stations in dire need of paint, and old train carriages lying off to the the side, rusted and covered in graffiti” sound intriguing, I have a soft spot for old, abandoned, shabby and dilapidated 😉
You know what? We’ve spent so much time in Eastern Europe over the last year that we’ve found a certain charm with “old, abandoned, shabby and dilapidated”. Much better those adjectives than gentrified, reconstructed and refurbished. Together they equal boring and characterless 🙂
Frank and Lissette, I think Bratislava is probably like a lot of other capital cities. For me they are must-sees because that’s where the bulk of the history has happened and the national museums are. I like the little towns. We spent a night in Levoca, Slovakia and it was a charmer! We loved it.
Very good points. I’m told there are nice spots in the rest of Slovakia as well which don’t make it on the tourist radar. Levoca? Never heard of it. Thanks for taking time to comment Corinne!