Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest
Bratislava
We loved our trip to Prague and, after reading about other European cities with a similar feel, decided to try Bratislava.
From Edinburgh, there were two direct flight options — Monday to Friday or Friday to Monday. A bit of research quickly made the decision for us. Bratislava is a magnet for hen parties, and particularly stag dos, at weekends, so we opted for a quieter midweek trip. The outbound flight was early morning and the return late at night, which effectively gave us five full days.
We chose to stay at the Crowne Plaza, ideally positioned between the train station and the old town, and directly opposite the Presidential Palace. It worked perfectly as a base — everything was within easy walking distance, but it still felt calm and slightly removed from the busiest areas.
The weather couldn’t have been better — warm enough to be out all day without a jacket, but not so hot that wandering around for hours became uncomfortable.
I’d done plenty of research beforehand and arrived with a list of places we wanted to see — the Main Square, the UFO Bridge, St. Martin’s Cathedral, the Blue Church, Michael’s Gate, the Slavín Memorial, and of course the various statues dotted around the old town.
What we hadn’t anticipated was just how small the city really is. On the first day we walked, and walked, and walked — and whilst we didn’t go inside every building or up to the castle, we’d seen almost everything else on my list. It’s incredibly easy to navigate, and within a few hours you feel like you know your way around.
One small disappointment was the UFO Bridge observation deck. You pay to go up - but in reality it’s only slightly higher than the café and restaurant level, access is by a steep ladder from the restaurant. If I was returning, I’d have a drink in the cafe and observe the city from there.
A day in Vienna
We had originally planned to visit Devín Castle, which sits just outside Bratislava and can be reached by boat. While looking into this, we realised you could continue all the way to Vienna — and that quickly became the plan.
We took the first boat on the Tuesday morning, leaving around 9am and arriving in Vienna by 10:30. The journey itself was part of the experience. Devín Castle is particularly striking from the river, perched high on a rock, and the scenery gradually shifts — rural and quiet near Bratislava, becoming more industrial as you approach Vienna.
I’d been to Vienna before, but my husband hadn’t, so we started with the obvious — walking from the boat to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The streets were busy and full of street performers, and the cathedral itself is as imposing as you’d expect, sitting right at the heart of the city.
From there we wandered along Graben to see the Baroque Plague Column, before heading into St. Peter’s Church. The contrast between the heat outside and the calm, ornate interior made it a perfect place to pause.
We continued on to Michaelerplatz and the Hofburg Palace. The scale of the buildings is difficult to describe — vast, elegant, and slightly overwhelming. We spent some time in the surrounding gardens before passing the Spanish Riding School and eventually finding a small Italian restaurant for a late lunch, sitting outside and watching the horses and carriages pass by.
We finished at the State Opera, where people dressed as Mozart and Beethoven were selling tickets for that evening’s performance. It was tempting, but our boat back to Bratislava was calling.
Back to Bratislava
Wednesday was a slower day back in Bratislava. Having already seen most of the sights, we were able to enjoy the city at a more relaxed pace — wandering into churches, watching street performers, and browsing a small craft market in one of the squares.
Despite the number of cafés and restaurants, we found ourselves returning to the same place we’d visited on our first night — always a good sign.
That evening, we noticed activity outside the Presidential Palace from our hotel window and went to take a look. It turned out to be a formal visit from the King and President of Spain, complete with military displays and a full band — completely unexpected, and one of those moments that makes a trip memorable.
An unplanned trip to Budapest
We had considered exploring somewhere just outside Bratislava — perhaps a small town or a winery — but instead made a last-minute decision to go further afield and booked train tickets to Budapest.
We took an early train and arrived before 9am. The journey was smooth and comfortable, and the small upgrade we paid for turned out to be first class, with drinks, snacks, and even a glass of wine on the return journey.
Knowing how large the city is, we opted for a hop-on bus tour combined with a river cruise. It was a good way to get an overview, particularly along the Danube where the scale of the buildings is genuinely impressive.
After the boat, we wandered through the city where there seemed to be live music on almost every corner — everything from Bartók to the Beatles. We stopped for lunch in one of the main squares and were served a traditional cold cherry soup to start, followed by lángos and a cucumber salad, all washed down with Hungarian wine.
The afternoon was spent exploring at our own pace, including a mission to find Rubik’s Cubes to take home — a small but fitting souvenir.
Final day
On our final day, we wandered through the city once more and came across a vintage car rally — the return leg of the “1000 Miles of Czechoslovakia,” featuring cars manufactured before 1939. It was a completely unexpected find and a lovely way to spend an hour.
One thing Bratislava is certainly not short of is ice cream shops — we passed dozens during our stay and, of course, had to sample a few.
A relaxed-paced but surprisingly varied break — and a reminder that sometimes the best trips are the ones where you leave space for the unexpected.
