By: Andrei-Mocanu
Photo by meneldur, on FlickR
The largest city in Slovakia and its capital, Bratislava is fast becoming a popular tourist destination. Spreading out on either side of the Danube allows for magnificent views of the grand bridges connecting the city, and from those bridges one can observe beautiful sunsets over the river. Whilst to many people the name conjures up images of a grim, grey, and dull town, Bratislava is in fact a beautiful city, with Mediterranean-like weather, leading many to refer to it as a seaside city without a sea. It is situated in one of the warmest and driest parts of Slovakia and the clear skies allow wonderful views from the castle summit.
Attractions of Bratislava
Bratislava castle dominates the city, standing on top of a hill overlooking the Danube. The castle is not only impressive looking up from the ground; the views from the castle walls are sublime. From here one can look out over the city itself and see the Slovakian countryside stretching for miles in every direction, stopped only by the majestic Carpathian Mountains.
Photo by Armandoreques, on Flickr
Nightlife in Bratislava
Attempts have been made in recent years to portray Bratislava as a town with a strong clubbing scene; these seem in the main to be exaggerations. Bratislava's charm when it comes to the evening is in its easy-going atmosphere. A cursory sweep of the city centre at night will present a plethora of differently themed bars (of which the most interesting is a Spanish bullfighting themed strip club), but nowhere to dance. The Sub Club therefore comes as a surprise to those previously unaware of its existence.
Situated under the hill on which Bratislava's scenic castle sits, this drum and bass club resides within what appear to be a series of poorly lit tunnels. Everything from the pumping music to the gigantic tattooed bouncers screams intimidation, however the actual atmosphere inside is warm and welcoming. Travelers who aren't devotees of drum and bass music will be unlikely to return there in the near future, but for one night it is an excellent place to go and experience something a little different.
Bratislava's People
Whilst the image of surly Slovaks is one that is hard to dispel, the majority of Bratislava's inhabitants are cheerful and helpful. Cafe and restaurant staff may not be the warmest in Eastern Europe, however they seem better natured than in cities such as London. On the streets, the townspeople are friendly to tourists and each other, and this helps in developing the impression of Bratislava as an affable and welcoming place.