Hello from Bratislava; the hidden beauty along the Danube.

Bratislava is not your typical European destination. Many would even asked you why would you wanna go there.The say, “There´s nothing in there,” “or what is this place all about!?” Somebody asked me, Is it somewhere in Spain or a part of Czech Republic? Weird but I´ve received so much crazy comments when I mentioned that we will be going to see this place.

Anyway, I am glad we´ve made this trip.

I am glad we sticked to our decision to drive to Slovakia. Seeing Bratislava is an spontaneous decision but we were happy about it.Our trip was simple, uncomplicated and our expectations are low, no stress. I know it´s not as grand as Vienna or picturesque as Prague.But then, Bratislava has it´s own charms. Let me share with you a fine day walking into the streets of Bratislava.

We parked inside the modern and trendy Aupark which I must say is very pretty and modern mall, with cool amenities that I haven´t seen in Germany.I ´ve let my kid played in their indoor playground for kids and she had quite a blast.Then we walked a bit to cross the 7th largest hanging bridge in the world–The UFO Bridge, locally known as well as the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising, Most SNP. I could feel the waves while walking and the Danube is really wide and big here. The ships and cruises that docked on it´s banks are like buildings so that was really a surprise to me.

On top of the UFO Bridge is somewhat like a spaceship, probably the origin of it´s name and becuse of its shape. It´s actually an observatory deck and restaurant. You can have a panoramic view of the city and enjoy the luxurious meals and heavenly views up there.

Bratislava is very walkable and surrounded with green parks. The traffic is not as congested and I was surprised how lively the city is.People are sitting in the park, having coffee and just watching the people that passes by. Walking through the old town was easy and compact.We passed through the central main square and admired the quirky statues like the Cumil, Napoleon´s Army and the Schöne Naci.

I love the architecture and the building surrounding the main square, Hlavné námestie where the Napoleonic army soldier can be found and the fountain of four peeing boys.Aside from weird statues, there were so many fountains in Bratislava that are worth seeing.This place is a great place to grab some pastry, drink a coffee and just waste the time away relaxing.

The city has this slow flow, relaxed free rhythym. It´s like nobody is rushing down here. Even the tourists are taking slow walks and taking time to admire the churches, window shopping and taking snaps of every corner of the city. I love watching the local trams, buses and trains passing by and listening to church bells.

We had a heartfull lunch, same time admiring the rows of lovely shops in front of us. There is really something so cozy in Bratislava that even Lavender flavored ice cream is quite unforgetable.

From this square which has a long rows of fountains and array of artisan cafes and shops, one can easily lost the track of time. People gathering in the square waiting for the tours to begin and some enjoy just sitting lazily under the shades of the trees, trying to absorb the Slovak culture, like we do.

We passed through many construction work and some areas are not open. I was trying to follow the coronation walk path that starts from the banks of Danube to St. Martin´s Cathedral.It was in St. Martin’s Cathedral that ten men were crowned king between 1563 and 1830, along with a reigning queen and seven queens consort.

Eleven kings and queens, and eight of their consorts were crowned in this building up to 1830. The cathedral’s role as a coronation church is honoured by a gold-plated reproduction of the Crown of St. Stephen at the top of the tower. Even Empress Maria Theresa of Hapsburg Dynasty was crowned here in Bratislava on 1741.

Totally random, one wonderful find is seeing the Art Nouveau Blue Church which is literally Baroque and blue in color.It is nestled near the university and school area and its quite easy to find by walking. Too bad it is closed during our visit.I was already feeling overwhelmed with too much architecture but this one is some kind of refreshing sight.

Slovakia is an interesting city and I wished that we have more time to enjoy the countryside. But then, a glimpse of this city has piqued our interest and surely left a lasting impression.

Until then, Tschüss!