It is not a circle - it is the city from different angles
I was warned it would take about two hours to see Bratislava's old town and surroundings. And it is true. Well, only if you walk, take pics and head back to the bus. Three days were good to get a feeling, and to see what can happen there.
We got to the central square, looked around, then took a side street just to end up in another corner of the same square in a few minutes - several times :) Good thing about this is that we saw almost everything, at least from the outside. During the day it was good, at night it was epic!
Next time thought it would be nice to actually get to know more places from the inside, and... here is prediction... maybe write a book about it.
Christmas Market
In Bratislava as in Prague, Budapest, Viena, Krakow, you name it, these are a must see during the season. There is the decorations, the small hand crafts, the stage with traditional music and dances, the hot drinks.
On the day we went, there was an activity with traditional music, costumes and dances. The stands around the square were selling small hand made decorations, like the dolls above, made of corn husk. There were also ceramics with hand painted motives and in many colors. The food was good too, with different types of breads, soups, sausages, pastries and sweets.
And then there were the hot drinks, in the freezing night, breathing white through purple fingers.
We had hot wine, but first we had hot honey liquor, Medovina. The best medicine for cold days. Depending on where in Europe, hot wine is called differently. In Czech Republic it is Svařák, in Norwegian Glogg (which most New Yorkers might recognize). Want to try some? Click in the link to enjoy hot wine.
I am deviating a bit in here from Bratislava. But thing is, hot drinks in these parts of Europe are awesome and creatvie! They don't stop at coffee, chocolate, tea and now wine. There are also other mixes with beer and wine in different ways.
Some examples of European mixes when money is not enough for fancy cocktails.
Here in Czech Republic, and as I learned in a recent trip to Spain that apparentely that is where the idea comes from, some people mix red wine and coke - Calimacha!
In Bratislava I first had rezane, a mix of 10 grade light beer with 11 degree dark beer, which looked like a capuccino to some extent. And here is the funny thing, it was a mix of Czech and Slovak beer, which I could almost say it was a Czechoslovakian beer!
And then there is hot beer which I could not believe, but had it in Krakow. Some Polish dare to heat up beer like tea, and mix it with some sweet syrup and cinnamon. The one I had was with 70% raspberry vodka, 100% Polish, and I survived three of those :)
When it comes to alcohol, creativity is enhanced by drinking it, some might say.
So, back to the Christmas Market in Bratislava. It was a nice round around the world, and I really recommend it for a stop when you come visit Slovakia.
Things to see on the streets
Then there were the street performers. I liked this one the most. He gives the illusion he is actually on the air. The man passed the umbrella under his body, and rocked back-and-forth several times to show there was nothing under him. It is not such a big secret how he does it, just take a closer look and you will see it is easy to figure out. I also saw a woman in Krakow trying this, but he was better.
There are also a few statues around the corners that are very popular. This one is the working man. Everyone who passes by takes a picture or touch his head for good luck. There are a few other ones not far from this one, the paparazzi, the happy guy greeting by passers with his silver hut, and the small baby angel looking down the street.
We didn't visit museums or other buildings inside this time, but went to lots of cafes and small stores. For dinner, Verne on Hviezdoslavovo námestie was very good. This place, Verne, not only has good and affordable food, the ambient and design are also very interesting. The entire place has only antique furniture and the decorations are inspired by themes from books of the French writer Jules Verne.
As for night life, there are quite a few good places. Primi and Casa Havana, both on Michalska, next to Michael's gate. Music is good, and believe me, it gets active. Then there is Rio closer to the river - go figure...
Along Ventrúska there are also quite a few good pubs. Some of the smallest ones can have good music and cool atmosphere, and depending on the night the bartenders are very good at doing tricks. Some other clubs that are worth a visit are more difficult to find. One I really liked is very close to Casa Havana. You first go inside the bar, then you open the door to the restrooms and voilà! The clubs is downstairs, live music, old like the town itself, and rezane beer.
Ah, and here is also where the taxi driver took us from the bus station to the train station, 3-minute ride for 30 euros, told us he would take us 10km outside Bratislava, take our money, and we had to open the doors in the middle of the highway to get him to stop the car. Yup, fun to the end in different forms and shapes. All good.
Photo album
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